Peru & Ecuador - Part 3

Seymour Galapagos Airport

On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!) we had a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call as our luggage needed to be outside the room by 5:00. We had time for breakfast before boarding our bus to the airport at 6:00. Our flight ended up leaving a little late, then had to stop at Guayaquil Airport for about 45 minutes before heading on to the Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport on Baltra Island.

Our journey to the Western Route of the Galapagos Islands took place upon the Santa Cruz II, a ship owned and operated by our tour group, HX Expeditions. The dock was located a short drive from the airport, and we had to travel by panga (we would know these as zodiacs) from the dock to the ship. It was always required that we wear a life vest when on one of the pangas, and these were different from the life vests in our cabin which were to be used only in case of an emergency.

boarding the Santa Cruz II

Once on board we were able to check out our cabin, and then went to lunch in the ships's only dining room. The Santa Cruz holds 90 passengers, but we had only 83. This included a group of 12 young ladies from a local university. After lunch we had to participate in the mandatory emergency drill.

our stateroom

The afternoon brought us our first hike, which took place on Santa Cruz Island. We were divided in groups of around 12, and our group was the Sea Lions. The pangas brought us from the ship to the island, where we had a dry landing. We saw the interesting landscape of Dragon Hill, located on the north shore of the island. After that we walked inland on a trail that gave us a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago. Out first true glimpse of a Galapagos island felt like a National Geographic moment. The terrain and wildlife were everything we thought and hoped they would be.

Santa Cruz Island

Before dinner we were offered a briefing of the next day's activities, and this was the case each evening on the ship. That night the dinner buffet included turkey for those on board who were missing their Thanksgiving meal back home.

Peru & Ecuador - Part 2

November 24th we had a 4:00 a.m. wake up call. We were able to pick up a to-go breakfast box at 4:30 and then our buses took us to the Ollantaytambo train station, which was about three hours away. Our train left the station at 8:48, headed to Aguas Calientes which was an hour and fifteen minutes away. Once you depart the train you take a 30 minute public shuttle to Machu Picchu, which sits at an elevation of 7,970 feet.

Our tour began at 10:00. While the area was socked in with low clouds, they made an interesting shroud of the mountains. Unfortunately it began to rain (pretty much the only steady rain we had on the trip), but luckily we had rain coats with us. It did quit after a bit, so we were able to enjoy the experience a little more. We only had a little over two hours to explore, so much of our day was spent in transportation. We took the shuttle back to town where we had lunch with a little time left over to check out the buildings in the area.

Then it was a reverse of the trip, and we did not get back to the hotel until nearly 8:00. We had a late dinner at the hotel before heading off to bed.

Machu Picchu

The next morning we had an early breakfast at the hotel because our buses were taking us to the Cusco airport at 7:20. We had to fly from Cusco to Lima, where we met with different representatives from the tour company who would get us onto our connecting flight to Quito, Ecuador.

Quito Airport

We arrived at the JW Marriott in the late afternoon. Dinner was included at the hotel, so we ate there and turned in somewhat early as the next day included an all day tour of historic Quito and the Middle of the World. In the city center we visited churches, saw the Presidential Palace, and toured a chocolate factory (very small and family-operated.) After that we headed out of town for lunch up in the mountains in a gorgeous setting.

Quito tour

Following lunch we drove outside of Quito to the Middle of the World, which marks the Equator. This is the point that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The site includes a monument, museum, shops and interesting artwork. 

Middle of the World

Once back at the hotel we had dinner and then it was off to bed. The next day included a 4:30 wakeup call in preparation for an early flight to our next destination.

Bucket List Trip to Peru & Ecuador - Part 1

At the beginning of 2020 we had a trip to Peru and Ecuador with our daughter all mapped out. Well, we all know what happened in 2020. Covid put the brakes on all travel. Five years later, we finally got to make this trip. With the original trip we had planned everything on our own. This time we booked through HX Expeditions so they arranged everything except for the post trip that we selected to go to the Amazon.

CLT Airport

We left Charlotte on November 21, flying first to Miami and then on to Lima. Our daughter was able to fly directly to Lima from Los Angeles, and she arrived in Lima about forty minutes before us. However while she breezed through customs, we had an hour and a half wait in an extremely long line. And this was at 11:30 in the evening!

