Peru 2005 Day Fifteen: Cusco to Lima

We got up around 7 a.m. and went upstairs to breakfast. I ate an eighth of a piece of bread and a little bit of scrambled eggs. We headed down to the plaza to get some last minute gifts I wanted to buy. I got a little tired, but we made it back to the hotel and relaxed in the garden while we waited for the van to take us to the airport. To our delight, Narciso showed up with the van and rode with us for a few blocks so we got a chance to say goodbye to him. I think he was relieved to see me looking slightly livelier.

Honestly, I think we ended up with the world’s best guide on our trek. Narciso knew so much about both the history of the area and about the plant and animal life, not to mention having a vast store of practical knowledge. He could answer any question we threw his way, and he gave very sage advice about focusing on what surrounded me rather than my struggles on the trail. We were in very good hands.

However, having the most wonderful guide for our trek seemed to be par for the course when it came to Explorandes. Everything they arranged directly went perfectly, and the companies to which they contracted out part of our itinerary were equally exemplary. It’s hard to believe that the only real gaffe on our trip was TANS Air’s cancelled flight. We hope to go to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands in the next few years, and I was thrilled to find out that Explorandes has a branch in Ecuador as well.

The trip home was uneventful, although we had a long and annoying layover in Lima until our midnight flight to Georgia. At the airport, I managed to eat an actual dinner, so I knew the sea level altitude agreed with me!

If I had it all to do again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Of course, I would prefer not to starve for four days again, but the trip was worth it in every way. Should the opportunity to visit Peru arise, I recommend jumping at the chance.

Check out more of Stephen’s pictures of Peru.