Author: Timothy Porter

The last day of November found us leaving Franz Josef for Wanaka. This is a beautiful trip, leaving the lush landscape at the base of the Franz Josef Glacier and heading along the coast until turning inland at Haast. As we headed south, out of the town, we had one last glimpse of the immense glacier towering over the town.

After a few short miles we were again driving along the coast with the Tasman Sea to our right and mountains towering to our left. Before heading inland, we came across this plaque commemorating the opening of the Haast-Wanaka road in 1965. Before that, you had to drive north and across Arthur’s Pass to get from the coast to Wanaka. This highway cut the drive from over 1,000 kilometers to less than 150!

Roaring Billy Falls

Just in from the coast we came to a bridge outside Haast township. Measuring 2,418 ft, it’s the longest one-lane road bridge in New Zealand, and the 7th longest New Zealand bridge overall. From Haast we started our climb up into the South Island’s Alps on our way to Wanaka on our old friend State Highway 6. Highway 6 follows virtually the complete length of the Haast River, sometimes at a distance and other times right along side the often roaring river.

In a wooded area, maybe 15 miles from Haast, we pulled into a small parking area. There’s a well maintained trail through some woods that suddenly opens up to the Haast River. The valley floor is wide, flat and covered with rounded stones of all sizes. We had fun exploring the riverbed and Roring Billy Falls. Then it was back to the car and we were on to Fantail Falls.

Fantail Falls

There’s a nice parking area at Fantail Falls, and the falls are just an easy five minute walk away. The segmented fan shape of the falls give it the obvious name. What made this place interesting to us were the stacked rocks. The riverbed is covered with millions of relatively flat, rounded rocks that have been work smooth by the water. Visitors have taken to making small stacks of the stones, and there are lots of stacks. One fallen tree is absolutely covered with various stacks from one end to the other.

Crystal Clear Water

Blue Pools and Devil’s Bath was our last stop along the Haast river. While the walk from the road was a bit longer, it was well maintained path and took us through an interesting section of forest. As we came out of the woods we were first struck by the clarity of the water. The water was clear enough to see the fish when looking down from the high stone banks that are 20-30 feet above the surface. The colors of the water were astounding as well with various shades of blue and green. The trail along the river includes a couple of small suspension bridges that gave us a beautiful view up and down the river and provided access to additional trails. The hike was beautiful and presented lots of photo opportunities.

Approaching Wanaka

The last two stops before Wanaka were on either side of “The Neck”; a narrow, passable section between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. It seems like every five miles we came across another incredible view on the South Island and these stops were no different. Again, we stopped and marveled at the view and then took plenty of pictures. At one point wee could clearly see a shower coming across the mountains, miles away.

That trip from Frans Josef to Wanaka took us from the foot of a glacier, along the ocean shore and then up and through the ruggedly beautiful mountains and finally down to another beautiful town. Set high in the ‘Southern Alps’, Wanaka was beautiful. Getting to Wanaka has to be one of the most interesting and varied drives we’ve ever taken, and it was all packed into one day.

Related Blogs
Franz Josef Glacier
New Zealand Coast

Franz Josef

Continuing our trek south on Hwy 6, we came to Franz Josef, a small village just a few kilometers from the impressive Franz Josef Glacier. The town is definitely focused on tourism, so we found plenty of shops and restaurants to serve every taste. We met up with John and Carol Brewer just outside of town. With no cell, text or email, I still can’t figure out how we managed to coordinate as well as we did.

In any event, it was late in the afternoon when we got there, so we chose to check into our rooms first. We stayed just north of town at the Westwood Lodge, a cross between a bed and breakfast and a hotel. Then we were off to explore in the town.

Everything is located right on Hwy 6 (Franz Josef Highway) or 1 block east on Cron Street. There are plenty of friendly and well staffed outfitters and tour operators, all located within a block or two. (Of course, the town is only three blocks long…) The Franz Josef Glacier dominates the skyline to the south of the town. Almost dead ahead, looking south from the town you get a great view of the Franz Josef Glacier.