After collecting our luggage, we headed outside to wait for our airport shuttle. We had decided to stay at the Holiday Inn by the airport since we were getting in so late. The hotel where we would join our group was about an hour away from the airport. After a few times of up and down curbs (no ramps), the handle broke off my large suitcase. This was not a good way to start a trip that was going to be filled with many changes in lodging over the course of two plus weeks. We finally checked into our hotel at 1:45 in the morning.

Following breakfast the next morning we took a cab to our hotel, the AC Hotel by Marriott Lima Miraflores. Fortunately they had our rooms ready, so we dumped our suitcases and headed out to explore the area. There was a mall area nearby, and we found a nice place to have lunch. Later we booked a van tour of Lima. There were only two other people in our group - a man from India and a woman from Jamaica. 

Lima November 22nd

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel before meeting up with our tour group. I think there were about 31 of us for this portion of the tour. We were transported to the airport for our flight to Cusco. One thing I didn't like about this tour is that we were just given our boarding passes right before getting on the plane. I was not seated with the rest of my family, which I didn't like. The seats were three across, so it should have been easy to keep us together.

Once we arrived in Cusco we had a short transfer via bus to the Hotel Palacio del Inka, where we had lunch. Cusco sits at over 11,000 feet above sea level, and we were lucky in that aside from a mild headache the first day we did not suffer from any other altitude sickness side effects.

After lunch we did a half day tour of the city, including the Santo Domingo Monastery, the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, the Sulca Textile House Museum with their animals, and Cusco Main Square. Then it was time to rest up for the next day's trip to Machu Picchu.

Cusco

Celebrating Seventy

Charlotte skyline

We have often traveled with our friends, Kathy and Paul. Kathy and I went to high school together, and later college at Iowa State University. Our birthdays are three days apart, with hers falling on Halloween. Jim and Paul were fraternity brothers at Iowa State, so we have all known each other a long time.

Paul and Jim put their heads together to plan a surprise for Kathy and me as we were both turning 70. They booked us into the Orchid Bay Resort in Belize. None of us had been to that country before, which is surprising since Paul was a captain for a major airline and has been around the world.

coming into Belize

Our ungodly early flight on October 30th necessitated a 4:30 a.m. Uber pickup, which was ugly. We had a few delays out of Charlotte due to maintenance issues and the government shutdown which has resulted in a shortage of control tower workers. From Charlotte we flew to Atlanta so that we could be on the same plane with our friends for the journey to Belize.

The resort was a two hour drive north of the Belize City airport, so we definitely wanted to share transportation for that ride. Upon checking in we were offered a welcoming beverage before being shown to our separate, thatched-roof casitas. They were lovely and included a good-sized screened lanai, which we took advantage of in the mornings and evenings. 

welcome to Orchid Bay

The next day we hung out at the resort. Because we had the all-inclusive package, we could have anything we wanted to eat and drink. We did some hiking on the resort grounds, played some games and also took out the kayaks to paddle around looking for birds. On Saturday we took a boat ride, which included a visit to some Mayan ruins, a trip down the New River, some snacks and then a stop to watch the sun set over the bay. It was lovely. Following dinner that night the staff provided both Kathy and me with our own cakes while they sang Happy Birthday to us.

birthday celebration

Sunday was our last full day at the resort. We decided to do a snorkeling expedition. Following a breakfast sandwich we made our way to the boat dock to meet the captain and his crew. It was only the four of us as passengers, so that was nice. They first took us to Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the only place in the Western Hemisphere that a reef touches land.

