Today we take flight to Peru! We are quite excited as we both have been working and studying immensely, and desperately desire to go somewhere else in the world and forget ourselves. With a short drive and a bunch of puddle jumping between airports we made our way down to Peru. This actually saved us a nice sum of money, instead of taking a direct flight. Overall the first flight from LAX to Bogota, Columbia, was pretty uneventful. I kept myself busy with reading and watching in-flight movies, whereas Kelly (my wife and better-half traveling companion) listened to her music and slept. She could sleep through anything, including train wrecks, gunshots, and stampedes, whereas I wake up if someone sneezes in China. So, to say the least, I do not sleep very well while flying. The highlight of this flight was when everyone began to fall asleep from the coma-induced food the airlines served. At this time, only myself, and what appeared to be a dozen or so children on board, were the only ones to remain awake. Now free of their parent’s grasps, they began to meander up and down the aisles—surprisingly proportioned to their size—exploring as far as the confines of the plane would permit. Several times they would pass observing people as they slept, mouths gaped open and deep snores emanating throughout the plane, then they would move on to finish one of several laps they would accomplish before our landing. Their curious minds obviously absorbing the enjoyment of a new and alien environment.
Neither Kelly nor I speak Spanish. The few phrases and words I know is enough to get me fed, find a bathroom, and embarrass myself (which happens all too often). So this trip—deep into Latin America—shall be an interesting adventure and cultural exchange, as I will probably find myself using hand gestures and shadow puppetry to communicate. Also, I could not imagine myself taking such a trip without someone to share it with. As long as I’m with Kelly, it does not matter how lost we get in this world. I believe that it is good to have someone you can depend on, but more so it is the shared experiences you receive from traveling that make it all worthwhile.
After our arrival in Bogota, confusion for the first time set in. Columbia’s international airport must observe the concept of controlled chaos. If you have a layover at this airport, just expect to be shuttled by a bus from your plane, to your plane, and to exit terminals, only to reenter them again to board your plane. However disorganized this may appear to the Western mentality, it does somehow work, as we had no issues connecting to our next flight or problems with missing luggage. Just find your gate and follow the flow. Also, if you buy something at the airport on a credit card or bankcard, don’t worry if you get a receipt back saying you spent thousands of dollars. I bought a bottle of water that cost me $1,500, however this is in Columbian currency and is much, much less when converted to U.S. dollars.
We arrived in Lima around 1:30 a.m., and extremely tired, we went straight to the Ramada—fortunately right across the street from the airport—and promptly went to sleep before our morning flight to Cusco. Due to extreme Jetlag and surrounded by foreign voices I found myself in an interesting kind of delirium as I fell off into a deep slumber.
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.