We had dinner in a local place on Cron Street – Alice May’s. Then, since it was still early, we took a short walk around the town to get our bearings for the next morning. With Julie driving and John navigating, we headed back to the Westwood Lodge. I should mention that there was a bit of confusion on the return trip to our lodging. The ‘kids in the front seat’ couldn’t agree on the best place to park, or even the best route into the parking lot. Fortunately, Carol and I figured it out from the back seat. Kids!

Taking Flight

The next morning we headed back into the town. We had a 10 AM helicopter ride taking us over the Fox Glacier and then landing on the Franz Josef Glacier. The glacier descends into the lush native rain forest of Westland’s National Park near the village of Franz Josef. This descent occurs from a height of nearly 10,000 to 750 feet above sea level over just 11 km. This makes it one of the steepest glaciers in the country. We were landing near the top, and we were all pumped!

Carol and John were new to helicopters and Carol had plenty of questions during the safety brief. Once we were briefed, we headed across the road to the airfield and met our pilot. As he started the engine, and went through his checks, we had more safety briefs- approaching the aircraft, hand signals, emergency procedures, loading order, etc., and then we loaded into the helicopter.

We were all smiles as we lifted off the ground, turned and headed south. With nothing but mountains ahead of us, the helicopter climbed and climbed over a series of ridges. The higher we went the better the view. Finally, crossing the last ridge we started a left turn and headed for Fox Glacier. Crossing the narrow ice flow we then flew up and across the Fox Glacier’s snow field and towards Franz Josef Glacier.

We didn’t realize how high we were or how large the glacier’s snow field was until the pilot pointed to a speck on the ground. As we got closer that little speck resolved into a helicopter and a hut on the ground. Suddenly the scale of what we were looking at changed! These glaciers are huge! Continuing to climb up the glacier we landed on a spot close to the top of the mountain, on the eastern edge of the snow field feeding the glacier. The elevation was a bit over 9800 feet.

This was our first walk on top of a glacier, so it took a few minutes to figure out what to do. Initially, we all just tromped through the icy snow and looked around at the ice and mountains in awe. Then came the snow angels and putting snow down the backs of jackets. Being up there at the top of a glacier was fun, exciting and awe inspiring. We had an absolutely fantastic time. But, after about 40 minutes it was time to head back down.

Climbing back into the helicopter was interesting as we realized that the skids had sunk into the snow on landing. Once buckled in and everything checked, we lifted off and swung to follow the glacier down the mountain. As we picked up speed we slowly climbed to a few hundred feet over the ice and followed the curving valley down.

The view was amazing. As the ice became more and more fractured, we could see the blue ice under the covering snow. The colors and texture was impressive. Soon we passed over the face of the glacier then climbed out of the valley before curving west of the village. The pilot then made a long gentle turn to bring us into the airfield from the west.

We all agreed that the trip was worth it. While the flight itself was an adventure, it doesn’t compare to the stunning visual display of nature we experienced. But the opportunity to walk on the snow above the glacier was an experience we’ll not soon forget. If you make it to Franz Josef, make sure you find a way to get to the top of the glacier!

After lunch the four of us drove up the south side of the Waiho River to the Alex Knob Trail and the Franz Josef Glacier Carpark. From there he headed out on foot with the goal of hiking to the face of the glacier. Walking through a rain forest trail to the river we noticed that Mother Nature wasn’t going to cooperate with us. When a light rain started, John and Carol pulled out their rain ponchos while Julie and I just stared at each other. Over the next 20 minutes the rain became harder and colder, so Julie and I turned back. The Brewers plowed ahead to the face. Julie and I dried off at the car as best we could and waited for our adventurous companions to return.

We left Nelson and headed south for Hwy 6 along the Buller River. The river, and the highway, run generally west through the Buller River Gorge. Originally a gold rush town, Murchison was almost completely destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1929, and we were going to explore the heart of that earthquake. We first stopped at the Buller River Gorge Swing-bridge.

The Buller River Gorge Swing-bridge sits adjacent to the fault line from that 1929 earthquake, but getting there was a trip in and of itself. Hwy 6 provides a spectacular experience as you drive along the Buller River gorge; on one side you have a view into the gorge and the river itself. On the other side, the cliffs rise above you to the north providing spectacular mountain views. Because you drive on the left in New Zealand, I had a view of the drop to the river out my window while Julie marveled at the rising cliffs to our right. It was a spectacular view regardless (or, irregardless) of where you sat. About 10 miles west of Murchison we stopped, built up our courage and made our way across the Buller River Gorge Swing-bridge. While sturdy, I’d hardly call it a bridge, but it sure did swing.