Bacalar Chico

Next we made our way to the Belize Barrier Reef. Part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, it is the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. As we have also been to the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, we have now snorkeled at the world's two largest reefs. The first stop that we made was not very pretty nor were there very many fish. The second stop was super shallow and when the captain said you had to walk backwards over rocks to get to the deeper water, I decided to wait in the boat. That ended up to be a good call as they quickly spotted sharks and hustled the others back to the boat. The third stop was much better in that the coral looked healthier and there were a lot of fish. I will say that I have never snorkeled where there were not a ton of other boats around. We were the only ones there. And also normally the guides will feed the fish to draw them in, but that was not the case here. The fish were just there without added enticement.

snorkeling

One of the most interesting things to happen is that the assistants on the boat captured some conchs. They brought them on board and showed us how the conch hides within its shell. You have to tap the shell in a certain spot to loosen the conch so you can pull it out. They placed the shells back in the water as they become a home for other sea creatures. They then cleaned up the conch and served it in a dish called ceviche. You really can't have any seafood that is fresher than that!

conch

Following our breakfast Monday we make the two hour trek back to the airport. I have to say, it was a lot easier to leave the country than to enter it. When we arrived there were three other lines/checkpoints to go through once you got through Customs. Ridiculous... 

Our flight to Atlanta left a little late, but we had sufficient layover time in Atlanta to weather that. Plus our flight leaving Atlanta was late anyway, so no big deal. Going through Customs in Charlotte was a piece of (birthday) cake since we have Global Entry. It is worth every penny if you do international travel.

goodbye Belize

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Tour

On Wednesday thirty-six members of our community took a tour of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). As one of the top ten busiest airports in the United States, CLT always has some construction going on. Right now a new terminal is being finished up, and it will have seven gates for Delta Airlines and three gates for other airlines. Construction is also underway for a new public viewing area that will include a playground, picnic area and space for food trucks. The biggest project is a new runway, the fourth for Charlotte and the only new runway being built in the US right now.

Most of us on the tour thought we would be looking at the inside workings of the airport, but in fact that was not the case. They put us on two buses so we could see the massiveness of the airport holdings and get a closer look at the control tower and out buildings, including the original airport terminal building. We also parked by the runway and watched some planes take off and land.

The tour was interesting, and I hope we go back for the other tour which does include going inside the terminals. They are also getting ready to open the Sullenberger Aviation Museum in June. A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum will house artifacts of importance to North and South Carolina aviation history. Of special note is the "Miracle on the Hudson" collection, which will include the actual jet that landed on the Hudson River in 2009. The plane was headed to Charlotte on the day it made its emergency landing, which is why the local museum received the exhibit. That would be another fun field trip for us to go on.

Charlotte Airport

Visiting the Sunshine State

Last week we traveled to Florida to visit some friends from the neighborhood who purchased a condo in Port Charlotte last year. Originally this trip was supposed to take place in January of 2023, but they got sick and we had to cancel our trip.

At their suggestion we had purchased tickets on Allegiant Air, which flies out of the Concord-Padgett Airport (as opposed to Charlotte Douglas) directly to Punta Gorda, Florida. It is a discount airline, which I have always tried to avoid. But the pricing was quite decent on it, despite bucking up for checking a bag, picking a seat and Priority Boarding. The package deal also gave us cancellation insurance, which we ended up needing in January.

What they don't tell you about the insurance is that all taxes and fees are non-refundable, and the price of the insurance is deducted from the credit that goes onto your account. So needless to say, you are not made whole on the deal. But at least we were able to rebook the tickets.

We were dropped off at the airport on October 23rd, and were very grateful that we had Priority status. The regular line was quite long, but we only had a couple of people ahead of us so we got through quickly. I was amused by the fact that if you needed to charge any devices at the Concord airport, there was a fee for that as well.

On the plane we found the seats to be fairly spacious, if not the most padded in the industry. There are no frills, however. No snacks or drinks are provided, though they were offered for sale. As the flight was less than an hour and a half long, it was no big deal to us.

Being picked up at the Punta Gorda Airport was a breeze, and we were quickly off to begin our Sunshine State adventure with our good friends. We played a LOT of pickleball, both in their community as well as the Pickleplex in Punta Gorda, which has 24 courts. Wow! 

We also visited their community pool, went out to dinner with their friends, and played some rousing games of Mexican Train. But the thing I enjoyed the most this trip was going to the Peace River Gardens. It was a beautiful day to walk through the botanical gardens and see not only the plant material but also the wonderful sculptures they had on site. 

Peace River Gardens

We flew home on Friday the 27th, and were again thankful that our status enabled us to skip the long, general check-in line. It is certainly the only way I would consider flying this airline again.

