Hey 100 posts. Of course 93 of them were mine. Okay Sassy Cat – where were you? Disney World? Mlgb please tell me when we can enjoy good weather at Milford Sound. I gather it can rain a bit.

So – to close this report off. We flew from Juliaca to Lima on Sunday January 8th. Juliaca airport is the first airport we have been to where the check in agent spoke not a word of English. He wanted to charge us more for luggage, which would not have been correct, but since we could not have such a technical discussion in Spanish he just waved us through. We then saw our incoming plane arrive from Lima (I believe). It pulled up to the gate, passengers got off, passengers got on and it took off. No boarding announcement. More like a bus than a plane.

This time around we were staying in Barranco which is further south in Lima than we had stayed two weeks previously. What a gorgeous coastline and beach area. That night we went to the Larcomar shopping center in Miraflores to meet some friends who had lived in our city until a couple of years ago. We had a good chat with the parents as our collective six kids took off to be by themselves. At the end of the evening the father came out with us to the taxi stand and interviewed three taxi drivers before he would let us get in a taxi. He told us that when he takes a taxi home from his office at night, he always phones home or pretends to phone home and tells his family what taxi he is in. This man is a Lima native. He said that taxis are the worst part of living in Lima, well perhaps aside from the exhaust fumes. You simply have to be careful with taxi drivers. As it was the successful interviewee could not find our hotel. When he started driving in circles, and we knew we were close, we hopped out of the cab, gave him 15 soles and took off.

The next morning we visited the Canadian embassy. The embassy is in a nice area of Miraflores. We met with a couple of people who explained much of the aid work that Canada supports in Peru. It was an interesting conversation and it basically sold my daughter on the foreign service as a desired career. This was good news and bad news as I know we will have a hard time relaxing if she ends up in certain parts of the world. But what can you do?

So my final story could take a year to tell if I let it but I will relate the short version. Our plane was to leave Lima for Newark at 11:30pm on January 9. At 2:45pm I received an incomprehensible email from Continental telling us to be at the airport at 3pm. In 15 minutes. After some investigation we discovered that it meant our plane would not take off until 3pm the next day. Indeed there was no plane as the incoming flight had not left Newark. Despite being certain that we could not depart, we nonetheless were directed to go to the Lima airport that night to change our tickets. One of the women in our hotel spent an hour on the phone with Continental. By the end she was so upset with them that she could barely talk.

We went to the airport four hours before the cancelled flight time. One might expect that if an airline knows that they will have to rework the tickets of 250 people they might open the ticket counters early. But no, they opened them at the regular time – 3 hours before departure. Most people in the now long line did not know that the flight had been cancelled. Quelle surprise. In any event, we were third in line. There were four ticket agents. We got up to one fairly quickly and were hoping they could reroute us. No deal they said. Come back tomorrow. But it took them 75 minutes to issue us new tickets to Newark and they never did manage to issue us new tickets for the Newark-Montreal segment. 75 minutes. The line behind us did not move. What a complete fiasco.

To give Continental a little credit, they finally put us up in a nice hotel that night in Lima (after making us wait another hour for a bus to the hotel). The next day we showed up for our 3pm flight and there was some sort of airport strike going on. Thankfully whoever was striking was allowing international flights to depart. So we took off just a little late.

About half way through the flight there was an announcement asking for a doctor or nurse. The man sitting behind my wife was having a heart attack. No doctor or nurse could be found. In the end we were diverted to Baltimore so the man and his wife could be taken off the plane. That scene would rank up there with the saddest sights I have seen. The man was taken off with his wife crying behind him. The FAs were hugging the woman. So sad. I hope he made it as apparently his condition had really deteriorated in the 30 minutes before we landed.

We arrived at Newark at about midnight. We had been assured that lots of Continental staff would be around to handle those passengers who required hotel vouchers and new boarding passes because of the original flight being cancelled. There was one Continental person. To handle perhaps 80 people. Oh no that is not right. There was another Continental person. She yelled at all of us to form a proper line. And then she showed us where to stand. Then she put on her coat and left. Truly unprofessional behaviour. We were also left on our own to find our way from the “Flight Assistance” centre or something like that to the sky tram or whatever it was called to P4 to find the airport shuttle. We arrived at our Newark airport hotel at 2am and had to be back at the airport at 6am.

How anyone who doesn’t speak English or is a novice traveller can navigate these airports at 2am is beyond me. I know I will worry when our kids start travelling alone. In any event I arrived back in Montréal at 10am to pick up the car. The others had switched to a Newark-Ottawa flight and beat me home. A memorable trip over. Thanks so much to the people who read this rather long report. It was fun talking with you.

wow and omg, cold.... what a cliffhanger ordeal to end with. It is about as bad as I have every heard; must have been so frustrating. It would be difficult to keep my blood pressure in check...need to practice some Buddhism. An unforgettable trip indeed. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Glad to hear that your journey home was a piece of cake after that hike.

We were in Mexico for Christmas so it wasn't a completely sanitised Disney experience. No squat toilets but we did have to respect the plumbing and throw the tissue in the waste can.