On the other side we explored some old buildings and walked for quite a distance through the crevice left by the 1929 earthquake. The crevice resulted from 4.5m (14.8 ft) of vertical and 2.5m (8.2 ft) of lateral movement that continued right across the water of the Buller River. It was interesting walking along the fault. We continued to the river and could see the offset on the wall of the gorge across the river as well. Then it was time to cross that ‘bridge’ again- we all successfully crossed with no issue. That was our excitement for the day.

Continuing west, just after Hwy 6 turns to head south along the coast we took Wilson’s Lead Rd. and headed for the Seal Colony at Tauranga Bay. That was the right choice as we had a chance to see plenty of seals and an incredibly rough coastline. It’s no wonder the point north of here is called Cape Foulwind. The blowing wind and relentless waves were both assaulting the rocky coast with wild abandon.

We spent our first night on the South Island’s west coast at the out of the way Birds Ferry Lodge. It’s a beautiful bed and breakfast that’s a bit off the beaten path but definitely worth the trip.

Alison and André were our hosts and made us feel right at home. Alison prepared a fantastic dinner, after which we relaxed on the deck with a great view of the mountains to the east and a colorful sunset to the west. André provided us with plenty of advice and several recommendations on how to make our adventures on the South Island’s west coast even more interesting. He also noted that fuel was an important consideration as there aren’t a lot of fuel stations along the west coast, so top off when you can.

Since we had seen a sign that it was 90 km to the next gas station I was up early the next day and headed back to Westport (which we had bypassed the previous day) for gas. The largest city on the west coast, Westport tops out with a population of about 5,000. There were two gas stations in town! I fueled up and headed back to Birds Ferry for breakfast. Our first stop for the day was one of André’s recommendation – Truman Track.

Truman Track looks uninspiring from the road – nothing but a path heading into the woods. The walk takes you through the small forest of native trees that opens into a field of flax bushes. We heard more birds than we saw. The track “officially ends” at a lookout point where we had an expansive view of the Tasman Sea and Truman Beach. We continued on to the right, down to Truman Beach via a small staircase.

The crescent shaped beach backs up to limestone cliffs that have been undercut and large rock formations carved by the wind and water. This place is beautiful to explore and we spent nearly 45 minutes under the overhangs and climbing and exploring the rock formations. If you make it to the South Island, this should be a ‘must stop’ on your journey.

Pancake Rock is just a few miles down the road, but sharply contrasts with Truman Track. You can read about the geology of how these formations developed at the New Zealand Pancake Rock website. They resemble stacks of pancakes… but huge stacks… made of limestone. The area has a nice track for walking and there are several blowholes scattered among the rocks.

We weren’t there at high tide, however the blowholes and the deep chambers were still quite active. If you can, time your visit to coincide with high tide. You can get the tide schedule at this link for the Westport Tide Schedule.

We visited the end of November, and there weren’t overwhelming crowds, but this is a popular stop. Looking south from viewing area over the cliffs we could see the snow covered mountains of the far off on the distant horizon. The paths are well maintained and the blowholes are active, making this is a great place if you’re traveling with kids. (Just keep an eye on any little ones…)

Further south, we stopped in Hokitika for a late lunch and a chance to explore this interesting town. Then it was time to hit the road again since we had nearly two more hours of driving to get to our next stop. In this case, our next stop was the Franz Josef Glacier, located in… Franz Josef!

Related blogs
New Zealand’s South Island – Nelson
New Zealand’s North Island and Auckland

The South island of New Zealand has a lot to offer. We struggled deciding what to see in the two weeks we allocated to explore this place. There are towering mountains that surround peaceful sounds in the south and hug the rugged western coastline. Those were our targets – we’d start in the north and head west to explore the coast and then inland to explore the mountains and the natural beauty of the fjords in the southwest.

