Our 5 day whirlwind trip to Machu Picchu and the Panama Canal. Thanks for the memories Alyssa, Mikey, and Patrick!

1. Peru & Panama 2017
DATES OF TRAVEL: 06/29/17 – 07/04/17

2. 5-day Itinerary
Destination: Machu Picchu, Peru
Day 1 – 1am flight @ LAX – 7pm land in Cusco, Peru
Day 2 – 6am train to Aguas Calientes – arrive 10am
Day 3 – 9am train to Ollantaytambo – arrive 11am
Day 4 – 8am bus to Cusco Airport – arrive 10am
12pm flight to Lima, Peru – arrive 1:30pm
Day 5 – 6:30am flight to Panama City – arrive 10:30am
6pm flight to LAX – arrive home @ 11:30pm

3. Wednesday Night – flight 1 of 6 in 5 days!
Back in February, Pat and I were enjoying at
9/80 Off-Friday and looking at our
schedule…
The July 4th week looked too good to not use
for another adventure ☺
So we started brainstorming destinations,
and flight prices…
By 11am we purchased roundtrip tickets to
Lima, Peru thru Chase Ultimate Rewards.
By noon, we assembled into a group of 4
amigos ready to go! We called ourselves the…
C.A.M.P crew = Conor, Alyssa, Mikey, Patrick
Alyssa
Mikey
Patrick
Conor

4. If this crew looks familiar…
3 of us were on the Broatia 2016 trip thru Greece and Croatia.
This trip we swapped an “A” for an “A”:
WAS: Andrew -> IS: Alyssa
Some would call it
an upgrade…

5. Redeyes aren’t bad if we got Lounges
Breakfast onboard our first
flight wasn’t bad… the quiche
was meh, yogurt and cold cuts
are always nice
We landed in Panama City, with a
1.5hr layover, but more than
enough to get a celebratory toast
and snacks in a lounge at the start
of our adventure!
Day 1

6. We finally arrived in Peru!
Day 1
We landed in Cusco Peru around 7PM, and were
surprised at how small the airport was. Only two
baggage carousels, but to our relief we were able to
order an Uber to take us to our hostel
Free Cocoa leaves were
all over the airport to
help with the elevation
~11,000 ft!
*We landed in Lima
Peru first, but I didn’t
take any photos so I
won’t talk about it

7. Made it to our first Hostel
Day 1
Our Uber driver was super friendly,
and very “bold” while driving at
night. The streets reminded me of
Venice, how tight and uncomfortable
the cobble stones made for driving.
He even went reverse up a steep grade
hill so we didn’t have to hike up it
after our flight!
We then agreed to hire him for
tomorrow’s early morning (5am)
drive to the train station. One less
thing to worry about!

8. Unpacked and time to Explore
Day 1
We definitely all agreed that Cusco is a great place to
ditch a stairmaster.
But I really enjoyed looking at the ornate/strategic
cobblestone arrangements. Reminiscent of old
Roman roads that I saw in Vesuvius

9. Birthday Dinner for Patrick
Day 1
Somehow Pat always gets lucky, and has a birthday
when we travel!
For his present, of course we got him Cuy (Koo-Ee,
aka Guinea Pig) for his Birthday feast.
The waiter later told us that Cuy was traditionally
ordered as part of celebrations, or special events.

10. Finally en route to Aguas Caliente!
Day 2
It should be noted for the record that
Night 1, was our only “civilized” night’s
rest.
For the rest of the trip, we’d soak up
every city and sight until 2am and then
were up by 6am ready to go (some took
copious naps to recover)
We got picked up by our driver around 5:15am,
for our 6:40am train since the station was about
10 miles away, and we were unsure about traffic.
The train onboard PeruRail takes 3.5hrs, and
has food & beverage service throughout –
picture Harry Potter trolleys

11. Choo-choo training
Day 2
The train ride was pleasant, and gave us a chance
to enjoy the sights of the Sacred Valley, and the
sounds of the Urubamba River. Stopping 3 times to
allow hikers to enter the Incan Trail.

12. Bond Villain Hotels
Day 2
One of the coolest stops along the way, was to
pause at a small town and gaze up at the Skylodge
Adventure Suites.
~$450USD per person/night, and you must climb
1,200ft of Via Ferrata or hike an across a trail
through ziplines which you’ll take down the
Mountain.
The Skylodge can hold up to 12 people, 4 per Pod,
with 1 Pod for cooking and eating.

