amolkold

Background
This is my 1,000th post, but my first ever trip report, so bear with me. I’ve been following this forum for a while now and felt the need to contribute a personal tome to repay the hours of entertainment I’ve read here. We’ll see if I have the hang of it … I’ve already made sure to post it completely here (and not on a blog where I’ll hawk credit card deals at you like a guy with free t-shirts at Spring Break), made sure to have (the majority) of the trip in a premium cabin, and brought along one of those fancy photomajiggers (although some of the pictures will be via my iPhone). As of writing this part, I am still in Chile, but I wanted to get a head-start and post a few parts before getting home.

I recently graduated college (or “university,” since I’ve figured this is one of the few truly “international” sub-boards on FT). In my family, once you finish school, you’re expected to go back to school and continue until you can school no more. Perhaps that’s why most of my immediate ancestors were teachers, we just have no imagination … I digress. I had a little time to travel and decided to head south of the equator, since I’d never been there. The idea rattled around in my head last year, until I found out a good friend of mine was moving to Chile in late January and would be free for some of February. Done. The trip was booked -- slowly, but surely.

Booking
The outbound was booked before BA said “Adios!” to unlimited stopovers. I was able to find space available on LAN in J for JFK-LIM, LIM-IPC, and IPC-SCL for 40K. B-E-A-Utiful. Given that JFK-SCL has an MPM of 6147 miles on LAN, and that this routing was a smidge over 8300, I booked it right away, not knowing if I'd get another agent to ticket this. Since the friend I'd be visiting had been to Peru but never to Easter Island, I booked a domestic SCL-IPC return in international J using miles + cash (not my cash … I’m not that great a friend).

Some shiny objects must have distracted me because I left the itinerary at that for a long time. Meanwhile, the sky fell on Americans with hoards of BA miles from Chase and AmEx and dreams of touring all of South America and Asia with LAN and CX. I found the devaluation highly offensive, as the program no longer revolves around us Americans like all things should.

However, the changes turned out to be quite beneficial, as I later booked a LIM-CUZ Y r/t for 9K (20K pre-Avios, $450 paid ticket) and SCL-LIM Y o/w for 5K + cash (7.5K + cash beforehand, lowest price $425). I ended up upgrading the SCL-LIM segment to J earlier today, for reasons and by methods I'll explain when I get to that part. To top it all off, I used 30K AA miles to return me from LIM right-side up to the northern hemisphere in J, with a few days stopover in New York, courtesy of AA’s unique North American gateway stopover rule.

If you’ve ever booked a ticket on LAN, you’re probably aware of the schedule change. It’s where an hombre in a tall building in Santiago decides that you probably won’t mind if your 10am flight gets moved to 5am, before your 6am arrival to the continent. And then sees your funny last name and puts you on a flight 3 days later, just for giggles. Señor Chuckles required me to make about 4 more calls to the BA center in the U.S., to talk to telephone operators who sounded closer to Little Rock than London. But, it all worked out in the end. On with the show!


The Routing (zoomed out to show where exactly is Easter Island)

Links to each part:
1) DL 30, LAX-JFK, Y+
2) JFK T8/AA Admirals Club
3) LA 531, JFK-LIM, J
4) LP 2047, LIM-CUZ, Y
5) Machu Picchu
6) LP 2019, CUZ-LIM, Y
7) Radisson Decapolis Miraflores, Lima
8) LIM Airport/SUMAQ Lounge
9) LA 848, LIM-IPC, J
10) Easter Island, Part 1
11) Easter Island, Part 2
12) IPC/Mataveri International Airport
13) LA 842, IPC-SCL, J
14) Santiago
15) SCL Airport/LAN Neruda Lounge
16) LA 530, SCL-LIM, J
17) LA 530, LIM-JFK, J
18) Yotel NYC
19) AA 181, JFK-LAX, J

amolkold

Flight: Delta 30
Depart: Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – 6:30am (PST / GMT -8) – Actual 6:35am
Arrive: New York, NY (JFK) – 2:49pm (EST / GMT -5) – Actual 2:15pm
Duration: 5h19m (Actual 4h40m)
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200 (75E)
Seat: 19C (Economy Comfort – Aisle – Bulkhead/Exit Row)