Nelson was our first destination. While the Nelson-Tasman region has the most annual sunshine of the entire country, we arrived in the rain. The Nelson-Tasman region has long been a magnet for creative people; as a result, we found plenty of galleries and wineries to explore.

Able Tasman Charters hosted us on our first adventure, and it was awesome! They met us on the beach at Stephens Bay. We rolled up our pants, climbed into the waiting zodiac, and took the short ride out to the waiting boat to start our day. Their website says it all… “If you’ve only got one day to enjoy the Abel Tasman, why choose what you want to do? Take ‘The Best Abel Tasman Day Trip’ with Abel Tasman Charters and cruise, swim, kayak, bush walk along some of the Coastal Track (one of New Zealand’s Great Walks), experience the coastline, see the wildlife, learn about the environment and ecology of the area.”

We saw seals, birds, dolphins and beautiful islands. Split Apple Rock was one of the first and most interesting sites. The crew, Captain Rob and his son, Angus, were patient and helpful at getting us in the best position for photos throughout the trip. With only six passengers, we had nearly unlimited flexibility in going where we wanted and staying as long as we wanted. We headed up the coast, stopping briefly off Adele Island, a bird sanctuary before continuing on. Along the way we relaxed and watched the seals in the water. Before breaking for lunch, Julie and I took our sea kayak and paddled into Bark Bay with John and Carol Brewer. It was a nice spot, so Julie and I hauled the kayak up onto a beach and hiked around the area for a bit before heading back for lunch on the boat.

The seal colony at Tonga Island was where we turned back south, but not before drifting offshore to watch the seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Along the way back we took the opportunity to walk through one of the most diverse coastal bush tracks on the Pitt Head Nature Loop. The hike was fun, but the views were amazing!

After the hike, Captain Rod was waiting for us on the beach to transfer us back to the catamaran. We continued south, now retracing our course from the morning’s cruise. Before we knew it, we were back at Stephens Bay off-loading onto the beach. We’d had a great time exploring the waters and the coast of the Able Tasman National Park.

If you’re looking for a great view of the Able Tasman National Park from the water, or if you’re just looking to have a fantastic day on a boat, I highly recommend Able Tasman Charters.

Related blogs
New Zealand’s South Island – West Coast
New Zealand’s North Island and Auckland
Sydney, Australia

We arrived in Auckland, New Zealand on the evening of Tuesday, November 20th. After a month in Australia and Fiji, we were somewhat used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. As a result, we had a chance to relax and enjoy the ride into the city. Our hotel was on the water in the revitalized wharves area so as soon as we were checked in we headed out exploring.

Originally the Viaduct Lighter Basin was a run-down commercial fishing harbor. Redeveloped and renamed Viaduct Harbour, this part of the city is very alive with apartments, shops and plenty of restaurants. Even on a Tuesday night, many were full with waiting lists for dinner. It was here that we discovered the “unburger”, and it was delicious. In amongst the other restaurants was Fokker Bros., a casual upscale burger place. They have a nice selection of burgers – The Fokker Cheese, The Buffalo Chicken, The Bacon Mac ‘N’ Cheese, and the Kiwi Black, just to name a few. The unburger replaces the bun with thick sections of Iceberg Lettuce. Wow, that was great. You don’t fill up on the bun and you get a great burger!

Besides the food, we found time to visit the Maritime Museum in Auckland. Inside the museum is a full-size replica of boats used in the discovery of the islands from Polynesia over 1,000 years ago. At the other end of the spectrum is a static display of the New Zealand yacht from the 1988 America Cup races. It’s huge, requiring a crew of 40+; this monster dominates the plaza adjacent to the museum’s entrance.

After a few days in Auckland, we headed south; our first stop was to visit some glowworm caves. The site we selected was Ruakuri Cave. Legend has it that Ruakuri Cave was first discovered 400-500 years ago by young Maori hunting for birds. He was attacked by wild dogs just outside the original cave entrance – Ruakuri loosely translates into Cave of Dogs. You enter the cave and descend down a long, circular set of stairs.

During the tour, we received an interesting education about the glowworms, their lifecycle and how/why they glow. Then the lights were turned off and we saw the blue glow of thousands of individual worms. It was amazing. Another interesting experience was listening to the underground river and waterfalls in the cave. Sometimes a distant rumble, it became a thundering roar as we got closer to the falls. Ruakuri Cave was an interesting and worthwhile adventure for us.

