Unusual Trip to Peru w/Medical Crisis, & How David Choque Saved Our Trip

I am sorry for whatever medical issues u had. But as u said, you were in good hands with David. We also used him as a guide and I couldn't say enough good things about him. He has a 6th sense about what works with various people. He so enriched our trip and was a delight to be around.
Looking forward to the rest of your report.

Thanks, yestravel! David was our knight in shining armor, just as steady as he could be.

Here is more of the report:

Day 3:
David and Isabel picked us up at 9 am and off we went to Oropesa, which is on the road towards Puno. It was nice to have Isabel along. David calls her his “right hand woman.” She does not speak English but I speak some Spanish and we chatted some. She was using the purse I had brought her. Oropesa is a baking town about 40 min outside of Cuzco. All the families in the town are bakers, and they share about 60 stone ovens and facilities for baking. David is friends w/a family of bakers there and he took us to their baking area next to their home. Behind a fence we found several rooms that house the flour and other ingredients. Then we came to a large room where 4 family members were making the dough, shaping balls from the dough on old large wooden tables, passing it down to others who shaped the dough in either a pretzel-like shape or an oval shape and put the pieces on wooden slats. The wooden slats were then fed through a window-like opening in the wall through to the father and son who operated the oven. They took the wooden slats w/the portioned dough and connected a long wodden handle to the slat, then pushed the slat into the oven and used another utensil to push the pieces of dough off of the wooden slats and onto the stone oven floor.

A huge fire was roaring in the back of the oven. After several minutes, the oldest son retrieved the baked bread pieces from the oven by sliding a thinner wooden plank under them and sliding them towards the opening to the oven. The father then used a sickle-like device to “scoop” the bread out of the oven door and a younger son held a huge cloth bag which the freshly baked bread went into. The hot bread then was set out in another room to cool, and was put in a large basket after cooling. The fresh bread is transported immediately by yet another son to Cuzco and other towns in the baskets.

We watched this incredible family assembly line for about 40 minutes and chatted in Spanish w/the family. They use this bread making facility for 4 hrs each day, then other families use it. We bought bread from them and they gave us fresh butter to put on it. It was amazing, some of the best bread I have ever had. I gave the father 20 sols as we left ($6, suggested by David) and a tip for letting us in to watch and photograph his family’s bread production.

We then drove to Tipon. On the way there, we passed several stands and small restaurants offering cuy. My son said he wanted to try some and david said he would arrange for us to eat cuy for lunch at a nice and “safe” place (safe meaning clean for our stomachs) outside Cuzco. Isabel stayed in the van and watched our belongings at Tipon.

We bought our Boleto de Turistica at Tipon. This ticket gets you into many archeological sites and cultural events and museums in the Sacred Valley. I had gotten my son an ISIC card (Internatl. Student ID) online before we left as the discounts in the Sacrted Valley and Cuzco are good w/this card. He got 50% off his Boleto de Turistica w/the ISIC card. He paid about 60 sols and I paid about 120 sols for the ticket, which turned out to be a good deal as we visited many of the sites included.

Tipon was amazing. It was my favorite archeological Incan site- yes I think even more so than Machu Picchu. It was built as a temple to water. It consists of 12 enormous agricultural terraces flanked by stone walls, canals, decorative and symbolic waterfalls, and is flanked by lovely flowering plants. It is referred to as the Water Engineering Masterpiece of the Incas. It is totally lovely. David told us about all of the symbolism in the way in which the man-made waterfalls fountains are placed and how they flow- it all had meaning to the Incans and was very highly stylized and planned. It is a simple and very well preserved site and I just loved it. It is totally amazing that today the water and fountains are still flowing constantly, just like at the time it was built, being fed by some underground spring apparently.

Next we went back towards Cuzco and headed up to Sacsayhuaman. On the way there we stopped at the restaurant so David could run in and order the cuy, so it would be ready when we were done at the ruins.

Sacsayhuaman (which my son called “sexy woman”) was also amazing. The incredibly large limestone stones (largest one about 23 ft high, weighing 128 to 200 tons) are highly polished and rounded at the edges. David gave us all of the history of the site and told us that the quarry where the stones came from is many miles on the other side of Cuzco. It boggles the mind re how these huge stones could have been moved. And a single piece of paper will not fit btwn. the stones, they are so closely aligned. Unfortunately the Spaniards used much of the rocks from Sacsayhuaman to build churches in Cuzco, and that is why the walls are intact up to a certain height and then stop. There are underground passages at Sacsayhuaman called chincanas, which lead from this fortress to other ruins in Cuzco, but the govt. has sealed the entrances because some people died after becoming lost in the passages, searching for a supposed treasure. Inti Raymi, the annual festival of Cuzco in June, is celebrated at Sacsayhuaman.

We climbed up all 3 levels of the ruins. From the top level there is a wonderful view of the entire city of Cuzco, which is a very spread out and large city. Also from the top level you can easily see the nearby big white Christ statue that looks over Cuzco.

After all the hiking around the ruins, it was 3:30 pm and we went to have our late cuy lunch. The restaurant we went to was between Sacsayhuaman and Cuzco, and it had a wonderful view over Cuzco from the hill it was on. We had complimentary Pisco Sours (getting used to those) and a nice bowl of veggie soup, then came the cuy. It was “dressed up” w/red peppers on its ears, a stalk of carrot in its mouth. Lots of picture-taking by my son. However, the cuy itself was not so great. It had a tough skin and under the skin, very little meat. Tasted like chicken but not much of it. But it was served w/a nice fried chile stuffed w/vegetables and in a nice cheese sauce, tamales, and other cooked vegetables. We also had a pitcher of purple colored corn juice that tasted like grape juice, very good. And a dulce for dessert that tasted like flan. Also a nice live band played Andes music while we ate. I paid for our cuy lunches (45 sols apiece, about $15) and David and Isabel’s lunch (they had chicken and trout dishes, about 20 sols or $7 apiece). No extra charge for the drinks, soup, dessert, etc. so I thought this was a good deal. I will ask David what the name of this restaurant was and will post it here later. Will also try to post some of my son’s pictures.

We had David drop us off at the hotel around 5 pm and we spent the evening wandering the streets of Cuzco, a favorite pastime. We saw a live band playing on the street, and at about 6 pm it started hailing! Large marble sized hail! But that was over quickly, and we just had to be careful not to slip on the hail in the streets. That night as we went to sleep I noticed that my son had a minor dry cough. He had had a cough like this about a week before we left for Peru, minor, just somewhat irritating, at night before going to bed. It didn’t seem like a big deal at the time.

I'm going to Peru next month and also looking forward to the rest of your report. I hope the good things that happened along the way were able to overshadow the troubles you had. I hope your son is feeling better now!

Hi cmerrell! Didn't you go to Japan a few yrs ago? I took my son to Japan and was active on the Asia board here and I think I recall your name. I will post more of my report later today...

cmerrell, I recall now that you are going in May and said in a previous post that your dr. didn't want to prescribe Diamox as you take high blood pressure meds. I also take blood pressure meds (ACE inhibitor, calcium channel blocker, and diuretic) and my cardiologst and internist both said I could take Diamox, as long as I stopped taking the diuretic while taking the Diamox (because Diamox has diuretic properties). I also drank coca tea daily while there (could not chew the leaves, too bitter!). Never had altitude illness per se, but I did pick up a terrible respiratory infection while there and am still recovering from it. The high altitude can really exacerbate any little thing you get respiratory-wise. Be aware of any sniffles, coughs, stuffed sinuses, etc. that arise at the high altitude- keep your eye on them as they can quickly become bigger deals at the high altitude.