Did I say this was a LAN report? Whoops. Looks like my TR career is already off to a shaky start. Also, instead of my real camera, I decided to use my iPhone for these pics. I promise it gets better! I mentioned I found award space from JFK. Problem is, I decided JFK wasn’t hellish enough of an airport and so decided to live near LAX. And be a Delta elite. Of my own accord. Until Mr. Robertson decides to bundle even more of my benefits in a package for anyone willing to give $100 to AmEx. Right. I get a lot of flak from elites on other carriers for this … but enough about my relationship with my mother.

The start of this trip was the least enjoyable – packing. I am the worst at it. I really think the main reason I’ve tried to keep elite status is because I’d rather just shove all my belongings in 2 large suitcases and bring them with me everywhere I go. It’s horrible. I’ve been able to bring down my weeklong domestic trips to carry-ons, but anything more than that is just impossible for me. To make matters worse, I am incredibly unorganized, making this difficult task even more daunting. The sole image I’ll give is one of me reaching blindly under my bed to miraculously find my last box of contact lenses and triumphantly raising my arms in the air, as I would actually be able to see the places I was going to visit.

"The airport is open this early?"


I’m also not a morning person, so I have no clue what I was smoking when I decided to book a flight for 6:30am. It dawned on me the night before what time I’d actually have to wake up. Fortunately, my internal alarm clock woke me up around 4am, and after a long hot shower and some last-minute packing, I was out the door by 5am and at the Sky Priority bag drop at 5:35am.

No traffic heading through a dark Downtown L.A.


The TSA checkpoint was surprisingly quick and non-intrusive, and I was at Gate 53A in no time. As a Gold Medallion in L.A. who mainly flies the JFK and ATL routes, I don’t expect many upgrades on Delta, but what irks me is the inconsistency within the airline. LAX-JFK is one of the few true battlefield upgrade routes, as Delta doesn’t release upgrade space until a few minutes before boarding, as they only have 16 seats in the J cabin (and no F cabin). At most stations, once you scan your BP and board the plane, you’re taken off the gate upgrade list. With 2 seats open, I was #3, but soon found that I was #1 with 1 seat left unclaimed. I told the gate agent about my intentions, and was told by another agent that they would upgrade another medallion (#2), even though they were no longer on the upgrade list presumably due to boarding the aircraft. I later e-mailed Delta and was told I was correct and should have been upgraded, but big whoop that does. At least I got about 7,500 Skypesos out of it, so I guess Delta gave me “a penny for my thoughts.” (A shame, though, I was hoping to do a portion of the TR in DL J, using my nicer camera, but stuck with my phone camera for this part.)

Fortunately, I had seat 19C, which has the most legroom of any seat on the entire aircraft, BusinessElite included. Since I had waited to get an upgrade, I ended up boarding with Zone 4 and was forced to put my backpack in a J cabin bin. At least one of us flew in the forward cabin. There was a passenger in 19B as I boarded, but he immediately moved to the back of the cabin when he realized he would be squished between 19A and myself.

Eat your heart out, Medallion #2


With 19B empty, I ended up with a European-style business class arrangement, with ample legroom and extra recline. Delta runs these SFO/LAX-JFK transcontinental flights on 757-200s that also run transatlantic routes. This flight itself was continuing onward to Moscow (SVO). On domestic routes, Gold Medallions and higher are allowed free Economy Comfort seating, which is the same as the international product on this aircraft. I don’t envy whoever has to sit in 19A, as the slide protrudes into that seat’s legroom. Also, given how freezing the general cabin area was, I couldn’t imagine how much colder it was to sit next to that door.