Our next adventure was getting to our next destination, Rotorua. Looking at the map it seemed simple enough. Head east then northeast on Hwy 30 all the way to Rotorua… I figured 2½ hours tops. Well, first off, Hwy 30 is a two-lane road for the most part, and it goes through plenty of towns, so after about four hours, we knew our original estimate of a bit off. Then we got to the junction with Hwy 5, just miles outside of Rotorua – there was a nice highway worker pulling a barricade across the road. A washout had the road blocked.

We couldn’t find any easy alternate route, but the highway person claimed there was an ‘easy bypass’ that was ‘just down the road’. With that, we were off. Before we knew it, we were traveling across increasingly less improved roads, then gravel roads and then dirt roads. When the dirt roads started getting dicey we also realized that we hadn’t seen any other cars or people for some time… and it was starting to get dark. Even the cows and sheep looked at us in interest as if they were saying, “What the heck are those people doing way the heck out here?”

Obviously, we made it out at some point, but we considered trying to head back the way we’d come several times. Because I was unsure if I could find my way back, and I was concerned about running into New Zealand hillbillies (cue the New Zealand banjo music…), we continued forward.

Two things that stood out from our time in Rotorua were a visit to a cultural center and a ride in a float plane over the volcanic region around Rotorua. From the plane, we could clearly see a rift that went across an old volcano, through a lake and a river. We were also able to plainly see other impacts of recent seismic events. It was an enlightening and beautiful flight, and taking off and landing on a lake made the flight all that more interesting.

We had a tour and traditional dinner at the cultural center. The Fairy Spring was very interesting. The natural spring here produces a huge amount of water daily. At one spot the water wells up in a pool that has blue-grey sand on the bottom. Eddies and currents from the upwelling of water made it appear to be boiling water – it was actually very cool. We also had a chance to observe several Kiwi birds that evening. They’re actually nocturnal, flightless birds, so spying them on the ground in the dark was difficult, but we thought it was something special.

Related blogs
New Zealand’s South Island – Nelson
New Zealand’s South Island – West Coast

Cactus

Did you ever wonder if the pointy end of a cactus plant was actually pointy… or sharp?

Julie, Sharon and I had left Carlsbad Caverns National Park earlier in the day and were on our way to Las Cruses, New Mexico. Idling down the highway at… (well the speed limit was 75 MPH…), anyway there is a beautiful view of the Guadalupe Mountains north of the highway. We found a place that had a great view and pulled over for a photo shoot.

What made the scene so appealing to the passengers was the scrubby vegetation and the barbed wire fence in the foreground of the mountains. This was an authentic southwest setting! We got some great photos.

So, about the cactus… I don’t want to mention who went first, but ‘someone’ mentioned that the cactus looked sharp, and then proceeded to touch the end of the spiny leaf… ‘Ouch!!’ It turns our that the pointy leaf is sharp. After some discussion about how hard you had to touch it… or how softly, the other someone proceeded to touch the end of the spiny leaf… ‘Ouch!!’ Seeing a pattern developing, I avoided the cactus.

The Ghan Train runs from Adelaide to Darwin, across some of the most challenging and desolate parts of the Australian Outback. We boarded the train in Alice Springs, which is just about the mid-point on the route.

The Ghan Train

“The Ghan” is a sort of throwback experience to the days of luxury train travel. From the moment we boarded the train I felt like we were in an Agatha Christie novel. As we were settling into our ‘cabin’, the consigner stopped by to explain everything and answer our questions.

Lucky for us, the bar was the next coach forward and the restaurant was just in front of that. First stop, the bar. We sat with many of our traveling companions from the group and had a drink before dinner. Meals and drinks are included, so what the heck! Our dinner was elegant and delicious; Linen tablecloths, fine silver, and stemware. This is definitely the way to traverse the Australian Outback.

By the time we’d returned to our cabin, it had been set up for sleeping with an upper and lower berth. We drew straws and Julie got the upper berth. Then we drew straws three more times until Julie got the lower berth. (Funny how that worked out…) While I slept great, the swaying of the train woke Julie up several times through the night. Before we knew it, it was time to get up.