Wow, this is quite a report..I am hanging on every word. I think all of the details are helpful too.

The purple drink is called "chicha morada" for anyone who wants to try it, different than the chicha (de jora) which is the fermented corn beer.

I'm loving reading your report -- bringing back such good memories. we really enjoyed Orepesa and Tipon which we toured with David -- both places were fascinating and delish bread!

Hi emd3,

I haven't been to Japan (would love to go someday!), but your name looks familiar to me as well. I'm a pretty frequent poster on the Costa Rica forum; have we run into each other there maybe?

Thanks for the info on Diamox. I have an appointment with my doctor next week, and I'll ask her more about it. We plan to head straight to Ollanta after arriving in Cuzco so that will hopefully alleviate any altitude sensitivity we might be prone to.

emd - this is quite a suspenseful trip report - so glad that David was able to help you. Look forward to reading more.

Day 4, Sat.:
After our good Rumi Punku breakfast, David picked us up at 9:30 a.m. We headed to Pisca, but on the way we stopped at Awana Kanchi, a nice weaving cooperative where there are many llama, alpaca, and vicunas, as well as demonstrations of how the wool is derived from the animals, how the threads are made, how they are dyed, and finally, how they are woven into textiles. You can interact with and feed the llama and alpaca but the vicunas are wild and kept in a separate large fenced area on the hillside. It was very colorful and it was the closest we came to the pack animals of the area. There is also a store where very fine woven articles are sold, and I bought an alpaca fur hat there.

We headed to Pisac and on the way stopped at several scenic overlooks where my son took pictures, just as we had done the day before. The scenery is mind-blowingly beautiful, w/incredible depth, textures, and colors. In Pisac, David left us off at the start of the top close to the ruins, and then he parked down below and hiked up to meet us. We all hiked up to the ruins. This left me somewhat winded, much more so than the prior day at Tipon and Sacsyhuaman. We didn’t spend too much time at the Pisac ruins, once we got up there, as we were hungry for lunch and I was quite winded. We headed down to Pisac in David’s van to get some lunch and do some shopping. We had lunch at a nice place on the main square, and we ate in the back where there was a courtyard w/lots of parrots, parakeets, finches, and other birds in cages. We all had different trout dishes that were quite good. Then we shopped a bit in the stalls set up in the plaza. Although this was a Saturday, there were lots of stalls set up w/nice silver and enamel jewelry, textiles, leather goods, traditional hats, etc. The quality of goods was much better than I expected.

When we got back to Cuzco we went to Santo Domingo church, or Qoricancha as it is known. This is the church that the Spaniards built around a set of Incan ruins. The Dominicans were resourceful and they plastered and painted over the Incan ruins, and it seems that this is why they survive today instead of being abolished by the Spaniards. This church and the ruins, along w/the outside grounds, are spectacular.

David dropped us off at about 5 pm at the hotel. At 7 p.m., David came back and our guide from Llamapath, Santiago, came to see us in our room to go over the plans for our Inca Trail hike that was to take place on Monday. After Santiago and David left, my son and I split up as we had separate shopping to do, since we were slated to leave Cuzco the next morning, Sunday, at 8 a.m. to head to Chinchero’s Sunday market and then on to Ollantaytambo for the night, then embarking on the two day Inca tail hike up to MP (really a one day hike and 2nd day at MP) with Llamapath on Monday and Tuesday. Then we were going on the Puerto Maldonando and a rain forest lodge stay.

At 10 pm when I arrived back at the hotel, my son was in bed, covered but shivering. I felt his forehead and he had a fever, and he was coughing. I gave him some ibuprofen and hoped it would bring down the fever and help him get through the night. But no such luck…

Next up, doctors, ambulance, and a peek into Cuzco healthcare…

Gasp! You've left us in total suspense about the medical emergency about to unfold.

This is an outstanding trip report. Can't wait to read more. Hoping your son has completely recovered.

Day 5, Sunday: “All Hell Breaks Loose”

During the early morning hrs. from 2 am to 6 am on Sunday, my son went from having a high fever and chills (which ibuprofen and tepid wet towels wouldn’t break) to also having severe vomiting and diarrhea. At 5 a.m. I went to the front desk at Rumi Punku and asked them to call a dr. After they did so, I used their desk phone to call my trip insurance company as I am an R.N. and I knew my son was headed for the hospital.

Dr. Eileen arrived at our rm. in 15 min. This was a weird coincidence as my name is also Eileen. She was fairly young and spoke broken English. I know enough Spanish that I was able to converse w/her for a few min., and then magically, David Choque arrived! I think the front desk called him. David came right in, was genuinely concerned, and started translating w/the dr. Dr. Eileen said Casey needed to get in an ambulance and get to the hospital. I took 5 min. to time I packed a few things and got my trip insurance papers, and then the ambulance was ready to go outside the hotel. It all happened very fast. My son says this was the worst night of his life, that he felt worse than he ever has that night.

Several bright spots that morning- Dr. Eileen showing up so fast, David magically appearing, and everyone moving so quickly to take care of my very ill son. In the midst of all of this, another angel appeared. I had met a woman, Diana, selling jewelry on the street Sat. night outside the Hotel Monasterio, and she took me back to her shop down the street. I bought several sweaters and some nice silver and enamel jewelry from her. After I left her shop I realized I had left my new wonderful Peruvian red felt embroidered hat (bought in Pisac) in her store. When I ran back there Sat. night, she was already closed. I left her a note saying I’d return Sun. morning to get my hat. But of course Sun. morning I was getting in an ambulance.

As I was leaving Rumi Punku and getting in the ambulance, Diana was running towards me on the street, waving my hat! She recalled that I said I was staying at Rumi Punku , and she came to return my hat. She was very concerned about my son when she saw the ambulance. I couldn’t get over how sweet she was to run to return my hat to me on a Sun. morning. And this was not the last time I would see Diana…

We arrived at Clinica San Jose within 15 min. via ambulance (website: http://www.sanjose.com.pe/staff.htm) This private hospital is just off of the large bustling Avenida de la Cultura, and the public hospital is one block away from San Jose Clinic, on Ave. de la Cultura. There was no registration at San Jose Clinic per se, I just showed our passports, didn’t even have to provide a credit card, no paperwork, nothing Within 15 min. of arriving my son was settled in a large clean rm. (w/a separate bed for me to sleep in) and he was visited by 3 physicians. One senior dr., Dr. Espinosa, spoke English fairly well, but David was right there w/us so he could also translate. IV was started, blood drawn and a chest Xray done. They immediately started IV medications for nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, the high fever, and as soon as the chest Xray was read as bronchitis with developing pneumonia, antibiotics were started. My son’s oxygen saturation on pulse oximeter (the little thing they put on your finger) was only 83% so he was put on oxygen. All this happened in the first hr! I couldn’t believe the efficiency. In the U.S. I would have still been registering him after an hr!