Euro-J arrangement, + Biscoffs!!


I watched a few episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm on the AVOD, as HBO is gratis in the Economy Comfort section since they don’t bother to change the system between domestic and international settings, and used the ‘Have One On Us’ coupon that prints out with online BPs for Golds and higher to get a free snack box (a bit too early in the morning for drinks). Able to stretch out, I slept soundly for a couple of hours over the Midwest with the help of an Air France eye mask (gotta keep it Skyteam). Add that I had a power port to charge my laptop/iPhone and was flying for free on a VDB voucher – the fact that I missed the upgrade didn’t really matter anymore.

Flight Delights




Curb Your Enthusiasm and a Moving Map -- All I Need on a Transcon


After an early arrival, it took about 10 minutes for the baggage carousels to begin. For the first time, my SkyPriority baggage tags actually worked, as my bag was 2nd on the belt. I made a quick trot to the JFK AirTrain, using the tried and tested method of going back from T2/3 to T8, then getting off and transferring to a Jamaica-bound train. Although it saved me only a couple of minutes, that proved essential in catching a soon-to-depart LIRR train to Penn Station, where I caught an uptown subway to spend the next day+ with friends.

Shake Shack in NYC; good, but not worth 2x the price of In'n'Out back home


Kefi, Greek restaurant on the UWS, during an impromptu reunion dinner with tons of old friends

amolkold

Check-in at JFK T8 + AA Admirals Club

Ahh, now the real show begins. My stay in NYC coincided with the Giants’ improbable Super Bowl run. With kickoff at 6:29pm and the flight at 10:15pm, I was able to watch only the first half before getting a ride from the Upper West Side to JFK.

I used the GroundLink app to order a car, mainly because I had received a $75 credit via a Jetsetter Groupon-like deal. With taxes and fees, I ended up paying a total of $26 out-of-pocket for the ride, much less than a cab. Good deal in my book. My driver showed up before time and was quiet the entire ride, so I just played with my iPhone while on the Van Wyck. Smartphone-playing, my generation’s solution to social interaction.

This picture taken while playing with my smartphone


I haven’t flown AA, or any OneWorld carrier at that, from JFK is over 7 years. From what I remember, the gatehouse back then was decrepit and in need of a remodel. I’m guessing this was my first time in JFK’s T8. LAN had just moved to T8 from T4. The main difference for me was that I’d use the Admirals Club rather than the Oasis Lounge.

The check-in counters all say American Airlines, but they are also used at night for partners such as LAN, as well as Qatar. I waited about 5 minutes in the Premium Business line, thankful that I wasn’t flying Economy since that line was one of the longest I’ve seen (although, I can't remember the last time I stood in a non-Elite/Priority line). Though she said she was unable to at first, the check-in agent allowed me to check my bag all the way through to CUZ and printed boarding passes for each leg, even though the Cusco flight was on a different reservation. I had done “pre check-in” online and requested seat 2A. I was given an aisle seat in row 5, and asked to have my original request honored, and was given seat 2A. Why not just give me the seat to begin with? I was also given a lounge pass for the AA Admirals Club.

LAN’s new home in T8


Really just using AA’s home


Uhh, might want to take Malev out …


Security was actually pleasant, as I did not have to Nude-O-Scope and was done within 2 minutes. Even though I was in the priority line, I noticed that the economy passengers took the same amount of time. It should be like this all the time!

Ugh, just once, could I have a pristine boarding pass?


I wandered around T8 for a bit, just to check out the airy terminal. I have to say, this is one of the nicest U.S. terminals I've been in. I usually fly out of the dump known T2/T3 when I'm at JFK, so it's nice to be in a better looking building.

After a while, I headed toward the AA Admirals Club on Level 4. As a Delta guy, I’m more used to Sky Clubs. I have to say, this AA Admirals Club was better than any of the Sky Clubs I have visited. True, drinks aren’t free, but I was given 2 drink chits and was told by the check-in agent, “if you need more, just come back.” I ended up using only the 2.

