Gallavanting around PeruIt is my last day in Peru--is it possible? Yet the time did not seem to pass overly quickly. Each moment was full, complete, beautiful. I feel the fullness of the experience, mulling it over as I eat breakfast, thinking how much I've enjoyed exploring this country, how much I've fallen in love with it.
This morning I will take a city tour of Lima, and I am hoping that the tour makes me appreciate the city a little--it is even harder to be here in the smog and fog after the crisp clean air of the mountains. We visit a couple of the main plazas, some historic churches, and even stop to tour the catacombs (which is definitely my favorite part of the tour!). We end by visiting a park right on the coast, and I stand on the hill and look out over the blue-grey expanse of ocean, smelling the salty freshness on the wind. Perhaps Lima isn't so bad, after all.
Milagros Polo, our Peru coordinator, is waiting at the Hotel Carmel when I return. It is so good to finally meet her! I have spent plenty of time emailing her and IMing her, so to meet her in person is a pleasure. She is beautiful and petite, and her clothing is very chic. We go out to lunch at a delightful upscale restaurant downtown, and eat . . . and eat . . . and eat. Big pisco sours, chicha morada, ceviche (mmm!), appetizers, dessert. 'I have never met another woman who eats as much as I do!' Milagros tells me in delight. We talk nonstop about work, relationships, men, and once again I am struck by how we are all so alike, no matter the culture we come from or the language we speak.
As evening falls, Milagros takes me to her lovely home and office to meet Pamela (Milagros' primary staff person in the office), and her adorable son, Bruno. We then go out to Miraflores to stroll around, visit a market area or two, and eat a sumptuous dessert. It is a lovely way to end my time in Peru. We return to Milagros's house, where Boris is waiting to take me to the airport one last time. I am glad to arrive 3 hours early--the lines are long and I need all the time I can get!
On the red-eye flight back to the U.S., I press my face to the window to watch the stars shining down. I gaze at the Cruz del Sur and the Ojos de la Llama for as long as I can, until finally they slip over the southern horizon. 'Come back,' they whisper. I know that someday I will return, and I know too that they will be waiting.
We've used Adventure Life for several trips in the past and have always been very pleased with them. The staff is personable and professional at the same time. Erin put this trip together for us in just a few days, and it has everything we were looking for! I recommend them without hesitation.
benn
1 month ago
I served as the person responsible for planning a trip to Galapagos and Machu Picchu for a group of 14 people. Jane with Adventure Life was very helpful throughout the process. Making suggestions, offering insight, and in the end helped me overhaul an initial plan into something even better. Also, Jane makes all the plans including the flights within and between Peru and Ecuador. Thanks to her this is going to be a stress-free adventure. After making the final decision about the trip, Jane gathered the contact information for all the travelers and sent out the details to each traveler individually with links to pay deposits, upload passport info, and personal preferences. She also ensured a group email was sent out to the entire group welcoming us to the trip preparation process. Our trip is a year from now and we are excited to make this once in a life time trek. I am happy to have organized things through Adventure Life. However, two small issues came up that were a little off putting. First, Adventure Life adds $50 per person to the cost for each traveler as a donation to a Galapagos conservation fund. I think this should he offered as something that can be added at each traveler’s discretion. Instead, it is automatically added, and each person must ask to have it removed if they do not want it included. Second, although the trip deposit may be paid with a credit card without incurring an additional fee, the balance must be paid in another way to avoid a 3% credit card fee. Maybe this is standard with all travel agencies. In the end I would definitely go through Adventure Life for the next big trip.
Brenda Nielsen
2 months ago
I think it was very helpful that Franny and I spoke on the phone. I think she had a better idea of what we were looking for, and she planned a great itinerary for us!
Elizabeth
3 months ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
3 months ago
Easy.
Great work on the follow up and details by Waru.