Like dinner the evening before, breakfast was delicious and the coffee was hot. We had a planned stop at Katherine Gorge at 9:00 AM. I liked to think that they were taking on water and coal for the engine, but the engines were diesel and it was simply an opportunity to see the gorge. Where was Agatha Christie when you need her?

Kathrine Gorge

1,000 km north of Alice Springs, Katherine Gorge is a great stop for a little sightseeing. Actually a series of seven separate gorges, Katherine Gorge was just entering the wet season. Over the coming months, the water will be upwards of 18 feet deeper than it was when we were there in November. We cruised two of the gorges, walking between the two because of the low water levels. We had a glimpse of ancestral drawings on the gorge wall along the way. The geology of the gorges is interesting and the views stunning. Before we knew it, we were back on the train and headed another 300 km down the tracks for Darwin.

Kakadu National Park

Kakadu, located several hours east of Darwin, is almost 20,000 square kilometers – that’s about half the size of Switzerland, so we only got to see a small portion of what this place has to offer. The park offers cave paintings, the oldest of which are up to 20,000 years old. The park also has more than 10,000 crocodiles – a tenth of all the crocs in the Northern Territory! This was the start of our ‘beware of crocodiles’ portion of the trip. If there’s water, there are crocodiles. Over the following week, we saw countless crocks, the largest was about 18 feet.

The cycle of the region is for the floodplains to flood during the wet season with water covering thousands of square kilometers. Gradually the water retreats and the floodplains dry – this is the dry season. No winter, spring, summer, and fall – just wet and dry. As we visited at the end of the dry season, much of the wildlife had retreated and concentrated in the remaining wetlands and rivers.

We took the Yellow Water Cruise one afternoon and saw plenty of crocks in the water, water buffalo on the floodplain and tons of birds. At one point we came across the remains of a large water buffalo killed by a crock.

PWhistling ducks and magpie geese were abundant as we cruised through the wetlands. The guide on the boat kept pointing out different birds and sometimes got excited – ‘ooww, there’s a blue-eyed ring-nosed fish trumpeter…’ or something similar. We must have had ‘bird people’ on the boat because they also got excited… ‘Frank, look, that’s a male frog darter, what impressive plumage…’ (Frankly, they mostly looked the same to me). The camera clicked away.

Another notable aspect of the park is the abundance of termite mounds. These monsters can be over 25 feet tall. We stopped at one that was maybe 13 feet high and had our pictures taken with it. I kept looking over my shoulder for the swarm coming out of mound to carry us away, but it never came. Before coming to Australia, i’d always thought the mounds were sort of crusty-soft or sandy, but they’re not. Through some chemical process, the termites build the walls of the mound to be nearly as hard as a rock. I knocked on one to get an idea of how hard it was – it was solid. Then, when I thought I heard a rumble of termites massing for an attack from inside the mound I ran for the safety of the bus.

We heard a story of a young guy, who may have consumed some number to beers, who then drove his car into a termite mound. His car was destroyed and the mound remained. There is no truth to the rumor that he was then carried away and into the mound by soldier termites…

Nourlangie Rock Walk (Burrungkuy)

The Nourlangie Rock Wall is one reason why Kakadu is World Heritage-listed for outstanding cultural values. With its stunning rock paintings, this famous site documents life in the region from 20,000 years ago to the first contact with European explorers. We took a walk through this area; it was like exploring an outdoor museum, viewing several different examples of art from different periods.

Unfortunately, those of us that left our bug nets behind were frequently attacked by swarming insects. The bugs can be one of the distractions at this time of the year. A lightweight bug net is an east remedy. Add to that the heat and humidity and you can understand why we didn’t linger there too long. While we were there we did see some incredible wall painting.

In order to get a bird’s eye view of the park, Julie and I took a ride in an airplane over the park. The area is a mix of rock formations separated by broad wetlands or narrow rivers. Australia had done a wonderful job of preserving the area in its natural state. The flight provides a wonderful perspective on the diversity of the terrain and the scale of distance. There is little sign of human presence outside of several small towns.