Mural in the main check-in area


Flags outside the AA Admirals Club


AC


Bar in the AC


Children’s Room Sign


Artwork


Most of my time was spent closer to the bar, to watch the enthralling rematch of Super Bowl XLII. After downing a couple of drinks, I decided to head to the gate area, as I noticed that most of the gates had TVs showing the game.

LAN 531 departed from Gate 2, at the end of the concourse. The TV is just inside the gatehouse, right under speakers that broadcast Every. Single. Announcement. In. T8. I’m pretty sure nobody in our vicinity was late for Qatar’s boarding at Gate 14. Also, I didn’t know AA flies to “San Pablo, Brazil.”

Boarding began at the 2-minute warning. While I didn’t have a dog in the fight, I was rooting for the Giants, and they were knocking on the doorstep a la 2008. I eschewed boarding with Business class, then with families with children. While economy passengers began to board via zones (determined by row number/FILA, starting at the back), I stayed in the gatehouse to catch the wild finish, joined by several off-duty airport workers. As Ahmad Bradshaw squatted into the endzone, the final zones were called. Determined to watch the entire game, I ignored the requests for all passengers to board.

TD, Giants! Less than a minute left!


New England got the ball back, down 4. It was déjà vu. An AA worker stood next to me, watching intently as his beloved Giants were so close to winning it all over again. Seconds ticked off the clock. “All zones boarding, todos los pasajeros.” The Patriots were making their drive. “Final boarding call.” Time for one last play, New England needed a Hail Mary. “Paging passengers …” Brady launched it 50 yards in the air. Knocked down! Giants win! I high-fived the AA worker and dashed toward the gate. I later found out that many in the Premium Business cabin had stayed in the AC and were late as well.

amolkold

Flight: LAN 531
Depart: New York, NY (JFK) – 10:15pm (EST / GMT -5) – Actual 10:30pm
Arrive: Lima, Peru (LIM) – 6:00am (PET / GMT -5) – Actual 6:15am
Duration: 7h45m (Actual 7h45m)
Aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER
Seat: 2A (Premium Business – Window)

From the jetway


Because I had waited to board, I boarded with the last group, so I was unable to grab empty cabin shots. With 4 more sectors in J on the 767-300ER, including 1 daytime one where I won’t need to use ISO 1600, I wasn’t too worried about pictures.

The view from Seat 2A


This was my first time on LAN’s business class, and I had become pretty excited looking at the pictures of their unique hard product. Indeed, I was pretty giddy about the trip, and it showed. Most of the other passengers seemed to be the normal J fare … uninterested businessmen who’d done this hundreds of times. Not me.

After a few minutes of testing out the seat, I was offered champagne and nuts, and gladly obliged. I was also given an amenity kit, as well as pillow and duvet. We pushed back close to 10:30pm and headed toward the runway.

Champagne and nuts, and no adverts on the cocktail napkin a la U.S. airlines!


Contents of amenity kit; picture taken post-flight. Bvlgari bag on the bottom


It was interesting to see how lax LAN’s FAs were on this flight, as I noticed several people in the J cabin standing up and dealing with luggage in the overheads while the plane was on the taxiway. The seats also have a light on the control panel that turns on when the seat is in complete “locked un-reclined mode,” yet all the passengers in my row had our seats in some form of the Z-conformation.

After takeoff, the seat belt sign was turned off almost immediately and stayed that way for several hours, even through turbulence that would jump-seat an American crew. Orders for dinner were taken promptly afterward.

