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Machu Picchu and Galapagos

By : James Storey
Trip Begins September 24, 2008
Trip Ends October 9, 2008

Fantastic trip through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, then out the the Galapagos for a once in a lifetime journey.
See my photos : Machu Picchu and Galapagos

Want to go? Coral I: 10 Day Tour, Coral I: 7 Day Tour, Islands and Incas

I went to: Galapagos, Peru, Ecuador, Bartolome, Santa Cruz Island, Fernandina, Isabela, Santiago, North Seymour, Espanola, Floreana, Rabida, Black Turtle Cove
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September 24, 2008
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Lima

Lima, Peru

Arrived Lima late at night. A long day of traveling but all flights on time. We're getting picked up at 0630!

September 25, 2008
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Cusco, Peru

Cusco, Peru

Up bright and early! We arrive in Cusco late morning and are picked up by Teddy our guide. We're staying at the Del Prado Inn, right on the Main Square. We stretch our legs, have lunch on a porch overlooking the square and take a short siesta. Teddy picks us up later and we tour the cathedral, monastery and the old Inca palace grounds. We see a weaving exhibit, a pre-Columbian museum, and that evening take in a folk dance performance with half the high school kids in Cusco. What a riot!

September 26, 2008
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Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley, Peru

We leave Cusco with Teddy and our driver - just Robin and me. What service! Reach an elevation of 12000' while driving. We headed first to Pizac, seeing the ruins there then browsing through the market in town. Can certainly feel the altitude when walking through the ruins. We had a "picnic lunch" at a garden restaurant complete with Andean flute players. After lunch we drove out to Moray to see the large circular farms, then to Maras, still being used as a salt mine just like in Inca days. Saw people harvesting the salt and carrying the heavy bags while walking on very narrow paths to the office. We end the day in Ollantaytambo, spending time in the town square where they were having dancing and music for the children. Barney and Mickey Mouse were very popular! Tried alpaca for the first time for dinner.

September 27, 2008
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Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu Ruins, Peru

We start the day with a tour of the ruins at Ollantaytambo. This was originally twice the size of Machu Picchu and is the site of the only major Inca victory over the invading Spanish. We get a good look at how they probably moved the big stones.

We boarded the train mid-day for Machu Picchu. Someone had gotten us the two front seats on the train with a picture window view of our trip! We dropped off our bags and headed up to the ruins. The ride on the bus was amazing with all of the hairpin turns to get to Machu Picchu.

An amazing visit at MP. We are greeted at first by thunderstorms crashing through the valley, then are rewarded by a rainbow over the city! What a place. How could they build that all the way up the mountain like that? Alpacas live among the ruins and were enjoying their meal of grass. Beautiful mountains surround and we saw where the Inca trail leads into Machu Picchu.

September 28, 2008
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Agua Caliente to Cucso

Machu Picchu, Peru

A fairly quiet day. We wander through gardens and see loads of hummingbirds. There is a festival in town - they're selling guinea pigs, but we don't go for that for lunch. Later we take the train back to Ollantaytambo, then a car to Cusco. The train ride features a fashion show by two of the train employees who do a fantastic job modeling alpaca sweaters. Could even buy them if you wanted to!

September 29, 2008
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Cusco

Cusco, Peru

We spend the morning touring Sacsayhuaman, a large Inca fortress above Cusco. In the afternoon, we visit the Inca Museum and the Museo de Art Precolombino.

September 30, 2008
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Quito

Quito, Ecuador

Up early, we fly back to Lima, then to Quito. See many volcanoes in the city. We walk the town and find the Artisan Market. Back at Mansion del Angel, we have afternoon tea by the fireplace, and discover some other guests we had run into in the Lima airport and in Machu Picchu! We all go out for dinner, complete with wandering minstrels.

October 1, 2008
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Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

We start our Galapagos adventure flying from Quito to Baltra, then transferring to our ship, the Coral I. Great group of people - some Americans, a couple from France and a group from the UK - about 24 of us in total. We start off strong with a tour of Dragon Hill, seeing both marine and land iguanas and lots of Sally Lightfoot crabs. Lots of impressive cameras and lenses - rivals our trip to the Everglades in Florida.