They had a very hard time getting his fever down, that took about 24 hrs and several different medications, plus the antibiotics and steroids kicked in and that helped w/the fever. My son was sort of in and out of full consciousness the 1st 24 hrs- he was pretty glazed over w/illness. He was also started on a nebulizer treatment (mask w/steam) with bronchodilators in the steam.

So I got to watch everything, all the care he got, and every time a nurse gave him a new medication or treatment, even drawing blood, it was explained to me and I was asked to sign the back of the physcian’s order slip. This level of involvement in the medical care was far superior to care I have both provided (as a nurse) and recd. in U.S. hospitals.

I stayed close to him but left the hospital to eat and use the internet at a place that cost 1 sol per hr for high speed internet computers (what a deal). I found a couple of good clean restaurants on the big Avenida de la Cultura, one block over. I felt confident enough in his care at San Jose that I even went into the public hospital on the next block and walked around, just to experience it. It was very busy, much busier and much more noisy than San Jose Clinica, which was very quiet.

Sunday passed quickly. I stayed at the hospital that night and every night following while my son was there. But I was unable to get back to the Rumi Punku on Sunday afternoon to move our items out of our rm there (we were supposed to have checked out on Sun. am. to head to Ollantaytambo on Sun and hike the Inca trail on Monday). David tried to drive me to the hotel around 1 pm but it was Palm Sunday and many of the streets were closed, there were processions going on. We were unable to get close to the hotel, so David called the manager of Rumi Punku and asked if we could keep our rm on Sunday night and I would come to check out on Monday. The manager said of course, without leeting on that this was going to create a problem for him (more on that later). David also contacted LLamapath and Santiago, our guide, to tell them we would not be doing the Inka trail hike on Monday.

Next: Day after Day at San Jose…and How David, Santiago, and Adriana Miraculously Rearranged our Remaining Trip Time for Us!

Thank you for your excellent report. So glad your son received such wonderful treatment. One more example of the excelent care one can get in the most unlikely places. Also the need for trip insurance. My 4 year old grandaughter came down with bad chicken pox, high fever, and an ear infection in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Doctor came almost immediately, said,"Our children do not get chicken pox since we inoculate them!". Got antibiotics, cremes, meds, etc. and saw her twice a day for three days until she was getting better. Hotel (4 Seasons) was very helpful. But getting very sick far away from home is frightening! Glad your son and my grandaughter got the needed treatment.

Wow, emd! I think you've got everyone on pins and needles waiting to see how your story plays out. Sounds like you met a number of remarkable people in Peru!

Looking forward to the rest of your report...

Another wow, fabulous report, a real cliff hanger. Thanks for sharing!

Day 6, Mon.: Yes, Dionne Warwick, I DO Know the Way to San Jose!

Monday was the day of the big celebration and parading of the “Senor do los Tremblores" (Lord of the Tremors) on the cross through downtown Cuzco. Since 1650, the faithful people of Cuzco have sworn that an oil painting of Christ held off an earthquake that threatened to rock Cuzco to its core. Since then, the locals have been rendering homage to the image of the “Taichata Tremblores,” or Lord of the Earthquake. The image is kept in the cathedral in Cuzco, and every Monday before Easter Sunday it is paraded through the streets w/great fanfare. Many people get the afternoon off for this event. A particular crimson-colored flower is used to weave a crown for the Christ figure. All the smoke from the incense and candles in the cathedral have given this Christ figure a blackened look. You can see photos of this event here: http://tinyurl.com/dztmtu

My son and I had opted in our original itinerary to skip this celebration in Cuzco. I knew that Erin from this fodors board was going to be there w/her husband. She and I had been emailing back and forth since realizing our Peru trips overlapped. But my son and I had decided to leave Cuzco Sunday afternoon and spend Monday night in Ollantaytambo, then hike the Inca trail one day hike on Monday w/Santaigo. Of course, the hospital stay put an end to that part of the trip. So on Monday, David Choque and I sat in the hospital rm at San Jose Clinic and started to try to make alternate plans for the rest of our trip, assuming my son could continue the trip when he got out of the hospital.

I knew he would have to be fever-free and free from other symptoms for 3 days before he would be released from the hospital. By mid-day Monday his fever finally broke and I started the countdown. David and I came up w/various scenarios according to my son getting out of the hospital Wed. or Thurs. David had already called the Hotel Sauce in Ollantaytambo on Sunday and told them that due to the medical emergency we would not be there that night. He did not talk to Graciella (the owner and one I emailed w/to make the reservation) but the woman he did talk to gave him quite a hard time, asking him over and over why he didn’t call on Sat. Well, my son was not sick on Sat. End of story. I had not given Hotel Sauce a deposit or payment, and I knew that all hotels were booked solid in Ollantaytambo due to it being Semana Santa wk. so I felt they could probably sell the rm., and I didn’t appreciate the way they talked to David about our neglecting to let them know earlier that my son was ill, as if we had a crystal ball.

David used his cell to call Adriana, my ace Cuzco travel agent who had made reservations at the Inkaterra Pueblo hotel in Aquas Caliente (paid in full for 2 nights, expensive place). We were supposed to have stayed there on Mon. and Tues. nights, after the Inka trail hike so we could go back up to MP on Tues. to explore. David asked Adraina to check to see if Inkaterra could possibly switch our reservation til later in the week. BTW, Adriana had just finished her college degree in Cuzco and had taken a few days off, so she was answering her cell and doing all of this for me while on her own vacation! Adriana called back quickly and said Inkaterra would switch our reservations to Thurs and Fri. nights. Perfect. Now I just had to hope son would get out of hospital and be able to travel by Thurs.

We also called the agency I had used to book our Rain Forest Lodge stay at Refugio Amazonas. I explained to them about my son’s situation and told them there was no way I could fly him to Puerto Maldonado on Friday and take him 3.5 hrs by boat to a remote rain forest lodge so soon after a hositaplization. I told them I’d be back in touch w/them re documentation of the loss (about 1K for a 4 night stay for the two os us w/a private guide while there) for my trip insurance company, etc.

David told me that the next day, Tues., he was going to be tied up w/another client, but that Santiago, our Llamapath guide from the aborted Inka trail hike, was going to come and take me to LAN peru’s office and also to the train station to switch our tickets. I had to deal w/LAN Peru in person because we had flights from Cuzco to Puerto Maldoando (PM) and PM to Lima (w/stop in Cuzco) later in the week. Since plans were changing, I no longer needed the PM part but I needed a flight from Cuzco to Lima on Easter Sunday so we could catch our flight home. Unfortunately all the flights from Cuzco to Lima on Easter Sun. were sold out, and, over the phone, LAN would not agree to let me use just the Cuzco to Lima portion of our PM-Cuzco-Lima tickets (which were already paid for) on Sunday.

My son started to wake up a bit on Monday. He was still NPO (nothing by mouth) and was on oxygen and IVs, stil had bad diarrhea, but his fever broke and he had no nausea, and his color was a bit better. All these new travel plans were tentative, but I felt we had to start alternate planning or we’d have no trip left if he got better…

Also on Mon., David took me to the Rumi Punku and I packed up our belongings and checked out. The manager said he had a favor to ask. He said that since we were at the hospital on Sun. night and he let us keep our belongings in our rm., that he had to send another customer w/a reservation for that rm. to another hotel for the night. Although the manager explained to them about the medical emergency and he put them up that night in a nicer hotel than Rumi Punku for the Rumi Punky rate, the couple were apparently very angry and the manager thought they did not believe him about our medical emergency. The couple was now slated to come back to Rumi Punku and occupy our room starting Mon. night. The manager asked me to write a note explaining my son's situation so he could give it to the angry couple. He said he would come by the hospital later in the day on Mon. to get the note and visit my son. Another person who went out of their way for us, and he was getting heat for it...