Sitting in row 2, I was one of the first to be asked. Silly me, I hadn’t read the menu before takeoff, as it was hidden in the magazine slot. The options were an Express or Full/Traditional dinner. I chose the Full. These were the menu options, with my selections pictured:

DINNER
Salad greens with seasonal vegetables

Appetizer
Fresh Mozzarella with cherry tomatoes, olives and pesto
Master Sommelier suggestion: Casa Lapostolle / Sauvignon Blanc 2011 / Viña Casa Lapostolle / Rapel Valley


Artichoke soup with hazel nuts sour cream

Entrée
Pan seared salmon with morel shallot sauce, accompanied with roasted potatoes and tomatoes
Master Sommelier suggestion: Don David / Torrontes 2011 / Bodega El Esteco / Cafayate, Salta


Grilled filet of beef with golden polenta and eggplant tapenade
Master Sommelier suggestion: Payen / Syrah 2008 / Viña Tabali / Pirque, Limari Valley

Steamed shrimp salad, hearts of palm, smoken bacon chips with apples and assorted lettuce
Master Sommelier suggestion: Casa Lapostolle / Sauvignon Blanc 2011 / Viña Casa Lapostolle / Rapel Valley

Special cheese selection

Dessert
Tiramisu

Häagen Dazs ice cream
Fresh seasonal fruit

EXPRESS DINNER
Choose this alternative if you want more time to rest
-Select one of the options of appetizers and main entrées
-Salad
-Cheese Plate
-Select your dessert


SNACK SANDWICH
Fresh seasonal fruit
Prosciutto sandwich with Provolone cheese, asparagus and tomato pesto
Mixed seasonal berries cheesecake

BREAKFAST
You can choose between two options:
Cold Express Breakfast, to maximize your rest this option will be served 40 minutes before landing
Full Breakfast, select your option completing the preorder card that will be collected by the flight attendant

The wine list is as is:
CHAMPAGNE
Maison Louis Roederer / Champagne Louis Roederer / Brut Premier / Reims, France

VINOS / WINES
Viña Tabalí / Payen Syrah / 2008 / Valle del Limarí / Chile

Bodega Renacer / Punto Final Malbec / 2007 / Pedriel, Luján de Cuyo / Mendoza, Argentina

Viña Undurraga / Founder’s Collection / Cabernet Sauvignon / 2007 / Valle del Maipo / Chile

Bodega El Esteco / Don David Torrontés / 2011 / Cafayate / Salta, Argentina

Viña Casa Lapostolle / Sauvignon Blanc / 2011 / Valle de Rapel / Chile

OPORTO / PORT
Croft Oporto / Late Bottled Vintage / 2005 / Vila Nova de Gaia Portugal

I chose to stick with the sommelier’s suggestions for each course, and liked both wines, more so the Casa Lapostolle. The mozzarella starter was tasty, and the main course salmon was tender and delicious. The tiramisu was heavenly (not pictured: dark chocolate pieces to go with it). I capped off the meal with some tea.

There was an option to have a breakfast before landing, but I chose to skip that. When I was in the galley waiting for the lav, I saw on the manifest that every single passenger had decided the same thing. Given our early arrival, I wanted to sleep as much as possible.

As for the seat -- it is incredibly comfortable, except while in the locked upright position. The cabin is rather elegant, with simple wood paneling at the front and back contrasting with the softer purple/lavender seating. While other business classes now have 1-2-1 setups on 767s (like Delta), the 2-2-2 setup does not feel too cramped. The aisles are a bit narrow, but you won’t be spending much time in those. When I was seated with a friend on a later segment, I was able to easily step over the flat-bed from the window seat to the aisle, although it does help to be a little young and spry.

Seat in bed mode


The IFE comes with a rather large screen, although it isn’t the highest of resolutions. There are plenty of options for movies, TV shows, and music, including a decent selection of English titles. In addition to the resolution, my system in particular was rather slow to respond to inputs via the controller and was somewhat frustrating. I blame this on Apple. I’m too used to instant input feedback.

The controller itself is designed well. At first, I thought the mini screen had input functionality, but it simply shows if you are in “scrolling mode” or if the system is disabled due to PA announcements. My favorite function of the controller is a button that gives direct access to the moving map, something I think more airlines should put in.

