Cold, I'm so glad you are back! We really missed you and your sense of humor.

Welcome back! Can't help you with another South Africa trip for a family of five for $500. But there's lots of talent here that might be able to pull it off.

I was wondering who that misfit on the South America forum was. It was JanetKMR. ;)

So it appears you'll be doing a steep slide "by ass" over to the lounge now, Cold! Don't hurt yourself.

Thank you for a wonderful trip report! We are hoping to travel to Peru this coming summer and have been debating whether to do the IT. Question: Is there a minimum age to do the trail and if so, what is it?

Hi Jeanned. I believe with Llamapath it was eight though I can't find that on their website. With two other companies I checked it is eight and seven.

It was a year ago today we started the hike. The three couples are getting together again to wear the dorky hats they gave us at 11,000 feet to celebrate New Years Eve.

Another question: How much is it per a person?

I think we paid about $550 each plus $65 extra for a porter to carry some of our stuff plus small amounts to rent sleeping bags and poles. Including tips we were probably around $700 each. Children/students are a bit less.

Thanks colduphere! We are hoping to go this summer but I am debating whether we should do the IT portion. My youngest son is 8. He is a good traveller and hiker but I am worried that this may be too much for him (my other sons are 14 & 15).

Hope you all had a wonderful new years celebration, hats and all!

Jeanned - yes I read your other post and saw the ages. That is a tough one. My guess is that there is an 80% chance the 8 year old would manage fairly easily. We were worried about the 16 and 19 year olds as they had done zero training. Hee hee. They had no problems except for one day of sickness.

If he has hiked he would be okay with a backpack which can be another annoyance for kids not used to it.

Anyway, good luck. It is a tough call.

We are waiting for the photos with the dorky hats.

And sorry if our requests for tea closed down your other thread.

Happy New Year and happy travels.

Gruezi - I don't know if you saw my post in that other place. We are now going hiking in Norway and Iceland. I believe you are a fan of Norway.

I will be an even bigger fan of Peru after this next trip. The cost of hiking in Scandinavia brings home what incredible value touring in Peru is.

Iceland? You're going to Iceland!!! I LOOOOOOVE Iceland as much as I love Peru; they're my top two, actually. It's been a long time since I've been there (although I have been there three times) but I do remember the pain to the wallet pretty well. But it's worth it.

Are you hiking Thorvald?

(Oh,and I'll just be all jealous about the Norway part. Harrumph. I've wanted to go there for a long time, but I keep going to cheaper places instead.)

Are we hiking Thorvald? Well Amy, who really knows. What can't they names their places Smithsville and Browntown? I keep reading about places and then can't remember what I just read. Too many funny spellings.

I think the current plan is to do this:

http://www.mountainguides.is/Overnig...ugarThorsmork/

But I'm waiting for other proposals to come in. Is Thorvald the same as Thorsmork?

Yup, that's the one! Of course, it's got that Icelandic slipped P rather than a Th, but my computer gave up on that one. I think maybe Thorsmork is the mountain-y bit and Thorsmork is the "woods" (I speak generally: no trees) around it. Even though we went through four tires on the bus in getting to it, it was worth it. That trip looks wonderful.

In case you've missed my paean to Iceland, here 'tis:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...in-iceland.cfm

Cold

Yes I'm all about the scenery and hiking. You will love Norway. But it will make your trip to Switzerland look very cheap. Horrifyingly expensive. But the seafood will make you realize you've never properly tasted fish before.

When are you going???

" But the seafood will make you realize you've never properly tasted fish before. "

Not if you've already been to Peru! Fantastic seafood!

In August Gruezi. I know your daughter was looking at Egypt. Our daughter is now going Turkey - Tunisia - Sweden - Norway - Iceland. When I was her age I went to the corner store.

Mlgb - yes the seafood was terrific. I won't be eating seafood in Scandinavia. In fact I doubt I will be eating.

Oh - I would love to go in August for the midnight sun. I love that serotonin high... I went in May and the daylight until after midnight was great. Unfortunately I also had a lot of rain:( But still, the country was so beautiful and I very much liked all the young people I met. Really nice and very helpful. Perhaps you can find a good corner somewhere for panhandling or busking to earn your fish dinner;)

I like your daughter's itinerary! Lucky you to get to meet up with her for a part of it. I've not been to Iceland but sure would enjoy that. And Sweden in August is another dream of mine. Was supposed to go last summer but my husband's company screwed that up... lots of sad ones in the gruezi family when that fell through. I was in Sweden in December and absolutely loved it. Not as expensive as Norway either... heh, heh.

Not sure where my daughter will land. She is a bit nervous about Cairo these days. I don't think anything has really changed there so much since she applied for her fellowship (although she says it is no longer safe for her) but maybe she just decided it was too far from her boyfriend or something... I am not too sad she won't go because it probably isn't very safe, although I wish she would look into Turkey or Morocco or Jordan. Apparently they don't speak the "right" Arabic there - eyes rolling. Perhaps she decided she is not up to Arabic. Who can read the mind of a 22-year-old? Well, like I said before, got to let the birds fly. I think mine will only be flying off to DC where the most dangerous thing is the hot weather in August! Maybe your daughter needs a visitor?? I like to buy dinner for starving college students...

:-D

Brilliant trip report Cold, really engaging and entertaining!

Thanks Susan - very nice of you. We are hoping to make it down to one of your favourite areas - Brazil - for the World Cup of soccer in 2014. I will be reading your trip report to prepare.