Next up: Dealing w/LAN Peru and the Peru Rail, and GOD BLESS SANTIAGO From Llamapat

(btw, I am traveling today for work and might not post another segment til tomorrow...so hold on, tenacious Mother-traveler and her excellent team of helpers will be back!)

Wow -- incredible story so far. Obviously not having any major issues like you had, but I found the people of Peru unfailingly nice and exceedingly helpful.

Hi, Eileen ... glad to see that you guys made it back OK. We just got back today ... Looking forward to reading your full report. Thanks again for remembering my birthday in the midst of all that you two were going through.

Can't wait to hear the rest!

hi eenusa! I hope (and bet) you all got some fantastic pictures at MP and at Inkaterra Pueblo, in spite of the rain and mist. I hope you had time to expore the g\hotel grounds and offerings. Easy to remember your birthday as mine was just a few days before yours! Have fun unpacking- My bags were like a kaleidescope w/all the colors and textures of fabrics and leather we brought back!

OK, everyone, I am in a hotel rm in Santa Monica and instead of going down for free breakfast before i go downtwon to work, I am going to write another installment now...

Waiting......................................

The suspense is awful!
Emd3, I had a look at the insurance site. Would you mind sharing which company you chose? I always bookmark the ones which work!

Day 7, Tues.: The Day that LAN PERU and PERU RAIL Stiffed Me, but Santiago comes through and son turns the corner!

On Tues., Santiago and Isabel (David’s right hand wife) showed up at 10 am, just as the doctors finished making their rounds. 5 Physicians were in to see my son this a.m. I gather that he is a teaching situation, as 3 of the drs. are younger and Dr. Espinsoa and the pulmonligst seemed to be teaching them in Spanish. Fine w/me, the more eyes on my son the better. Dr. Espinosa told me that he thought if he could get Casey’s non-stop cough under control, he could probably leave the hospital on Wed. late day, as long as we did not travel until Thurs. He was without fever, had started eating soft liquid diet, and was mostly tired from the non-stop coughing that started the night before.

I had found a pharmacy (there are about 100 pharmacies within a few blocks of the hospital, lining Ave. de la Cultura) that sold pachaged popsicles and I had gone out that morning to get Casey a popsicle. The drs. did not like this. It is weird, Latin Americans seem to have this thing about cold food/drinks being bad for you, esp. if you are sick. I don’t think there is any scientific evidence for this but it is very entrenched in the culture- I have seen it in Mexico also. Certainly all of the Peruvians I talked to have this feeling. David told me that drinking cold drinks is a bad thing for my son. All the drinks in the hospital (including his morning juice!) were served hot. He desk clerk at Rumi Punku told me hot drinks were all my son should be having, nothing cold. And the drs. flipped when they saw him eating a popsicle, not because he couldn’t have it on his soft diet, but because it was cold. My son is very scientific in his thinking, as I am, and he really thought this was bizarre. Ok, I understand warm is soothing on the throat, but it seems to stop there for me- I don’t think cold drinks/foods will make you sicker. But you better belive that I made Casey throw out that popsicle in front of the Drs., out of respect for what they thought and all they had doen for my son.

Anyway, we were feeling hopeful after the dr. visit and Santaigo and Isabel and I hopped in a cab and took off for LAN PERU. We waited about half hr in a number system and finally got to sit in front of an agent. Santiago explained to her that we had paid for flight from Cuzco to Puerto Mald. that was to take place in two days on Thurs, w/return on Sun., 4/12, from Puerto Mald. thru Cuzco and on to Lima. However, we couldn’t use the Cuzco to PM portion due to son’s illness, and also didn’t need the PM to Cuzco leg on Sunday, BUT WE REALLY NEEDED THE PORTION OF THE FLIGHT FROM CUZCO TO LIMA ON SUNDAY, so that we could get to Lima and get home to the USA on our late night flight.

LAN PERU agent said, sorry, no can do. Can’t use Cuzco to Lima portion without using the rest of the ticket. So basically, LAN PERU would resell our seats that we already paid for on the Cuzco to Lima portion on Sunday. Ok, I said, then can you resell ME the Cuzco to Lima portion of our flight on Sunday (which we already paid for) so that we can have seats on the flight? No, she says, because that wouldn’t be fair to all the other people who are waiting in line to get a seat from Cuzco to lima on Sun., bc all the flights on that route are sold out that day.

I didn’t get mad, I was too tired and disappointed to get mad. Santiago stayed very cool, and I don’t know what he said to her but finally she very quickly cancelled our Cuzco-PM and PM-Cuzco-Lima flight and immediately went onto her screen to try to resell us the Cuzco-Lima seats. Thank god she was successful. I paid almost $400 apiece for those seats though, on top of having already paid for them. I am hoping trip insurance picks up the change in itinerary, I think they will since not going to PM and rain forest lodge was due to the illness.

We then walked a couple of blocks, past the Central Artisinal market, to the Peru Rail offices. LONG lines there, we took a number and had 60 numbers ahead of us. We got a cup of coffee in the shop next door and I had a nice long conversation w/Santiago about the former Peruvian President, Fujimoro, who was on trial at the time. Santiago told me that Fujimoro was the President who was able to bust up the Shining Path movement in Peru after they had wrecked havoc on the country and killed so many innocent people. Fujimoro was able to get the leader captured. And this of course changed Peru and brought back the tourists. And Fujimoro also built a lot of schools. He was on trial for allegedly having university students and a professor killed. Santaigo thought this was very out of character for Fujimoro and felt that he was framed by some of his advisors to take the fall for the acts they had done. As it turned out, Fujimoro got 25 yrs in jail that week- Casey and I watched the trial unfold on CNN in the hospital. It didnt sound like there was really any evidence against him, and my understanding is that it was a panel of judges who convicted him.

When we got up to the agent at Peru Rail, I pretty much got the same story as I had gotten at Lan Peru. Sorry, can’t use your RT tics that were purchased from Ollantaytambo to Aquas Calientes. Must buy new tickets. Another trip insurance reimbursement item…

But once I back was at the hospital I had in handplane tickets and train tickets! YEAH,GOOD day, I was dancing around the hospital bed w/the tickets in hand. We said goodbye to Santaigo. Such a decent guy. I did not feel right tipping him since we never went on our hike, but I had brought a nice mens Coach watch that I had intended to give to him along w/his tip after we finished the Inca trail hike and the next morning at MP w/him. I gave the watch to him and told him to take it as a “downpayment” a hike that we will reschedule for next yr. w/Llamapath. Santaigo wants my son to do the 4-5 day Saltankay hike to MP next spring break. He told us all about it – no permits needed and they can take mules and horses. My son was drooling (he just made eagle scout before this trip and LOVES to hike).

So now we just had to wait for discharge the next day! I think my son was so tired of watching ‘True TV” (the old court TV station) forensic shows in the hospital that he was ready to run out of the hospital in his hospital gown at this point!