Large IFE w/ extensive movies/TV/music selection


Picture-in-Picture movie & moving map


Headphones


IFE Controller



The tray table is rather small, and an annoying part of it is that it overlaps with the large cocktail table between the two seats. You can either stick the table underneath the cocktail table, but then the table is slanted and not sturdy; or, prop the table a bit over the cocktail table, but then you lose space there. Given the size of the table, you need the cocktail table to place drinks (especially since I’m keen to always have water in addition to wine). I think it’s something that could have been planned a bit better in the design.

To show size of tray table -- notice the overlap with the cocktail table


The cocktail table is rather large, but also slick, so be careful about keeping things on there for takeoff and landing (on a later flight, my camera was on there for landing, and had it not been for my friend catching it, it would have fallen to the floor upon reverse thrust).

Other functions of the seat include a privacy divider between the two seats, as well as power outlets underneath. Except for the bulkhead seats, every seat has a storage place at the bottom of the seat in front. Most seats will have pillows and duvets stored there pre-flight; during flight, I stored anything from shoes to laptop to camera to amenity kit while in bed mode. It really is spacious. The headphones are placed in a little slot underneath the cocktail table.

Charging my phone, showing location of power port


Showing the storage area, toward the end of the flight. Biz passengers produce a lot of trash.


Business class bathroom - eau de toilette, lotion, moist towelettes, and cups for the non-drinkable water in there


In-Flight magazine -- never seen JFK referred to as "Fitzgerald Kennedy Airport" before


I had a good sleep, almost 5 hours worth, before being woken about 15 minutes before landing. Good thing I chose to skip breakfast. We landed amidst a foggy morning in Lima and quickly found a gate in the international area. Most of the J passengers stayed onboard for the next leg to Santiago. I de-boarded through 1L with only 2 other J pax and briskly walked to immigration. I had a feeling I had forgotten something, but couldn’t put my finger on it. Turns out, the cabin crew hadn’t passed out Peruvian immigration/customs cards. Perhaps I was too late for that. I quickly found the documentation and filled it out, so as to miss the throng of Y passengers arriving behind me.

Foggy Lima


The priority tag didn’t work, as it took about 15 minutes to see my bag once the carousel started. Off to immigration and customs, where my push of the button was unlucky, and I got the red light to go have my bag scanned. No worries, took only about 30 seconds extra to pass through. I exited the transit area and made my way to the check-in counters for the leg to Cuzco.

Coming up later: A pair of LAN A319s to/from CUZ and Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas."
 

hamburglar

exciting read!

luxury

Thank you! I am considering a trip to Lima and Buenos Aires later this summer and am considering LAN. I am very interested to read the rest of your report. Keep up the great work!!

Wiirachay

Thanks for sharing, esp. on a carrier that isn't reported on too much here on FT. That screen was huge!

Quasiconvexity

We did the exact same itinerary over 3 weeks last Spring (before the BA devaluation hit). I was thinking about putting a TR together but this saves me the trouble - look fwd to it! Did you hike the Inka Trail?

amolkold

Thanks hamburglar!

I'd go for it! They have some incredible deals for paid J as well right now; one of the things about LAN is they still have City Ticket Offices, so I've seen their posters about the deals in Lima, Easter Island, and Santiago just walking around

No prob! Yeah, I've had some trouble finding LAN reports, mostly because it isn't useful for intra-continental connections like Asian and European carriers. The screen is really huge, and I'm happy to say that future flights had more responsive systems.