Australia’s Northern Territory is a wonderfully diverse region that shouldn’t be missed. If you have the time, The Ghan Train is the best way to get there and enjoy a unique experience in the process.

Northern Territory Photos

For more information, check out the following links
Ghan Train
Katherine Gorge
Kakadu National Park

Day 0 Arrive in Lima
Today was a long day. We should have known it was going to be one of unexpected events when our plane ran into problems landing in Atlanta. There was a ‘minor caution light’ that came on for the landing gear so the pilot calmly announced that we they took care of it (whatever that means) and that we were ‘going back around). We landed okay….
Then leaving Atlanta for Lima there was an ‘uncooperative pump’ issue that had us sitting on the ground in our seats while the issue was ‘addressed’. I suppose they brought someone in to talk to the pump about its behavior. In any event, the pump settled down and we were on our way. By the time we got settled in at our hotel in Lima it was either 1:30 or 2:30 in the morning… either way, it was late.

Day 1 Lima, Peru

Rise and shine! Anxious to see Lima, we dragged ourselves out of bed by 9:00 AM and headed down for breakfast. I could tell that Tim was still groggy because he was mixing in mangled Italian, French and German as he tried to communicate with the wait staff… everything BUT Spanish. Once he got coffee he was fine (sort of).

Carol Brewer stopped by and after satisfying our appetites we met in the lobby to plan the day. Through the hotel we scheduled a bus tour to Pachacamac, an Inca archaeological site south of the city. After spending some time exploring Miraflores, we had a quick lunch and headed for Pachacamac.

The Pachacamac archaeological site is about 35km south of Miraflores/Lima. The site is impressive with several pyramid temples, dwellings, remains of decorating adobe walls and other interesting constructions built by 4 civilizations. According to what we saw in the associated museum, Pachacamac was one of the most important religious centers of indigenous people at the Peruvian coast before the arrival of the Spanish.

We were all struck by the desert-like nature of the area and the dry air in spite of the ocean being so close. We looked at several temples in various states of restoration and the guide showed us a sample wall with layered illustrations. We also climbed a significant hill with the main temple atop it. That hill is set back about 500 yards from the ocean with a nice view. The last thing we saw before departing was the structure where the virgins were trained and kept under protection. You still can’t get close to it even today.

The city of Lima has grown in recent years until it not supports a population of 11 million residents. In the southern part of the city we saw scores of tiny three person micor-taxis, an enclosed motorcycle with two seats over a two wheeled rear axle. We didn’t see these vehicles in the Miraflores section of the city; apparently Lima has rules about where these vehicles could go and where they could not.   I want to mention that unemployment was quite low, despite the huge population.  Everywhere you looked there was someone cleaning the streets, watering the grass or picking up trash.  For such a large city the streets were quite clean.

Sunday Pictures- Album

Day 2 Lima, Peru

This morning we met our fellow travelling companions and our Globus tour guide, Adrian.  He gave us a great overview of the next week and laid out all the ground-rules for the group. An interesting fact he shared was that Peru contains 28 of the 32 world climates and it is 58% jungle.  That was interesting and highlighted how little Tim and I knew about this country. Adrian also warned us to wear our sunscreen, hats and to drink the coca tea when we moved to higher elevations the following day.  At that point we had free time until 2PM, so John, Carol, Tim and I headed out exploring.

Lima is a coastal city, but sits on a pleateu several hundred feet above the ocean with sheer cliffs down to the water. Our first stop was the shopping mall at Larco Mar on top of the cliff. Just up the coast from the mall is the Parque del Amor, a park with a statue of two lovers kissing. An just beyond that park were these crazy people launching themselves off the cliff with para-gliding canopies. Out they when over the ocean, then they soared back over the land and quickly gained height! Awesome. Carol, John and Tim each signed up and took off out over the ocean and then over the buildings of Lima. Fortunately everyone made it back safely.

At 2:00 PM we all piled into a bus for a tour of the area.  Adrian took us to a local market where we tasted unusual (for us) fruits – some of which were very tasty.  We found out that Peru grows 3300 of the 11,000 varieties of potatoes in the world.  We visited a former monestary and walked through a large public area.  Adrian was extremely knowledgeable and informed us about the food, the structures, the economics, the climate, the people and the history of Lima and the country.  Peru is an interesting country with a vibrant culture. I couldn’t take notes fast enough.  Fortunately- there was no test at the end of the trip!   We were on our own for dinner (we had our first round of pisco sours.).