BTW, if any of you have observations about Fujimoro and his trial, etc. I'd like to hear about them. I just rechecked the web stories and he got 25 yrs for human rights violations, allegedly ordering 25 deaths by death sqauds. Obviously I was talking to a Peruvian about this and got his take. I have no idea what the evidnce was or was not against him. Fujimoro is the 1st democratically elected Latin American leader to be so convicted. Fujimoro's daugher, a lawmaker in Peru, is apparently a front-runner for the 2011 elections.

How frustrating to deal with the air and rail people. But you were right, just pay up and plan to get your money back from insurance. Not worth getting upset. You just went thru terrible scary illness with your son. When my husband becamne ill last year and we had to cancel very expensive trip to South Africa that I had book myself using 3 airlines, many hotels and safari camps, etc. we got every penny back from the insurance. It took 3 months and many, many faxes but I just kept sending the documentation and finally got it all. The insurance company will not pay until they get confirmation from the air, rail, hotels, etc. of what you paid. I had to call and fax some of them until they did their share of the paperwork. I am also impressed that your son made Eagle Scout. Wow!! Looks as if you are persistent family.

I wonder why Perurail didn't let you reschedule your train tickets for a 10% penalty? Was this because it was less than 24 hours until the original departure?

http://www.perurail.com/web/tper/cancellations-modifications.jsp

Quite the saga, emd! Sounds like bureaucracy at it's finest with LAN and Peru Rail. Happily, it sounds like better times are right around the corner for you and your son. Looking forward to the rest...

emd3 ... indeed got some great shots at MP ... and throughout the trip. Ended up returning from MP a day early because of the rail strike on the 13th. I hated missing out on day 4 because we did not get to do the Apu Machu Picchu hike we had planned. Oh well ... I'm just glad we were able to reschedule the train tickets (without penalty) and get out or we would have had to cancel the Lake T portion of our trip.

Re: Fujimoro. emd3, like you, we spoke to many Peruanos about his trial and conviction. In fact, we were driving to Chincheros on the day of his sentencing, and at each stop, while we were busy photographing and enjoying the sights, our driver would be listening to the radio broadcast of the sentencing.

Some of the Peruanos we spoke to were ecstatic that he was sentenced and felt 25 years was a good number. Others, felt he had not gotten a long-enough sentence. Still, others, however, were unhappy and sad that he had been sentenced. Without exception, the latter group pointed out that it was thanks to Fujimoro that we were able to visit Peru ... why? ... because of his efforts to eradicate Shining Path. This latter group is also hoping that Fujimoro's daughter will get elected as president in the next elections.

Please don't keep us in suspense any longer. What happened??

Any more coming? Can hardly wait. I'm wearing out my keyboard checking back so often!

Me, too. I hope all is well and you are just very busy.

What a report. Congrats on your son's Eagle Scout and on pulling through from a severe illness. How nice there is a return in your future.

So did he get discharged and did you finish up your vacation?

So sorry for the delay and thanks for checking back! I had work all week at a trial in CA, and just got back. Still have not even unpacked from Peru!


Day 8: Wed.

YAY, my son was discharged at about 5 pm today. The doctors all came in to say goodbye and shake our hands. They also filled out our trip insurance medical report and gave us copies of all of his lab work. The one downside was that I woke up sick this day, sore throat, coughing, congested, felt pretty bad. Dr. Espinosa gave me a prescription for 5 days of the equivalent to Zithromax, and some cough/congestion relief syrup. I went to one of the pharmacies on Ave. de la Cultura to fill both of our prescriptions, as my son also was discharged on antibiotics, med to help him sleep, cough medication, etc.

I was astounded at the cost of the hospital stay. 4 days, IVS, medications, X rays, oxygen, nebulizer treatments, 5 drs., including a pulmonologist specialist. How much do you think it cost?


$1000 USD. I was stunned. It woudl have been that much for the pulmonologist to walk in the room in the U.S.

David took us back to the Rumi Punku. The desk clerks were very happy to see us and relieved that my son was better. They had a reservation for us but had not blocked a double rm. Instead of giving us a double room, they gave us two single rms., which was fine, as we enjoyed the space after being together for over a week and I was not feeling too good. My son went out to Chez Maggy’s for pizza, declaring it the best pizza he had ever had. He tried to use his ISIC card for the discount that was listed on the ISIC site at Chez Maggy’s but they would not give him the discount. I exchanged some USDs to sols at the plaza, and did some shopping on some of the side streets around the plaza. My son and I both bought some nice huayruro jewelry for ourselves. These are the red seeds w/black dots on them, found in the rain forest, that are “good luck” and are used to ward off evil spirits. We figured after his illness we could use some good luck.

DAY 9, Thurs.:

David and Isabel picked us up at 10 am for the drive to Ollantaytambo where we were to catch the train. We had stored most of our luggage (free) at Rumi Punku and only took one 21” rolling suitcase w/us. It was wonderful to be back in David’s van, driving down the scenic road past Chinchero to Ollantaytambo. When we arrived at the train station in Olly. it was a complete zoo. We got stuck in massive traffic as David tried to park in the lot, as there were buses and cars everywhere trying to get in and out of the lot. Finally, Isabel, Casey and I jumped out of the van and hoofed it up to the train station while David stayed to park. As we were boarding the train, David ran up in time to say goodbye.

We had the backpacker train to Aqyas Calientes. It seemed very cramped to me. Our seats were facing two other people and our knees were practically touching theirs. I had bought some cheese and meats and bread at a store the night before and made sandwiches to eat on the train. The scenery was tremendous- lush, green, flowers, mountains, and the time passed pretty fast.

As we deboarded the train in AC around 2 pm, two employees from Inkaterra met us w/ a sign w/our last name. They had a wheelchair, I guess Adraina had told them one of us was sick. At this point, I probably should have taken the wheelchair, as I was not feeling very well. But instead we told them we could walk. One of the employees took our luggage and we followed the other one, along the rail tracks, crossing the river by bridge, and through the handcraft market. We arrived at Inkaterra and I was ready to throw myself on the ground and kiss it, I was so glad to be there. During check-in, we looked at the schedule for the rest of the day and saw we could go on a nature walk at 3:30 pm, so we ahd the employee sign us up for that. It had been raining lightly but now started to rain steadily.

Our room, #5, was close to the dining area, lobby, and spa, a great location. The only thing far away were the 3 internet terminals, which were across the rail tracks in a separate bldg. Rm. #5 was a superior rm., two full size beds, nice reddish tiled floor, colorful bed draping textiles, a simple bench at end of each bed, a round table and chairs for two, a large plush chair and ottoman, closet area (with hot water bottles in the closet!), sink separate from the toilet and shower area, huge walk-in shower. We had a private view of lots of plants and birdlife, and two outdoor chairs although it rained quite a bit so we did not use those. Umbrellas were also provided.