13. Mount Veronica
Day 2
The train has a PA system that calls
out local points of interest, one of
which was Veronica, a 5,893 m
(19,334 ft) mountain in the
Urubamba mountain range in the
Andes

14. Our type of Train service
Day 2
There was never a shortage of
Cusquena cerveza, I prefer the
Dorada (Golden Lager), but Mikey
liked the Negra (Amber) flavor

15. We made it to Aguas Caliente
Day 2
We arrived shortly before 10am, and were
surprised at how long the Bus to Machu
Picchu line was.
Luckily, we quickly got on wifi and found
our Hostel to drop off our bags and head
up to the ruins!

16. Aguas Caliente has a ton of tourist things…
Day 2
Like an open air market, tons
of restaurants, and a bunch of
hostels/small hotels.
But it’s also home to about
1,600 people

17. You should definitely buy Bus tickets early!
Day 2
The bus will cost your $24USD when we went,
and they ONLY ACCEPT MASTERCARD or
cash.
That is one of the most frustrating things
about travelling, we encountered this on our
Broatia trip too, some countries seem to prefer
Mastercard and refuse Visa.
You also need to show your Passport.

18. Bus ride to the Entrance of Machu Picchu
Day 2
After going to the Parthenon in last fall, I
pictured an iconic entrance to this once
royal city above the clouds.
We actually found a rather busy bus
depot with a fancy hotel and a medium
sized restaurant for wary hikers.
We should also mention the New Rules that went into effect the day
AFTER we visited Machu Picchu…
Summary (not comprehensive):
• Two entrance times; 6.00am-12.00pm & 12.00pm till -5.30pm
• No re-entrance allowed (full day visit you need two tickets)
• First day entrance has to be accompanied by an official guide
• 3 Circuits to follow – not allowed to divert from the circuits
• Forbidden to enter with photographic tripods or any type of
camera stand/support
• It is prohibited to get naked, dress up, lie down, run and jump

19. Following the steps of Hiram Bingham
Day 2
Hiram Bingham, a Yale Professor on an expedition
to find the Inca capital in 1911.
He travelled along the Urubamba River, which
hikers and the train continue to follow. His team
found Machu Picchu, but due to the massive
vegetation, they did not appreciate the scale of the
site until the next year.
It should also be noted that Hiram Bingham has a mixed legacy in Peru. After
discovering Machu Picchu, his team began the excavation process and sent
artifacts back to Yale for study and preservation. Some of the last artifacts were
returned in 2010, 100 years after they were discovered.

20. As you curve along the path, you’ll see the railroad and river
Day 2

21. And next you know, you’re there…
Day 2

22. You can go down, or all the way up!?
Day 2

23. Day 2
We go all the way up!

24. After 36hrs of travel = Worth it!
Day 2

25. Continue up the mountain towards the Sun Gate
Day 2

26. That’s the Sun Gate
Day 2
The Sun Gate also called Intipunku was once a
guardhouse that marked one of the principle
entrances to Machu Picchu. It is located at
2,720 meters (8,924 feet) above sea level above
the Urban Sector of Machu Picchu.

27. Mikey was the first to the top…
Day 2

28. Look down from the Sun Gate
Day 2
That’s Machu Picchu!

29. Our jumping game was not “strong” after this hike
Day 2

30. So then we headed back down for those iconic photos
Day 2

31. Day 2

32. You wouldn’t guess it, but…
Day 2
Even with all of these tourists,
Machu Picchu is still an active
archaeological site with constant
maintenance being done

33. It’s really hard to give this place a sense of scale
Day 2

34. We also took a TON of photos with Llamas ☺
Day 2

35. Llamas…
Day 2

36. Amazing Incan masonry
Day 2

37. Back in town we ate and shopped until we dropped
Day 2
Pollo Saltado and Chicken Soup
w/ Pisco Sours & wine

38. And after dinner we joined a town party
Day 2
We shared a lot of wine, laughs, and sing-
alongs…
Our Hostel was locked when we left the
party, so a neighbor helped us “break-in.”

39. We were the Kings and Queen of Machu Picchu for a day
Day 3

40. Off to Ollantaytambo!
Day 3

41. Peddlers and make-shift rickshaw cabs
Day 3

42. Ollantaytambo had an otherworldly feel
Day 3
The town is nestled in between mountains
with ruins built onto the steppe. It feels
like going back in time as you walk on the
stone pavers.