October 2, 2008
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Rabida and Santiago

Rabida, Galapagos

We make our first wet landing on Rabida. Can't believe all the sea lions and the various birds. Pelicans, lava herons, hawks, blue footed boobies. Many with young in nests. We snorkle off the beach of red sand. Amazing.

After lunch we are on the black sands of Santiago. Again many iguanas, crabs and lizards. We swim with sea lions, turtles and even a penguin or two!

October 3, 2008
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Fernandina

Fernandina, Galapagos

Another world! Black lava flows with lava cactus. Flightless cormorants, penguins and a couple rays in the surf.

We head after lunch towards Darwin Lake, but snorkle along the rocky shore first. The animals and sea creatures are all over and you can swim right along with them. We reboarded the Coral 1; then took the Zodiac over to land and climbed the 130 steps up to the view of Darwin Lake. Along the way we see nesting cormorants, some going through the courtship offering of nesting material.

That evening onboard ship, we see a large pod of whales and some dolphins.

October 4, 2008
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Bartolome to Santa Cruz

Bartolome, Galapagos

Beautiful Island. Gold sand beach. First there is a 376 step climb up to the summit over a lava landscape that looks like the moon. At the top you are rewarded with a spectacular 360 degree view of rock formations, volcanic craters and the beach. A view most often photographed in the Galapagos.

Once back to the beach, we are rewarded with some of the best snorkeling. Then on the zodiac ride back to the ship, we get escorted by a pod of dolphins!

We sail during lunch to Santa Cruz and then have a zodiac ride through a mangrove swamp. LOTS of sharks, and turtles. Great views of diving pelicans and boobies.

We finish the day with an Ecuadorian BBQ and a crossing the equator party.

October 5, 2008
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Highlands and Puerto Ayora

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos

Changover day. While some of our new friends are transferring off the ship, a private tour of the Highlands is given to the couple from France and us. We go to a "ranch" where scores of giant tortoises are on their migration. They are everywhere - in the bushes, mud puddles and in the fields. The land tortoises certainly make a strange hissing sound when you get up close! Had fun playing table tennis with Franklin, one of our naturalists. We return to the boat, have lunch and them meet our new travelmates: residents of California and Arizona, a family from Italy, an extended family from Germany, Aussies, New Zealanders and several pairs of newlyweds (from Japan, Italy and New Jersey). We have a full complement of 32 onboard. We end the day at the Darwin research station.

October 6, 2008
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Espanola

Espanola, Galapagos

We start the day at Punta Suarez. Lots more blue-footed boobies - many mating and nesting. The highlight of the morning is the colony of Waved Albatrosses. We see them soaring , nesting, with chicks and doing their mating dances. Wonderful!

Later, we are at Gardner Bay, with a white sand beach. Lots more sea lions with pups. More snorkeling.

October 7, 2008
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Floreana

Floreana, Galapagos

Wet landing today on the beach at Punta Cormorant. We leave our diving gear on the sand and take a walk across the island. There is an inland lagoon with flamingos feeding and nesting. We get pictures of flying flamingos and up close views of adult and (white)immature birds. Across the lake are nesting pairs. Continuing on, we reach the opposite beach and see multiple rays in the surf.

Back on the first green sand beach, we don our snorkle gear and swim along the rocky coast. Lots of sea turtles, sea lions and a few white tip sharks.

In the afternoon, we have a choice of a swim or a zodiac ride along Champion Rocks. Robin spots a nearly extinct Charles Mockingbird. We finally stop at Post Office Bay and leave some cards, as well as pick up a few to deliver back home. The ships crews entertain us with a pickup game of futbol.

October 8, 2008
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North Seymour

North Seymour, Galapagos

The last stop, but a good one. A large colony of nesting frigate birds. Lots of males puffing up their red chests to show off. We also see quite a few boobies on eggs and get close up views of the "Booby dance" and get to hear the whistling and honking as they court.

Unfortunately, the trip must wind down, and at lunch time, we depart for Baltra, then to Quito before the trip back home.

October 9, 2008
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