Guest travelerjim Posted April 21, 2012 Posted April 21, 2012 IAD -WashDC to LIM Lima Peru $355 total rt... For those who have wanted to fly to Peru...low $355 roundtrip total is now available from IAD -WashDC to LIM Lima, Peru...on AM..Mexicana Airlines, a Skyteam partner. (this low airfare is P Class fare and earns 75% of MQM and miles on Delta, FYI). Many dates available...I looked at November - early December (ends 15th) dates and found them. IF you want to stopover for a few days or week ??? on the way back from Lima in MEX - Mexico City..only $409 total...(just added taxes..no added base fare). Here is the discussion on flyertalk.com http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-deals/1337677-am-iad-mex-lim-355-ai-rt.html I used Kayak and Orbitz to find the available dates... use the 3 days +/- search...and click on any combo of dates, as the AM fares are not always showing on the search engine... but they are there! Machu Picchu... posters have suggested seeing this historic site when in Peru...and use British Air AVIOS or American Air miles to fly from Lima to Cusco... http://www.machupicchu.com/peru/tour-guide/machu-picchu-facts tj Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 Machu Picchu... posters have suggested seeing this historic site when in Peru. Machu Picchu is amazing! I spent a month travelling around several countries in South America in Oct/Nov 2010. Of all the fascinating places to visit and the stunning scenery - the Iguazu Falls between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are staggering, the Perito Moreno Glacier is jaw-dropping, and the Torres del Paine National Park in the far south of Chile is unbelievably beautiful - it was the centre of the Inca Empire, Cusco, and the trip to Machu Picchu that made me want to return to spend much more time exploring the valleys in that part of Peru. Incidentally, if you are flush after saving money on the airfare, splash out and take the Hiram Bingham train from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Its cars are from the original Asian Orient Express, it has a bar car, observation deck and great gourmet meals. It also is the last train to depart from Machu Picchu so when the weather is good you get great photos (sadly, when I was there it was very cloudy). But there are also two much cheaper trains. DId you know that the city flag for Cusco is the rainbow flag? And that it has about 120 members on gayromeo? That's how I found cute Ernesto Getting to Lima from Thailand is so expensive. But if I happen to be going to the US anyway, I'd jump at that Mexicana fare. Quote
TotallyOz Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 FH, is there anyplace you haven't been? I mean really. Is there a place that you want to go but haven't had the chance? You seem to have traveled the world over and gone on many adventures. It is really very impressive. Where have you not been you wish to go? For me, this place is one of them but Mount Kilimanjaro is another. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 As I have said before, I have been incredibly lucky in my life. My choice of career and my decision - not easily taken - to move to Asia back in 1979 have meant I have had to do a great deal of travelling as part of my various jobs. That has made many side trips possible at a fraction of the real cost. For example, years ago I took a short break en route from work in Tokyo and New York to go up to Glacier Bay in Alaska. Breathtaking! South America was plain holiday - but paid for in large part by all the travelling I did for work. 13 of my 15 air tickets were 'paid for' by miles! The only country in Africa I have been to is Morocco - Marrakech and Agadir. Strangely, perhaps, there is no other part of that continent I wish to see. I guess there are three places I very much want to visit - Tibet, Petra in Jordan, and one place I am unlikely to get near - the Karakoram mountains on the border between Pakistan, India and China. Visually, they are staggering, but I'm told they are best viewed from the Pakistan side, and that is virtually no-go tribal territory. How about you? You travel a lot. What are your three most desired destinations? Quote
TotallyOz Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 Mount Kilimanjaro has been at the top of my list for years as has the pyramids of Egypt. Lastly, I have a great desire to visit the Shaolin temple in China. I see most of those not happening in the next few years but I am 45 and I have some time, I hope! However, my biggest dream (yes dream and not reality yet) is to take a Tuk Tuk from Thailand and travel to each of the three places above plus about 100 more with the BF. I want to show him the world but either in a Tuk Tuk or on a motorbike. He prefers the motorbike. I like the Tuk Tuk so we are still in negotiations. Perhaps his birthday gift this year will pull him over to my side? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted April 23, 2012 Posted April 23, 2012 There was a fascinating TV series not so long featuring the actor Ewan McGregor biking his way all the way south from Scotland right down through the entire African continent to Cape Town with one of his mates. If you haven't seen it, you might try to find it on DVD to get some tips. Incidentally, currently UBC Channel 22 - BBC Knowledge - is showing another documentary, this time with Billy Connolly on a 10-week odyssey from Nova Scotia through the north west passage and over to Vancouver Island. Apart from some magnificent scenery, Connolly is a bundle of laughs, and it's a joy to see his interaction with the people he meets. This guy just loves life! Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted April 23, 2012 Posted April 23, 2012 I am 45 and I have some time, I hope! Perhaps I have been luckiest in being able to see so much of this planet of ours before I get to retirement. I happened to be at a University class reunion some years ago when everyone said how envious they were that I had been to so many different places. Apart from the occasional long-week-ends and annual vacations, they all had great plans to travel far and wide - but only after retirement! Since then, one sadly has died, another has cancer, and the desire to travel to faraway places in several others has diminished to zero. I fully realise that many people are saving like crazy to be able to retire to a place like Thailand. But for those who have the opportunity to travel at a younger age, my advice is - grab it! Make it happen! See every natural wonder, every great city, every amazing cathedral and mosque, every museum and gallery - and savour it. Don't leave it till it's too late and you have to settle down somewhere on a fixed income. Quote
Guest travelerjim Posted April 23, 2012 Posted April 23, 2012 fh... That matches my philosophy of life: "Get Out & Smell the Roses, While You Can!" tj Quote
Guest travelerjim Posted April 25, 2012 Posted April 25, 2012 The $355 fare is gone...Now it is $510. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted April 25, 2012 Posted April 25, 2012 my advice is - grab it! . . . Don't leave it till it's too late. It wasn't quite what I meant, but same result in the end! Quote
Guest Posted April 25, 2012 Posted April 25, 2012 Obviously I'm still envious of Fountainhall who made the decision to move to Asia decades ago. As for me, well I have travelled a lot in Europe, but hadn't even been to Asia until the need to go there on business arose a few years ago. That changed my outlook. I'm hoping to be off my fixed income before my 50th birthday, to free up some time for slow travel. As for interesting travel programmes, the BBC has just started "Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve" on Sunday evenings. He started off in South Africa & will no doubt work is way around the edge of the Indian Ocean. Finally on the original topic, once US residents have taken the low cost air fare to Peru, what's the gay scene like? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted April 26, 2012 Posted April 26, 2012 I had 4 nights in Lima and 3 in Cusco. 2 of my nights in Lima were ruled out as I arrived very late on the first and then had a very early flight after the last. I was staying in Miraflores which is quite far from the city centre - and Lima's a hard city to get around as there is no subway and the traffic is dreadful. So I just decided to abandon entertainment and enjoy nice dinners instead. I saw from various sites that Miraflores itself has around six gay vars and discos. And being a trendy area, I imagine they would be quite active. Cusco was quite cruisy, I thought. Because of the altitude, you have to take life very quietly for the first half day at least. With Lima at sea level, the short 45 minute flight drops you in Cusco at an altitude of almost 3,500 meters. If you are not careful, you'll start to suffer from altitude sickness. So heavy sexual exercise on the first night is definitely not advisable. I met my friend on gayromeo. He worked in a western style pub, one of a few in the centre of the city. None seemed especially cruisy, but as Cusco is a university city and lots of students come from towns far from the city, I was told several are gay friendly. Quote
fedssocr Posted April 28, 2012 Posted April 28, 2012 I definitely agree with going out and seeing things while you can. By the time I am ready to retire who knows how mobile I will be. My arthritic knee is already a bit of a problem at 44! My job is one that has a lot of autonomy which allows me 5 weeks of vacation time each year (plus government holidays which equal another couple of weeks). The last several years I have spent at least 3 weeks in SE Asia...last year it was 5 weeks. But I figure since I am going halfway around the world I need to make it worthwhile. Those first and business class award seats sure help out though too. My friends get jealous too. Quote