It was another fun trip, but I am happy that we don't have any others planned for 2023. It's time to stay home for a bit and enjoy life here.

Much to be Thankful For

Lambert St. Louis Airport

We traveled to the Washington, DC area for Thanksgiving this year. We actually did this two years ago as well, and after that trip I swore I would not travel during one of the busiest flying time periods again. I am still a little baffled as to how this trip came to pass. But we had a travel voucher, and the kids had purchased a new home and a new puppy, so there you have it. We flew out on Wednesday, which surprisingly was not a blackout date for the voucher. When I checked into our flights Tuesday afternoon, I was elated that we each got TSA Pre-check. No long lines for us - yay! But when we arrived at the airport and went to check our bags, the place was empty! What the heck? Where were all the people? They certainly were not in the security line either, as we walked right through. No TSA was even necessary. As our flight was delayed and we had planned extra time due to the holiday, I was really grateful that we had a free pass to the Admirals Club. We were able to sit and enjoy coffee/tea, free wifi and snacks while waiting until it was time to board.

The flight was pretty uneventful, and Andy picked us up at the airport. Because there were three of us in his truck, he could use the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane, so traveling to his home was a breeze. Before we could check out the house, we first had to check out this guy.

Monty

Isn't he adorable? He is a seven month old papipoo - half papillon and half miniature poodle. He weighs all of seven pounds, and is so sweet. Jim and I enjoyed taking him for long walks to nearby Lake Accotink Park. With 493 acres and a 55 acre lake, we did not see it all but really enjoyed walking the hilly trails.

carousel in the park

Lake Accotink Park

Katie flew in from Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, so we actually had our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. It was Megan's first time making the full, traditional meal, and she did a great job!

Jim, me, Andy, Megan & Katie

We did some sight-seeing, including going to a couple of wineries, and played some card games in the evenings. Katie left on Monday to fly home, but with our voucher we could not leave until Tuesday. We did not get TSA Pre-check for the flight home, but the security line was not too long anyway. As our flight was delayed two hours, we were thankful to have a second pass for the Admirals Club.

We arrived home to find out that the furnace on the first floor had gone out. Fortunately the house sitter only had to put up with the chill for one day. That was not the case for us, but fortunately we have zoned heating and cooling, so the second floor was nice and toasty. Regardless, it was good to be home.

St. Louis

New York City Day 5

New York City skyline

Sunday was our last day in New York, and it was pretty much a travel day. Our friends had left early in the morning, so the two of us walked to a deli for breakfast before packing up our suitcases. Our flight was not until the afternoon, but one of the cab drivers we talked to earlier said that with the New York Marathon on Sunday, many roads would be closed. He suggested getting out of the mid-town area before 11:00 in the morning. The hotel staff could offer no better information, so we caught a cab to LaGuardia at 10:45. As it turned out, traffic was a breeze and we arrived at the airport with no troubles and plenty of time to spare. Even the security line was light, which figures since time was no problem for us. We picked out a relatively empty gate area and settled in for the duration.

Our plane had been changed from the one seat - two seat configuration to one that was two - two, but our seat assignments were still the same. The plane left the gate just a few minutes late, but once again we encountered severe turbulence during the flight. In fact, they suspended beverage service for a bit. Once they finally gave us drinks, I almost wish they had not. We held our cups up in the air to prevent spills, and even that was dicey. Eventually the air calmed and we had smooth sailing the rest of the way.

I just can't imagine a better way to begin my sixties. Traveling to a fabulous city, surrounded by good friends and family members - well, it just doesn't get much better than that. I only wish our daughter could have joined us as well. That would have been the icing on my birthday cake. But as I get to see her in a couple of weeks, I won't complain. Until next time, New York...

On the Eve of Christmas Eve

For some reason this year I had all my shopping and wrapping done early. I need to make one last stop at the grocery store tomorrow morning to pick up the meat for Christmas Eve dinner. I am going to go early so that I don't turn into a grouch. In fact, I think hubby and I are going to go workout at 7 a.m. and then hit the store right after. Andy and Megan are due to arrive around 12:30, and I still have to tidy up the guest bedroom and bath. But that shouldn't take me too long.