Unfortunately, the Inka trail is currently closed, so I was unable. I was able to hike up Huayna Picchu, though! What a view!

amolkold

It was a crowded terminal and I forgot to take my camera out. I dropped my bag off at the check-in counter, only to have them reapply another tag to my bag. So much for checking it all the way through in New York. I inquired about a lounge but was told there were none in the domestic area. Instead, the ticket agents were worried about the frequent flyer numbers on my tickets. Although both the JFK-LIM and LIM-CUZ segments were booked through BAEC (one pre-Avios, the other post-Avios), the first ticket had my BA FF number while the second had my AAdvantage number. Both agents wanted to make sure that the correct program was on each, even though neither ticket would earn miles. Still, that’s a plus in any FTer’s book. ^

There was a plethora of Americanized eating options in the terminal pre-security, but I declined to sit down until past security, as I didn’t know how long that would take. Turns out when you can keep your shoes, your liquids, and your dignity, security doesn’t take that long.

I found an ATM and withdrew a few hundred Peruvian soles (S/2.66 for $1 at the time) and was pleased to find that the terminal offered free wi-fi. One of the cafés in the terminal had power outlet stations, so I grabbed a necessary S/8.00 cup of coffee, electing to pay cash to break a large bill (I know, I could have gotten ~6 Chase UR points … terrible).

There are 14 domestic gates at LIM; gates 8-14 are on the spacious upstairs level and each gate is connected to a jet way. My flight left from gate 4, on the downstairs level. It’s amazing how stark the contrast is from gates 1-7 and gates 8-14. The lower level seems almost like a separate LCC terminal, with snaking lines around seating areas for flights boarding not more than 10 feet from each other. This A319 boarded from a remote position, so a bus was required to get to the plane.

The airy upstairs domestic gates (8-14)


The downstairs remote gates (1-7) ... am I flying an LCC?


The second-coolest outside boarding of a LAN jet this trip


Flight: LAN 2047 operated by LAN Peru
Depart: Lima (LIM) – 09:05am PET – Actual 09:15am
Arrive: Cusco (CUZ) – 10:10am PET – Actual 10:30am
Duration: 1h05m (Actual 1h15m)
Aircraft: Airbus A319
Seat: 2L (Economy – Window – Extended Legroom)

I had preselected 6A on the LAN website but was given 2L at JFK. This turned out to be beneficial, as the first 3 rows of the aircraft have extended legroom, similar to European regional business class. While the service was definitely economy, the extra legroom was appreciated.

Economy Plus?


The sole service was a snack box and drink about 35 minutes into the flight.

Snack box and drink


Snack box


Due to weather in CUZ, we circled the area for about 15 minutes before coming in to land. The pilots came in hot and fast, probably one of the fastest landings I’ve ever experienced. For a few seconds, I had a gut-wrenching feeling that we were on track to overrun the end of the runway, but it turns out the pilots simply want to turn-off at the middle of the runway so as to not have to double back.

Views of Cusco




Unlike at LIM, we got a jet way at CUZ. I collected my bag and made my way outside for a taxi to my hostel. The going rate for taxis in the airport is S/25-. If you go outside the airport, one can find a taxi around S/12- to S/15-. Determined to save whatever money possible, I tried to head toward the airport exit, but found a driver who was willing to negotiate down to S/20- from the airport. A bit tired, I took it, although I had to constantly decline his offers to take me to buy Machu Picchu tickets/train tickets/hotel rooms the entire ride. “Ya tengo, señor. Y ya pagué.”

I feel like there's a giant vending machine in Europe that just plops out dinky planes like this

brahms77

This TR reminds me of my own set of LAN flights (Buenos Aires, Lima, Cuzco, Santiago, Easter Island, Tahiti, and to Frankfurt) during the summer (over there, it was winter) of 2010 with my wife as our proper 'honeymoon.'

Brings me nice memories! Keep it coming!

amolkold

I was only in Cusco for a few days, and was really under the weather for one of them, so I didn’t have much time to see other places such as the Sacred Valley. However, I have always been fascinated with Machu Picchu and wanted to spend as much time as possible there. That also meant that I was going to say good-bye to my money, as everything surrounding visiting Machu Picchu is just plain expensive.