We went on the nature walk, which was led by an employee from the eco-center and was very interesting. He took us though the herb garden that is used by the kitchen workers, and into the orchid garden area. I was expecting regular orchids like what I am used to seeing in a nursery here. Instead, these orchids are small and many of them are growing on trees, mostly very small, but lovely. One of the larger varieties looked like a golden slipper. It was raining steadily and I was glad to have my hiking boots on. We met some fellow travelers on the walk and chatted w/them. We also got to see the area where Inkaterra grows their own coffee and tea and the area where the coffee beans are harvested, roasted, and bagged. In the eco-center we singed up to see the speckled bears on Sat. morning

After this we went for our welcome Pisco Sour in the bar. My son had met a Colombian girl his age on the walk and he talked w/her for a long time while I went back to rest. Dinner was amazing, I only wish I could have tasted it more than I could. I had a duck dish w/a berry sauce (from berries grown on the premises). This was definitely the best food we had in Peru. Appetizer, main course, dessert. All included in the rm. price.

There are no TVs in the rms, and we had a peaceful night’s sleep. Tomorrow, up to Machu Picchu, and the spa at Inkaterra.

I'm so glad your back and are posting again. The suspense was killing me. Can hardly wait to hear about MP.

I'm also glad to see another instalment! Sounds like your son was able to bounce back pretty quickly once he started feeling better, but what a bummer that you got sick! I'm really looking forward to hearing about MP...

Day 10, Friday, 4/10
Unlike most other people who make the journey up to Machu Picchu from Aquas Calientes, we did not wake up at the crack of dawn for the first buses up. We slept until almost 9 am, then took our time getting ourselves together and went to the lovely breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast was wonderful. Eggs cooked to order, and a lovely buffet of juices, fresh fruits, pancakes (this day they were quinona grain pancakes with boysenberry syrup) pastries, cereals and grains, yogurts, breakfast meats, etc. And REAL coffee- not Nescafe instant.

It was raining in the morning but as we set out walking towards the buses that go up to MP, it stopped. I was just hoping we didn’t get a full day of steady rain or a deluge at some point, so this break in the rain was encouraging. The line for the buses was about 60 people deep at 11:00 a.m. It took about 20 min. to board a bus and we were off. Upon arrival at MP, there was really no line to get in, lots of people were milling around in groups and we were able to just show our tickets and walk right in.

I was felling particularly bad this day. I was coughing, somewhat short of breath, and feeling every step of those long sets of Inca steps. We went slowly and used the wonderful “Machu Picchu Guidebook” by Wright and Zagara (purchased on Amazon) as our guide. We did not hire a guide and were glad we did not do so. We were able to go at our own pace (very slowly for me) with the book and the suggested route, had no problems. The big fold-out map was great and there was just enough info in the book- not to much detail but the high points were covered well, we thought.

At about 1:30 pm it started to rain hard and we put on our ponchos and ducked under some trees to make sandwiches for lunch. We waited about a half hr for the rain to pass, although it continued to sprinkle and at times rain more than lightly the rest of the afternoon. There was a lot of mist that would pass through and then clear, but we never saw blue sky that day. However, I knew from talking to others at Inkaterra that it had rained very hard the entire day before, so we felt lucky.

It was not as crowded as I feared it would be, but yes, there were quite a few people (in guided groups) in some areas. I have to admit that my illness and just feeling so crummy, plus the weather, colored my view of MP that day. It is a lovely setting. But I have also been to Chichen Itza in the Yucatan and some other spectacular ruins, and there are also some other spectacular ruins right in the Sacred Valley. For me, MP has it’s place and is wonderful and unique, and the history is incredible, but it is not the pinnacle of the archeological ruins I have experienced.

We left MP on a bus at close to 5 p.m. At 6 p.m. I had a spa appt for a hot stone massage at Inkaterra. The spa has a strange set-up. You walk in the door and immediately to your left are muslin drapes that have the treatment areas behind them. This means of course that if people are not quiet as they go in and out the doors or if they come in the door and have questions to ask, you are going to hear everything. In spite of that, the one hr stone massage was very good and relaxing.

I was so fatigued that I thought about skipping dinner, plus my son had eaten while I was having the massage. But dinner was so good the night before that I decided to go. I had a beef filet dish that was wonderful, and some wine. I barely made it back to rm. #5…

I'm glad you made it to MP, despite feeling crummy! I bet that did lessen your enjoyment of the site a bit. What did your son think of it in comparison to other places he's seen?

I hope you were'nt sick for the rest of your trip...

It is so true that weather and health and an excess of other people can color your impression of a place. I think the latter was what mostly dropped my ranking of MP overall to #3 for the major ruins that I visited in the Sacred Valley (after Pisac and Ollantaytambo). Perhaps if one hikes the Inka Trail and enters through the Sun Gate early in the morning. Rahter than with the plastic poncho covered hordes.

Thanks for picking back up your fascinating tale.

Sorry it has taken awhile to get back, but here is the last installment:

DAY 11, Sat., 4/11

After breakfast at Inkaterra, we went on the little hike at 8:30 am to see the Bespeckled Bears that Inkaterra has. We started in the ecocenter and the guide gave us an overview of the bears, how endangered they have become, and how Inkaterra came to get the two bears it has. We had about 10 people in our group and the size is limited so as not to overwhelm and stress the bears. The enclosures that the bears live in a really big and have all kinds of chances for the bears to climb and explore. We saw the first bear, Pepe, up close as he was rubbing himself on the fence of his enclosure within feet of us. The bears are meticulous in their food habits, and there was a half watermelon that had every pieve of melon scopped out by the bear, only the clean rind was left. The 2nd bear, in a separate enclosure, was in her den sleeping. I highly recommend seeing and learning about the bears if you stay at Inkaterra.

We then checked out and headed to the train station. This day was the best weather day so far during our time in AC, and we were leaving. But we had the nicer Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo and the sun was shining and I was feeling somewhat better. We really enjoyed the vistadome train much better than the backpacker train. We had more room, it was more comfortable, and they did give us a little sandwich box for the noon ride. Plus, it was easier for my son to take pictures from the larger windows. The fashion show was fun, esp. when the nice looking male train worker bared his chest from under the Alpaca sweater he was wearing, and the women went somewhat nuts. One of the baby Alpaca shawls that was modeled was the same one I had bought in Cuzco at a nice shop off the Plaza that had a 20% off sale, so I got a much better deal than I would have gotten if I had bought it on the train.

David met us at the train station in Ollantaytambo. We debated about seeing Ollantaytambo, but with my energy level and having really put myself out at MP, we decided to go straight back to Cuzco. We checked back in the Rumi Punku and David drove us to a pet store that carries good puppies. This was at the request of my son who had been captivated by some of the pet dogs we had seen in Cuzco. The store had a litter of amazing cocker spaniel puppies. They were precious. At night they are taken back to their mother to nurse and sleep w/her, then brought back to the shop in the morning. It seems a little crazy now, but we seriously considered bringing back one of the puppies. The shop owner told us that if we had papers she would give us, showing they had had their first set of shots and had been dewormed, etc., that there would be no quarantine on the U.S. side. My concerns about transporting a puppy and feeding it during out return overcame our affection for them, and we left without a puppy.

David then dropped us off at the Central Atrisinal Market, as my son wanted a heavy woven Peruvian jacket and Santiago had told us to look there. This indoor market is a good place to go if you have limited time in Cuzco and want a varied selection of good quality items to choose from, or if you want a nice inddor market area. The people were friendly and not high pressure, allowing us to browse, which is not the case in many of the shops and little markets we went to in Cuzco. We found a tailor who had his sewing machine in his stall and was sewing jackets. My son purchased a wonderful heavy woven jacket in rust and brown colors, for about $25. We were surprised to find one that fit him and really surprised at the price. The arms were too short so the man offered to add some material to make them 2” longer. While he did that we ate at one of the little restaurants in the market which was clean (we could see the kitchen area).

