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Cubana IL96 in C (yes i am serious) to Havanna followed by Machu Pichu, Cuzco & Quito

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Cubana IL96 in C (yes i am serious) to Havanna followed by Machu Pichu, Cuzco & Quito

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Old Sep 22, 2014, 8:21 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
not true
Exactly. Transiting through MEX is probably the easiest way for US citizens to visit. I might try to go back to Cuba next year - I haven't been in about 10 years.
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Old Sep 22, 2014, 8:48 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
not true
yeah i did realize this after i posted!

i may have to try this. MEX is the best? hmm...
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Old Sep 23, 2014, 7:46 am
  #33  
 
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What an amazing trip, ARJ85! Bravo.

Hope your travel/life insurance covered flying an old communist jetliner too.
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Old Sep 23, 2014, 12:07 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
Simply amazing pictures. Fascinating report and brings back fond memories of my time in Cuba and Peru.
Thank you very much

Originally Posted by Skipcool3
Great pictures. Look like the small premium for flying in Business class is well worth it.

Cubana used to fly regularly to Gatwick for many years...
Thanks - and yes for 50 Euros more it was definitely worth it.
When i booked my flight London (as well as rome) was actually one of the options i could choose on the homepage - but it always ended in an error message.

Originally Posted by churchy
Fantastic pictures! Thanks for posting
Thank you very much

Originally Posted by Purim
Truly impressive trip report. For those many of us unwilling to board Russian made planes to go anywhere...you can fly to Havana from London Gatwick on Virgin Atlantic.
Thank you very much

Originally Posted by bluegreentravel
Excellent report! thanks!
Originally Posted by DanielW
What an amazing trip, ARJ85! Bravo.

Hope your travel/life insurance covered flying an old communist jetliner too.
Thanks,
actually that plane is not that old - some Lufhansa 747 are older!
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Old Sep 23, 2014, 12:12 pm
  #35  
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Aguas Calientes to Cuzco

I arrived early enough back in Aguas Calientes to get something to eat bevore it was time to board my train back to Cuczo.

Actually not all the way to Cusco - but rather to Poroy a little town a few kilometers outside of Cuzco.

Like on the outbound journey i again booked the Vistadome train because it had the best timing.

As i was pretty tired by now i slept most of the trip - slept even through the meal service.

The trip took about two hours longer than planned, as the train broke down in the middle of the journey and it took some time to get the locomotive replaced.

When we arrived in Cuczo i was hoping to catch a Collectivo to get back to Cuzco - but had no luck. Most of the other passengers travelling on the train had arranged transportion back to Cuzco. Finally we found a taxi that would take us to Cuzco.
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Old Sep 23, 2014, 12:17 pm
  #36  
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CUZ-LIM with Avianca (C)

Early the next morning it was time to leave Peru for my next stop in Quito. As there are not many routes served directly from Cuzco i had to get to Lima first.

Thanks to our favourite south american frequent flyer programm i got a business class ticket for CUZ-LIM-UIO for a really good price.

Check-in at Cuzco opened about one hour before departure (actually i think the whole airport opened then - i was on the first flight out in the morning) and soon i was at the gate




This time i flew on an Embraer 190. Even on this small plane there were 8 comfortable business class seats (similar to the Airbus a few days earlier - but in 1-2 layout)




The overhead bins matched the seat layout - really big ones on the right side, rather small ones on the left.




There also was a TV and a USB-Port in the seat in front of me.




We got drinks while still on the ground - and even on this short flight some cold cuts as breakfast

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Old Sep 23, 2014, 1:15 pm
  #37  
 
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great TR. i have been wanting to get to Havana for some time. it is a rather easy flight from YYZ so i honestly dont know what is stopping me other than just time....

That whole lock thing is Paris is absurd. I do not see why they are not removed. It’s vandalism. No better than graffiti. Just plain stupid!! Why they tolerate it for as long as they have is totally beyond me.

[hmm...loooks like they finally got fed up - http://nolovelocks.com/blog/ ]
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Old Sep 23, 2014, 6:37 pm
  #38  
 
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Great trip report! Thanks for sharing this. I've been to Cuba twice, once on Cubana from Madrid. What I remember about the flight is that it was very delayed. From your photos though paying €50 more to fly in business would have been the way to go. Your pictures of Havana bring back lots of fond memories of the place. I spent a few weeks in Cuba on the second trip and brought a bike, I made it as far as Camagüey and then by train and bus onto Sancti Spritius and Trinidad. I really liked the smaller provincial capitals, off of the tourist trail. Makes me want to get back to Cuba for another visit...
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Old Sep 23, 2014, 7:22 pm
  #39  
 
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Great pics and trip report!!! Would love to go to Cuba.
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Old Sep 25, 2014, 7:18 am
  #40  
 
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On the subject of the cars in Havana, did you manage to get any shots of the engine bays or ask anyone to pop their hood to obtain a shot? The car engines are usually not original but Soviet/Russian engines due to the lack of spare American parts. It's a mind-blower to see a Lada engine in a 1951 Cadillac.

Cuban mechanical ingenuity is one of those amazing stories in the world that you never really imagined until you find out about it.
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Old Sep 26, 2014, 11:30 am
  #41  
 
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Did you feel sick on arrival in Cuzco?
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Old Sep 26, 2014, 1:01 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by roastpuff

And that Star Peru stewardess... oh my!
I agree with roastpuff! Goodness.

Onto more important things: I visited Macchu Pichu in 2011. It is truly one of the world's special places.

At that time, there was talk of limiting access in the village at the top to designated paths, preventing you from wandering anywhere in the village. I take it that in all things Latin American, that this has not been finalized and you are still free to wander the village at will?

A terrific report. ^
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Old Sep 26, 2014, 1:22 pm
  #43  
 
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Thank you for a different trip report, it's not everyday you see Cubana and Havana, again as an American I really would love to be able to visit one day. Excellent report and wonderful pictures.
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Old Sep 28, 2014, 3:29 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by ARJ85
I guess all of J J Abrams vacation pictures would look like this:

Hahaha!

Though I think he would find a way to make the lens flare blue instead of yellow.
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Old Sep 28, 2014, 4:15 pm
  #45  
 
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Beautiful pictures and very thorough trip report.
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