Monday Pictures – Album

Day 3 Cusco and the Sacred Valley, Peru

After a 5:30 wake-up call we’re off to the Lima airport and our first experience with the organization skills of Adrian. We quickly got through the crowds and checked our bags, then headed to the gate. Again at Cusco everything was organized for us. Organized as Lamas and Alpacas, we boarded our buses and headed for La Princesita and the Mother Earth Ceremony.

Shaman Lawda completed the Mother Earth ceremony before lunch. We each blew on her offering three times and then made a wish… After a delicious lunch, while enroute to Q’enqo, we learned that Eucalyptus was introduced into Peru in the 19th century. The site of Q’enqo is set on a hillside of erected and carved stone. Much of it is carved out of a naturally occurring monolith. Q’enqo is one of the largest and most impressive wak’as or holy places in the vicinity of Cusco.

Most of us were very tired and took a nap on the bus as we left Q’enqo on the way to our hotel. On the way we stopped in Pisac and visited a local market before heading on to the Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay Hotel. After checking in, we had little time to rest before heading out to dinner and dancing horses. The meal was great, the horses entertaining and the trip back to the hotel was quick. We were all ready to hit our beds that night. This was a full day and we were all plenty tired.

Tuesday Pictures- Album

Day 4 Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, Peru

Finally, a day where we didn’t have to be up at four in the morning! This morning arrived with a nice cool sunrise. We all had time for breakfast at the hotel before boarding the bus at 7:30. The sun was just peeking over the mountains surrounding the valley as we headed north for the village of Ollantaytambo.

Ollantaytambo was an outpost for the Inca resistance led by Manco Inca Yupanqui after the arrival of the Spanish. When we climbed the many steps to the top it was easy to understand why they selected this place. It was still cool as we started exploring the town, but the temperature would continue to rise throughout the day.

The precise stonework in the walls of the village was amazing. No matter where you looked, the walls were set with precision that’s lasted for centuries. Our first stop was into the Guinea Pig hut, ranch or whatever. This smoke-filled stone structure had a thatched roof with an opening for the smoke to escape. After the small Guinea Pig roundup and rodeo was over we struck out for the rest of the town and the fortifications. But first, most of our group acquired the walking sticks that would be so useful once we got to Machu Picchu.

Along the way we caught a glimpse of a an image of Tunupa carved into the side of a mountain, and then our first direct view of the Terraces of Pumatallis. By now it was already warming up, so we grabbed our water and headed up the terraces… I can still feel that climb in my legs today. The views were incredible and the craftsmanship impressive. Even if we’d missed the Guinea Pig roundup, Ollantaytambo was well worth the time. I’d strongly recommend that you not miss this if you head to Peru.

After a short ride from the terraces we arrived at Ollantaytambo Station along the Urubamba River; we’d follow that river all the way to Machu Picchu. Adrian managed to get us all in one first class coach and we settled in for the ride. Along the way we had lunch and enjoyed the sights as Adrian pointed out the Inca trail and its hikers, terraced ruins and other points of interest. It was mid-afternoon when we made it to Machu Picchu Pueblo and we left the train, ready to head right up to the top.

Our bus took us up the side of the mountain with countless switchbacks. After the exciting 20-minute trip we still hadn’t gotten a glimpse of the ruins. Adrian organized us, got us quickly through the admission gates and we headed along the path. We rounded the last corner and suddenly there it was, right in front of us. Adrian announced, “You made it…, welcome to Machu Picchu!” It was awesome.

The pictures don’t capture the imagery. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon with intermittent clouds providing an awesome backdrop for the peaks. We explored, listened to the local experts and soaked it all in.

We enjoyed another bus ride that would qualify for a Six Flags feature and we were back in Machu Picchu Pueblo. We checked in and gathered for dinner where the big debate centered on the weather for the following morning and who was going to take the 6 AM bus back up the mountain in the morning.

Wednesday Pictures- Album