At 6 pm we walked about two blocks up Ave. del Sol and went to the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo to see a wonderful and very colorful folkloric music and dance show. If you get the Boleto Turistico for the sites in the Sacred Valley, one of the items it covers is admission to this performance and we highly recommend it. They have a very good traditional dance and music show each evening at 6:30 (til 8 pm). Before each dance they explain the meaning behind the dance. The costumes are fantastic. There is also a display in the bldg. of traditional Peruvian dance costumes that is very good. See: http://cosituc.gob.pe/circuito2museos.php and Ccick on "Circuito 2" and click on the red dot furthest out on Ave. de Sol. This was just what we needed on our last evening in Cuzco.

David picked us up after the show and took us back to the Plaza de Armas area. We changed some money and as we walked back to the hotel we saw Diana, the shopowner who had returned my hat the day my son went into the ambulance. She gave me a big hug and was very glad to see Casey feeling better than the last time she saw him getting into the ambulance. It was nice to see her again on our last night, and we exchanged emails addresses.

Back to Rumi Punku to pack. There we were, back in rm. #5 where our Sacred Valley trip had started…

Day 12, Easter Sunday:

David picked us up at 8 am and drove us to Chinchero’s Sunday market. It was lightly raining when we arrived and the sellers had covered all their good on the ground with tarps, but after about 15 min. it stopped and they uncovered their goods. We strolled and shopped until about 10:30 a.m. We really enjoyed this colorful market and all the women in indigenous dress and hats selling their goods. The quality of the woven goods was very impressive, and I bought several table runners, placemats, purses, sweaters, etc. There was also a nice selection of wooden kitchen spoons in all different kinds of wood, intricately carved gourds, and leather goods. It is a very friendly and low key market, but large enough that we never got into the covered area and stalls in the middle of all of the area where the people had their wares on the ground on top of tarps. My son took lots of pictures here.
After this David took us back to the airport in Cuzco and we said goodbye to him. Lots of long hugs, and I got tearful as he and Isabel had been so good to us during my son’s illness. I told him I’d write a glowing report about him on fodors and he thanked me, and said to say hello on here to Elizabeth and Richard and others on fodors who had used him as a guide in the past.

We took the short flight to Lima and a friend of David’s met us at the Lima airport to transport us to the hotel I had booked for the day, the Raddison in Miraflores. I had gotten a day rate there, as we were originally to have come to Lima this day from the rain forest lodge, and I figured we would be tired and in need of a hot shower. After we cancelled the rain forest lodge I decided to keep this day rm. since I was not feeling great. this turned out to be exactly what we needed. My son used the internet in the business center and I relaxed in the room. Although I had reservations to eat dinner at Rosa Nautica, on a pier over the ocean, and we also considered eating at the restaurant next to the Huaca Pucllana ruins, we never even left the hotel that afternoon, and we had a good dinner in the restaurant. I recommend this hotel. It is a nice hotel, modern décor, very reasonably priced, and is in a great area, a short walk to the Larcomar center and about 3 blocks from the ocean.

At 8:30 pm our driver picked us up and took us (with all our luggage, so it was important to have a trustworthy driver) to the Magical Circuit of Water (Circuito Magica del Agua), an incredible water fountain complex in a public park, that combines water, light, sound, music, and lazer images. It is hard to describe, google it and see the pictures. There is a nice slide show of pics here: http://www.munlima.gob.pe/visitante/index2.htm
It was fantastic, spectacular. and mesmerizing! It took us about an hour to get around to all the different fountains and to see the spectacular lazer and music show at the fountain in the middle of the park. It was busy and full of people, a very fun place. HIGHLY recommend this place!

Days 13 and 14:
On to the airport and back to the U.S. One last glich- when we got to Atlanta on Monday there were severe thunderstorms and our Delta flight from Atlanta to D.C. was cancelled along w/many other flights. We were not able to get out that day, and were booked on a lfight the next morning. I used hotel points and booked a night at the Westin at the Atlanta airport. I was really feeling bad at this point, it was clear the Zithromax I had been given by my son’s drs. had not taken care of my respiratory infection. We slept and watched movies all Monday afternoon and evening.

When I returned to the U.S. my dr. put me on 10 days of Augmentin. I am still not completely over the respiratory infection. Whatever we got, it was a strong bacteria, and the high altitude really seemed to exacerbate it. My son is still not well either. After nother 10 day round of antibiotics, he is still coughing a lot and had a chest xray on Friday- his chest is still not clear.

Since we have been under the weather and I have had to travel for work quite a bit since we have returned, we have not yet dealt w/our pictures, but I promise to post some soon.

THANK YOU to everyone on this board, esp. those of you who recommended David Choque. I shudder to think of this trip without his constant attention and help. I am now in the process of getting together all my receipts and getting them into the trip insurance co. We want to go back to Peru, but won’t do the high altitude again. Next trip- to the rain forest and to see the Nazca lines….

Thanks for finishing your report, emd. Quite the adventure you had! I'm glad you and your son made it home in one piece and hope that you'll soon both be feeling back to normal.

So, after all that, are you glad you went?

I'm very excited to go next week, and am doubly glad that I took the precaution of buying a travel insurance policy! Hopefully, I won't need it, but your trip report is an excellent cautionary tale.

Yes, we are glad we went! It wasn't the perfect trip regarding our plans, but honestly we loved Cuzco and the Sacred Valley and the people. And it brought my son and I closer together. We had lots of time in that hospital room to discuss where he wants to go to college next yr and why, and lots of other things. Also, being flexible and being able to pick back up on the trip without much disappointment was a good lesson for both of us. We didn't let the illnesses get us down too much. I do wish I had been feeling better the last few days of the trip and wish I had taken more antibiotics with me (like a full prescription for Augmentin for a week to 10 days) but I learned for next time.

Trip insruance is a very good thing. I'll report back on my experience re filing the claim and getting $$ from them.

Have a GREAT time on your trip!

A wonderful ( one of the best I have read) Trip Report ... complete with scenery, excitement, suspense and a happy ending
Thanks so much for spending all this time posting.. I really enjoyed every bit of this ... chau, Scarlett

Hey Scarlett, glad to see you around here. I suppose you hubby and pup are still enjoying the Buenos Aires lifestyle? My husband and I hope to make our first trip to South America together once both kids are in college (a little over 2 yrs from now, once the 16 yr old daughter is in college) and we plan to go to Chile and then to Buenos Aires. You've inspired us regarding Buenos Aires! Is your son still in Japan?

Eileen

Hi
No, our son and his bride left Japan last year. They were here this past Aug-Oct, he is now in NY .. but itching to be back here. His mama is busy figuring out ways for them to be able to live in BA too : -)
I will say that my husband and I are very happy living here.. even when things break or pipes leak etc, the people here are so amazing, they make it all worthwhile.
I hope you all have a healthy year.. no repeats of the vacation illness!