I'm most impressed that you managed to fit in a little career research with your daughter while on vacation in deepest darkest Peru. In Mexico my son got a one night gig playing piano duets with the regular pianist at the hotel bar. He earned himself a drink or two.

Our vacations are eerily similar

Oh good grief, cold. That journey home was some nightmare. How very sad about the heart attack patient.

Welcome home, where to next?

I don't know how you could ever top this trip for its challenges, mix of adventures and memories. I'm curious...any thoughts on where you will go next?

After my trip, I was spent and couldn't even think traveling any place exotic. And, I didn't even do anything adventurous!

Great job, from start to finish!

You might enjoy reading <i>Turn Right at Machu Picchu</i> by Mark Adams, an editor of adventure magazines who had never been on an adventure until he decided to follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham. He's a very funny writer, kind of like someone here . . .

Yes Sassy Cat - they sound identical.

You know, this may sound like an adventure but it is basically walking. When we knew we had to get up at 5:30 and walk for 12 hours, I remember thinking it is not like skiing down a mountain, or driving through Cairo, or speaking in front of a television audience, or operating on someone for 12 hours. It's walking. We all know how to do that. I said to myself.

Thanks for the book suggestion Fra D. I will look that up.

I say this after every trip but when you're in your 50s, with no pension and three kids in or about to go to university, it might be time to save a buck or two. But if there is another trip the South Island of NZ would be great. Or the Nahani River in northern Canada. But rafting/canoe trips on the Nahani cost $5000 per person for 10 days. Those must be nice canoes.

hmmmm.... I have done close to all of the other activities you listed, cold, (well, I was driven through Cairo and got in a minor accident) and they all were far easier than the Inca trail by your report, especially with fluids coming out the top and bottom.

I had a discussion with someone years ago who said one of her main sports was hiking. I said that doesn't count as a sport, it is glorified walking. This type of "hiking" would prove me wrong, imo.

<i>But rafting/canoe trips on the Nahani cost $5000 per person for 10 days. Those must be nice canoes.</i>

Come to Texas. I'll take you boating for free.

I wonder what you call your trip report?

I am so sorry to read the end of your trip report as I've enjoyed every word and looked forward to each new installment. Machu Picchu is on our short list of places to go, but we would probably not do the entire hike up. Lucky you, to be able to do the whole thing!

Thanks for sharing your amazing and entertaining trip.

Godfather 5.

Wonderful trip report! Thank you for taking the time to write it. I've been wondering about a trip to MP and hiking the Inca Trail, and whether it's something I want to do. Or maybe I'd rather just skip the hiking part.

I think I understand what you mean about adventure travel, and I relate to your wife saying, "It's not like you're out there thinking this is terrible. You're thinking this is amazing. You just feel shittty when you're thinking it."

I've felt like that, and I've especially felt like that on some long backpacking trips. I guess I'm not sure I want to spend a lot of money to backpack the Trail when I know I can take a bus and see it, and I know I can backpack for free, see great scenery, and be a bit miserable on a hiking trip closer to home.

I really appreciate the honesty in your trip report, and it sounds like you had an amazing trip!

Re toilets: better than blue-bagging, and when we raft, we use a communal bucket (I *hate* the bucket).

Love, love, love the report. It's so true that adventure travel (even of the mighty soft variety that I do) has you doing things you'd shrink in horror from in your daily life, but it's so worth it. (Yes, fire ants to the hands in the Amazon camp, I'm lookin' at you.)

Thanks Kalo. I am kind of sorry to be finished writing. It was fun remembering the trip. I hope you get there.

Kureiff, yes I know you have a very outdoorsy family. I remember your story about your father (or FIL) skiing in Yellowstone. He does things I wouldn't do. It's an interesting question you raise. This hike was beyong anything we could do around here. We don't have climbs that start at 9k and end at 14k. The guides and porters add so much as do the other hikers. When your daughter is older I am sure she would love to do something like this with her parents. But I think that meant more to our oldest two children . Your daughter has a few years to get to that age.

On the other hand taking four days to hike takes away four days when you could be doing something else. And it can be uncomfortable as I have written. And you are already a hiker - with no need to prove anything to anyone. There is no right answer. I hope you make the trip with your family in some fashion. IMO these trips help families be families.

Amy - I draw the line at snakes. And I think there are snakes where your next trip is taking you. Sleep with one eye open.

colduphere,

Just read your great trip report. Great details and an amazing account. I am exhausted just reading it! Thanx for writing it.
I can see the possible connection between our Continental flights, as you mentioned.

<<I hope you make the trip with your family in some fashion. IMO these trips help families be families.>>

Me, too! I loved your trip report; what a great thing to be able to do with your kids. Where's the next trip planned?

I don't know Kureiff. The cost for five of us can be through the roof. It works in some places where things are cheaper but our remaining target of Australia/NZ is not cheap.

It may be the good ol Rocky mountains.

IF you can find a reasonable international airfare to NZ (or use points) AND you stay away from commercial tourism (ie guided walks, bungy jumps, jetboats), AND try not to eat out at restaurants for every meal, you can get by in NZ at a moderate cost. The park system has free entry, and the huts are free for those under 18. So you may not want to wait too long!