Bad luck #1:
This first one we already mentioned in a previous post - the fact that there just happened to be a transport strike the day we were due to go to Machu Picchu. We still made it there, but just had to leave earlier (ie 5:30am - our body clocks are getting so messed up!)
Bad luck #2:
On the way back from Machu Picchu the train was really late. It ambled along at nearly walking pace, and randomly stopped for rather long periods of time with no explanation. We finally arrived back in Cuzco at 11pm, where a Transfer was supposed to meet us to take us back to our hotel. They weren't there. So we were stuck in Cuzco in the middle of the night with no idea what to do (Cuzco is safer than Lima, but you still wouldn't want to be a tourist there at night). We tried to make a phone call to either our hotel or Tucan (the company who was supposed to provide the transfer), but we couldn't get the public phones to work. There were lots of taxis around, but we had been warned not to use them - they are very dodgy. Eventually we had no option other than to take one of these taxis. It was a tiny tiny car, covered in dents and rust, which we were surpised even started. Luckily the driver took us straight to our hotel.
Our taxi looked a bit like this, but imagine blue and way more dodgy
Not long after midnight we finally made it to bed.
Bad luck #3:
We got up at 4am this morning (that means we got less than 4 hrs sleep) so that we could get to the airport to fly from Cuzco to Lima then from Lima to Quito (in Ecuador). The plan was that we would be in Quito by about lunch time then have a day to relax before heading off to the Galapagos Islands. Of course nothing is ever that simple!
When we arrived at Cuzco airport we were informed that there had been a plane crash (apparently it ran off the end of the runway) in Quito, so Quito airport was closed. (Note from Jason: Mum, stop panicking) So we could get to Lima, but no further. Also the flight from Cuzco to Lima was delayed by more than 4 hours. Oh, and by the way, in the girls toilets in Cuzco there is no toilet paper acutally inside the cubicles. There is a big roll of toilet paper near the hand basins where you have to get your supply first. I'm not used to having to budget my toilet paper. I have no idea how much I use in a 'sitting'*! It's strange how such small, but significant differences remind me of how lucky we are in Australia.
When we arrived in Lima we had to try to book more tickets to Quito (we will hopfully be leaving Lima tomorrow morning) and find some accommodation in Lima for the night. Hardly anyone speaks English and our Spanish is rather less than fluent, so it took us a few hours to finally get things sorted.
We are hoping bad luck really does only strike in threes.
*please note that parts of this post were heavily edited by Jason - he can't help himself!
4 comments:
ok mum is officially desperately trying not to panic about the state of airlines in iffy countries !! Read your blog out to Rob who's currently painting our new front door white (he thinks it'll look terrrible, but I didn't listen)....he's only comment was about the lack of toilet paper in the loos (much too crude to put in such a public site !!). Reckon the Islands will be great....hope all your arrangements go to plan, but even if they don't Mim tells me hassles are all part of overseas travel. How much harder is it going to be now to get Rob away........just going to have to send out a scout to make sure toilets are civilised wherever we end up!!! Keep enjoying....KEEP SAFE....X X X X
Hi guys, just been on google earth. Have seen photos of the train to Machu Picchu and various other shots including the train stop and winding road. did'nt realise how high up it is. Maybe the Incas died out from oxygen deprivation, heaving all those stones to make their dwellings!
Hey Amy always best to have too much toilet paper than not enough!
Dad (Rob)
Just getting back to the toilet paper. I was once demostrated how to get by with a single sheet. You fold into a triangle twice, tear a small piece at the peak of the triangle. This leaves a small hole when you open the sheet back out. Insert your third finger into the hole,(very impotent to keep the piece you tore off) then.... Jens growling at me. Ill demostrate when I see you next. At least I learnt something from the Boy Scouts!
Ah, thanks for the toilet paper advice, but I think I'll stick with my own way for now :)
Post a Comment