We picked Katie up at the airport Sunday night. The place was fairly quiet at 9:00 at night. Since we had arrived a little early we walked through the airport looking at the improvements. Nearly all the glass has been replaced from the tornado, though we were surprised to still see a few windows boarded up. What's up with that? The new waiting area for those picking up passengers from the D concourse is quite nice, as are the two new luggage carousels. I think all of those are being replaced eventually.

It has been great to have Katie home. Being able to connect with her via phone and Skype was great, but nothing beats being able to talk to your kids face to face. She is still a bit jet-lagged, but we managed to get some things accomplished this week. Most notably today we dealt with US Cellular. We had just purchased Katie a new phone that would work in China right before she left in August. Unfortunately it was stolen while she was there. US Cellular gave me the bad news that there was an issue with the $100 rebate, and also the insurance on the phone. They told me they would not replace this (expensive) phone. We had Katie buy a cheap phone in China so she could keep in touch with the other students, her teachers and her internship supervisor. I decided to wait until she came home to deal with US Cellular again. We worked with the store manager today and she immediately took care of both of the issues. She gave me the $100 credit, which has been applied to my bill, and gave Katie a replacement phone. Woo, hoo! I did not anticipate such a great outcome. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Back to the Empty Nest

The house is empty again. Even Jim and the dog are over at SWT right now. After a houseful of people and nonstop activity the last five days, it is nice and quiet here. Maybe too quiet.

Andy and Megan flew in last Wednesday morning, and after picking them up at the airport we drove to Pappy's to attempt to get some barbecue. Ever since Andy saw this restaurant on "Man Versus Food", he has been dying to go there. I dropped him and Megan off at the line forming outside the door and went to find a place to park. Before I even got out of the car, they were back at my door saying that a lady had come out of the restaurant advising that there were at least 100 people waiting inside for a table! Not having the time or the inclination to wait in the rain for that long, we went to Seamus McDaniels in Dogtown instead. We got home in time for us to let the dog out, then Jim and Andy went to Union Station to pick up Katie from the MegaBus stop. Megan and I waited at home for JoEllen and Bruce to arrive. Oh, and their dog, Casey.

We had a nice supper and then played Sequence for awhile. Thursday was non-stop action preparing the turkey and all the fixings, and then JoEllen and Bruce headed back home to Kansas City since she had to work the next day. On Friday morning Megan's mom, dad and two brothers drove over from Indiana to spend the day with us. The guys all went to Cabellas and the gals stayed here and got caught up. We ordered pizzas, watched some football and some of the group played Euchre for a bit before the Englert's had to leave. Friday night Jim and I went to the Webster Groves State Championship game at the Jones Dome (where Webster was beaten by a phenomenal Kansas City area football team), Andy went to the Casino Queen, and Katie and Megan hung out at the house.

Saturday Jim, Andy, Megan and I went to the botanical garden to see the train show while Katie did homework, then we went to our favorite Chinese restaurant for supper. Katie went back to Chicago on the train this morning, and we dropped Andy and Megan at the airport this afternoon. As soon as Jim gets back from the office we are going to the gym to see if we can undo some of the damage of five days worth of company. More than the bird was stuffed this holiday!

Travel 411

The C concourse security check-in at Lambert Airport was really busy when we were flying out last Thursday, so we went to the B concourse instead. I'm not sure it was a good idea as the B check-in only had one line open, and other people had been encouraged at C to avoid the lines by heading over to B. I think they do that so there is less work for them at C. But anyway, the line came to a screeching halt (or perhaps I should say sharp halt) when a carry-on bag caught the attention of the screening agent. "Whose bag is this! ," he bellowed. A young man waiting at the other end of the conveyor raised his hand. A lively discussion ensued. It turns out the man had saw blades in his carry-on bag. Yep, saw blades. Why? Who knows, but they let him take the bag on with him. It wasn't too long ago that you couldn't bring your nail clippers on board because they could be used as a weapon. Now saw blades are okay? I don't get it.

As the line began to move again, the other agent reminded people to take their Ziploc bags containing lotion and other liquids out of their bags before they got up to the screening machine. "And any saw blades", she added with a laugh.