43. Our hostel is called “Casa de Wow”
Day 3

44. Snacks before we explore
Day 3

45. Ollantaytambo ruins were pricey, and short on time
Day 3
About $40USD to hike up the
ruins… we hard passed, and
went shopping instead, lol

46. Beautiful textiles are everywhere, so don’t forget to haggle ☺
Day 3
My Alpaca poncho was originally
~$60USD, but after 10 minutes of
talking, I got it down to $20 USD!
The marketplace was like any
tourist squeeze, similar designs at
every booth and quality varies

47. One of my favorite memories…
Day 3
Alyssa wanted a better view, so
Patrick tried to move the “open”
sign – but in the process, it broken
into many pieces.
That caused Pat to low-key panic…
hahaha!

48. As usual, we left happier than we entered
Day 3

49. Can’t get enough of the sights and sounds
Day 3

50. Dinner in Ollantaytambo
Day 3
Pretty typical meal – no one wanted
to order a “real” meal… and then
someone orders pizza, and in less
than 60 seconds it’s all gone!

51. We must go back to Ollantaytambo
Day 3
Here’s Alyssa making our entry
in the Casa de Wow guest log

52. Catch you later Casa de Wow!
Day 4

53. How we usually take photos #squadgoals
Day 4

54. Puppies and taxicabs
Day 4
Day 4 started bittersweet…
It was 2.5hr cab ride from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.
And we could feel the trip coming to an end, just 1
more major stop: Panama Canal

55. Long cab rides let us get in a few cat naps
Day 4

56. Cusco was the Incan empire’s capitol
Day 4
The drive through Cusco was a mix of modern and
historic buildings, with little central planning –
everything was thrown together

57. The signs as you approach the airport
Day 4

58. We finally arrived at Lima Peru, and found the WiFi!
Day 4

59. Electric showers… we didn’t die
Day 4

60. Lima definitely reminded me of Newark, NJ
Day 4
We ate at Don Jose!

61. Buses are cool, but custom motorcycles are better!
Day 4
We watched this guy try to sell chocolate
bars to every bus that stopped at the light.
He’d literally get on the bus, end they’d
kick him off when the light turned green.
Gotta respect the hustle.

62. The hostel in Lima was pretty lit – killer happy hour!
Day 4

63. Best taquitos and guac in my life!
Day 4

64. Long Layover in Panama!
Day 5
We landed at Panama
City’s airport and had a
little less than 8hr
layover, so we wanted
to explore 1 last city!
Inside the airport was
clean, and modern;
outside was under
major construction
We hired a private car to take
us on a tour of the Panama
Canal, and Old Panama City
for $100.
Before the trip, online
companies were advertising
tours for $75-100 per person
Leaving the airport, you’re
driving on a 2-lane highway
thru the jungle!

65. Passing thru downtown Panama City!
Day 5
Traffic was very congested, and turn
indicators were optional.
The buildings reminded me of Las Vegas,
and the avant-garde/haphazard designs

66. Panama Canal’s – Miraflores Lock center
Day 5
The visitor center is 5 stories
tall: features a viewing deck,
and a walking museum. Well
worth the $15 admission.
Try to time your visit with
when boats will be transiting
through the Lock!

67. ***Canal Context***
Day 5
Google Earth
Wikipedia:
The Panama Canal is an artificial 48-mile (77 km)
waterway. France began work on the canal in 1881 but
stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker
mortality rate. The United States took over the project in
1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914.
Colombia, France, and later the United States controlled
the territory surrounding the canal during construction.
The U.S. continued to control the canal, in 1977 Jimmy
Carter and Omar Torrijos signed a treaty to transition
control. The treaty led to Panamanian control on
December 31, 1999.

68. In between two Great Oceans
Day 5
Pacific
(South) facing
Atlantic
(North) facing
We literally jogged up the
escalators to see the last ship
for the morning transit –
super lucky!

69. Last flight… finally!
Day 5
As we walked out of the Miraflores center it was
raining hard, coupled with none of us eating food that
day, we decided to head about to the airport.
We spent about 3hours in the COPA Lounge, and
binged on WiFi, finger foods, and the open bar…
hehehe ☺

70. Glad to be back in the U.S. of A!
Day 6
We got home around 1:30AM
due to a McDonald’s flash
mob, and by 7AM we were in
Hermosa celebrating the
Fourth of July!