Glad your trip turned out as well as it did. Illness during travel is a real pain. I am impressed that Zithromax did not cure you. I have always considered that the ultimate med to take with me. I will look into Augmentin for my next trip. It is always possible to get sick where there is no well trained md available.
For the insurance, I made a spreadsheet of the lost expenses with all needed info which i sent the agent with the documentation. Each hotel/airline/planned excursion/train, etc. had to verify the expense before the insurance co would pay. While some were bank direct payment, many were on credit cards. The unfortunately needed hospital stay will make repayment easier. But with great persistance and many repeated copies of the same items, it all got paid. I also developed a pleasant working relationship with my insurance agent. See, too, was pleased when her desk was cleared of my trip. You will get it all in due time to plan your next trip.

Hey emd - saw your recent post on the Asia board and found this report after a search on your name. Sorry to hear about you and your son's illnesses but the trip report was very interesting. Hopefully, you won't have problems with your trip ins - but just keep after them and appeal if necessary - that's what worked for me.

emd, Thank you for the terrific report. Hopefully you both will be back to normal soon. What travel insurance company did you use? I am interested in how well they respond to your claim. Lastly, where has your son decide to go to college?

emd, years ago, our friends from London, sent their daughter to visit. On the day before she was supposed to fly home, she had appendicitis. . and had it removed... and spent 2 more weeks with us...then flew home . Her travel insurance paid Everything..we were in NY then, you can imagine the bills.
After that, we used to worry that we would need it too.. your experience just proves that everyone should get it.

Hey MARA!! Glad to see you here. I vividly recall your mishap at the start of your trip to Japan (as that over two yrs ago now?) and your trip insurance saga. I am persistant, and will do as you and Elainee say, just keep on them...

BabsB, after much soul searching, we have decided that my son is going to Boston University. Big commitment. We wrangled w/that or Virginia state schools and other options, and that is where we have ended up. Probably not much leisure travel in the cards for me in the next few yrs., except some Boston visits.

Scarlett, it is good to hear from you here. I saw Neo's recent New Orleans trip report and it made me drool.

I do promise to get pictures uploaded soon after we both fully recover (we are both back on antibiotics as of today and son is on bronchodilatos also), so check back for a link.

Mara, I searched on your name also and see that you had a recent trip back to Japan. Good for you! I am happy you went back again.

Oh, sorry, I have not answered the ?s regarding what travel insurance co. I used. It is TruTravel, through InsureMyTrip.com I will report back on how it goes with the claim process.

emd, Great report and best hopes for your speedy recovery. Makes me think we should take out some trip insurance on our next adventure....you never know.

Aloha!

Hey, HT, nice to see you here! Yes, do consider trip insurance. I look back now on my Japan trips and I shoudl have had it then. recall what happened to Mara, she broke her ankle very early on her trip in Hakone...she had to go to the hospital and change plans and fly home...

emd I am so impressed by your attitude about this trip. Some people would come home saying it was the trip from hell, but you managed to see the glass as half full and for that my hat is off to you. I did the 4 day Inca Trail hike last year and I am very glad your son didn't get sick on the trail. Thank you for this fascinating and candid report.

PM, thank you for your compliment. What can you do when things don't go as you planned. I have had some people tell me they would have gotten on a plane and come right home ater getting out of the hospital. I think what really helped me were the angels around us- our guide, David and his wife Isabel, Santiago from Llamapath, the kind people and manager at Rumi Punku, Diana the lady who owned the shop where I left my hat, the doctors and nurses who were so kind, my Peruvian tavel agent-- they all helped me stay positive and keep going, each in their own way.

It was a trip I had planned and wanted for so long. And it was our trip, uniquely ours. A lot of people go to MP, but not too many people get to experience the Peruvian private health care system!

emd3..WOW, 'nough said =)

would you keep us informed on how the trip insurance plays out? I did get it (insuremytrip.com too) because my i feared of lan canceling/delaying which meant losing out on my expensive non-refundable hotels, never took the medical part seriously...now that im back, i'm still happy that i got it eventhough nothing in our trip was out of place...it just provided me with an ease of mind.

as for "$1000 USD. I was stunned. It woudl have been that much for the pulmonologist to walk in the room in the U.S." totally agree, they charged my insurance $1200 for an asthma test that i did which told me that i don't have asthma lol

Hi cyblade. I am gathering all the info on expenses for the trip insurance co. now and getting ready to submit it (I had 20 days to inform them of the incident and then 90 days to get all the documentation and receipts in). I will post back here to let you all know how the insurance plays out.

Astounding! One of the best trip reports I've read. I really learned so much and appreciate all your tips. The way you continued to push on with your trip was amazing. I wonder if I would have just thrown in the hat and returned home. Well done, emd3!

Hi Emd3- Hope all is well. What an amazing post!!! Glad that your son got better and you had a chance to continue your journey to MP. I know this happened over a year ago and by reading your posts it took you guys awhile to recup. Never thought about getting insurance but, after reading your story I will definitely do now. Not sure if I missed your post on your insurance reimbursement. How did it turn out? Thanks again for sharing. Hoping to take a trip to MP May 2011.

Dear emd3 -

Just read this amazing trip report - am thinking of MP for our 25th anniversary trip and your report was referred to in another thread here on Fodor's.

Sorry you were plagued with poor health but glad you still managed to make lemonade from lemons.

By now, your son must be a junior or senior in college??

gruezi

Hi gruezi! My son would be a junior in college now, but he left Boston Univ. end of last year and is taking some time to decide what he is going to do.

He and I have been discussing how great that trip to Peru was. He is now really into learning about past peoples and cultures and their belief systems. We are planning a trip to visit many of the Mayan ruins in Chiapas, Campeche, and the Yocatan of Mexico.

What a nice 25th anniversary trip that would be! Get a good guide, that is my rec. I never had used a guide til Peru and I was so glad I did. Even if son had not gotten sick, our guide was so good w/all the info on the ruins and the culture. Guides in Peru have to go to a sort of college for a few yrs to learn the Incan world, etc. before they can get licensed as guides.

My husband and I had our 25th anniv. in Oct. 2011. We wnrt to Oaxaca for day of the dead and then to our condo (that we bought last yr) in Playa del Carmen and went to Chiecken Itza for a fabulous overnight from there. I highly rec. making a BID deal out of the 25th anniversary!!!!

BTW, for anyone who is stil wondering afte ral this time, I was paid IN FULL for every single dollar that was lost from my son's illness. Every $ sent on the hospital, every hotel reservation lost, the guided private 2 day hike we were supposed to take up to MP, the 3 night stay in the jungle lodge, the private guide we had hired to sue at that lodge - every penny was paid back within about 3 months after our return. I had all the documentation, which was crucial.

HIGHLY recommend trip insurance for a trip of this expense...

emd, enjoyed your trip report. We are going to follow some of your itinerary and leave at end of March. We are looking for trip insurance and wondering which company you used. We are both 60 and thought that it was a good idea. Thanks so much.

Jane Owens

I went on "insuremytrip.com" and put in all our facts for the trip. We ended up w/Travelguard, the highest coverage we could get. But it depends on how much coverage you want. Since we were going to be going to an Amazon lodge, I wanted a million in medical. to cover arilifting out of the jungel and air flight back to the USA. Your trip might now require all of that coverage. There are goo d private hospitals in Cuzco, I know! And in Lima too, if one has to get down from altitude to Lima.