I chose to take PeruRail from Cusco, but found out after I bought the tickets that it would be a combination bus/train trip for the time being. Pretty annoying as the round-trip came out to about US$110 from Cusco. The bus was scheduled to leave the Wanchaq station at around 6:30am, connect to the train at Ollantaytambo, and reach Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu by noon. The return would leave around 4:30pm and reach Cusco around 9pm. Because of these hours, I chose to stay at a hostel near the station – nothing special, just a family guesthouse. Clean, comfortable, and cheap.

The bus ride was unremarkable, as it was still foggy and dark. I passed the time talking with 2 Australian students across the aisle from myself, and we later continued the conversation at the station and on the train. The ride from Ollantay to Aguas Calientes is absolutely amazing, and the beauty is helped with panoramic windows. However, it’s tough to take pictures through the windows, as they do get cloudy and dirty.

Boarding the train at Ollaytantambo


Windows on top, cropping out my new Aussie friends (Expedition Train)


Scenery en route


Upon arrival in AC, I found a representative from my hostel waiting outside the train station, albeit with another guest’s name and not mine. This hostel was by far the most value-priced thing in AC, about $30 for the night including breakfast. A comfortable bed, hot shower, and some food in my stomach were all I needed.

Walking through Aguas Calientes (that bridge had sprinklers that go into the already rapid river below … never saw the point)


Room at Terrazas del Inca


After dropping my bags off, I realized I had about 5.5 hours to go visit the ruins that same day. I had only purchased a ticket for the next day for Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu while I was in Cusco, but figured that if I had the time, I might as well go that day. I still have a valid ISIC student card, so I was able to purchase a ticket in AC for half price, S/64- (about $23). My ticket to hike Huayna Picchu the next day cost S/76- (about $28).

There is a bus that takes you up the mountain from AC to Machu Picchu. A lot of the … “unwashed” ... hike the mountain to save money, but I don’t blame them. It’s US$9 one-way, US$17 round-trip, no discounts save for children. Switchbacks-On-The-Side-Of-A-Cliff Robbery if you ask me. I elected to get 2 tickets to get up the mountain, and then save money by walking down the mountain, which took about 40 minutes.

Like any FTer, I wanted a seat in the forward part of the cabin on the bus. Each time up the mountain, I got a seat in the first row, right behind the driver. I highly recommend taking the bus one-way only to see how these drivers handle such huge busses as if they were rally cars. Perhaps they’re training for the Dakar.

Some close calls going up the mountain




I almost prefer this foggier picture to the clear picture I got the next day


Some steep drops … no hand-rails


Gas-powered lawn mower


Grass-powered lawn mower



Photosynth 360º Panorama (may have to restart browser in 32-bit mode if on a 64-bit computer): http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=...b-e6c2fcfa8dc2

The next day, I hiked up Huayna Picchu.

Steep


Really steep


But the view is worth it!




Another Photosynth 360º Panorama, from about 3/4 the way up HP: http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=...4-4b4c799ab982

HP and MP passport stamps (yes, in the area reserved for real stamps ... I don't like the picture on this passport and sorely desire a new one). A shout-out to the guards at HP and MP, as well as the officer at GUA for knowing how to properly press down on passport stamps



Small waterfalls all along the hike back down to Aguas Calientes


The train back was nothing different than the ride there. I spent a bit more than a day in Cusco, but forgot to take my camera out while hopping around with other tourists I met. This is the sole post-able picture I have of Cusco, amazingly relevant for this forum:

The LAN office bag drop, useful for people who have later departures (useless for me, since I had a 7am departure). It’s located just south of the Plaza de Armas, something like $10 to check in bags there.

bspn

Thanks for the post. I have almost the same itinerary in April.

Jinxy

Great review and congrats on your 1000th post!

glu800

Wow, amazing pictures!
I did the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu in 2010 and it was an unforgettable experience.

I'm headed to Easter Island in November this year, so definitely looking forward to your report!!