"Calif Bill" wrote in message
link.net...

"Paul Fritz" wrote in message
...
snip


Thanks. I am looking at the 16 passenger ships. As to Condor in
Peru,
I
used them for Machu Pichu in 2000. Fantastic people to tour with.
At
least
the Cusco and MP part.
Bill

That was part of this trip as well, Where did you stay in Cusco and
Machu
Pichu? What did you think of the approach and landing for the Cusco
airport?

The ship we were on was the Santa Cruz. (my daughter remembered the
name.) Some of those small boats looked a little scary. I was thankful
being on a larger boat the night we moved from one end of the island
chain
to the other.....going against the current/wind......it was the only
time
in
my life I have ever had any motion sickness. And the flight to and from
the
islands were in what appeared to be very old 727's.





We stayed at the Monastery in Cusco. 1740 built monastery, converted to a
hotel by Orient Expess in 1996. We stayed at the hotel at the top at MP.
Refugio? Also an Orient Express hotel. If you want to watch the sunrise
at
MP, you need to stay at that hotel, or walk up a long ways in the dark.
Was
fantastic as we had maybe a 1/2 hour alone in the ruins before others
arrived. 2 swiss guys hiking the Inca trail. For those who like crooked
roads, the dirt roat from the bottom to the top at Machu Pichu does about
20
switchbacks in a 2000 foot climb. I loved the flight from Lima. Full
breakfast, and at least a foot of room in front of my knees. I think it
was
a B-757. We were there in Spring (April) and I asked the hotel manager,
how
rough the winters were. He laughed and said this is the cold season. For
those who have not been to Cusco, this city of about 350,000 people, sits
at
11,500' elevation and the weather is about like San Francisco. Begonias
and
other semi-tropical fauna. They only fly before noon to Cusco as the
elevation prevents safe flight after the air temps warm up.
Bill

We stayed at the same places..Both were great places......It was nice
watching the sun set and rise from the ruins.

What I thought was wild was the landing at Cusco is descending down the
mountain valley with the peaks above you on either side, then doing the 180
around the peak just off the end of the runway.
What did you think of the Coca tea? Didn't do much for me. I had never
experienced the altitude sickness before that either......Got about an
hour's sleep each night it Cusco. I thought the way they switchbacked the
trains to get over the mountains was interesting as well.......Did you climb
Wachu (sp?) Pichu as well?
s