Cusco to Lima ( just)
Never fly star Peru! That I made it to Lima at all, let alone with all my body parts intact after a furious baying crowd tried to dismember me for my flight ticket, is a minor miracle.
Turns out the reason this flight was the cheapest is because a) this company has the oldest planes known to man and b) most of them don't go! 75% of the scheduled flights are cancelled as the planes aren't equipped with modern technology to deal with altitude issues such as , well, cloud...
Fortunately I knew nothing of this when I arrived at Cusco airport at 9 am on 27th for my 11 am flight. Then to my horror as I entered the terminal all I could see was a sea of shouting, angry crowds, pushing, shoving, screaming....
Fragile after the bus crash, I simply burst into tears. At which point a security guard and two smashing Canadian chaps took me under their wing. Fighting a path through the chaos they got me to a check in desk where, to my amazement, I found out my flight was actually due to depart, albeit two hours late.
Checking in was a nightmare. One hyserical woman tried to rugby tackle me to the ground to get me to give up my seat, she said she'd been trying to get to Lima for three days, I was surrounded by sob stories, another woman in a wheelchair rammed my ankles... but i'm tougher than I look. An armed guard was summoned to protect me and he escorted me, machine gun at the ready, into the departure lounge.
This resembled a scene from hell as every flight was obviously late, this being Peru. My Canadian friends also made it through the gates, and kept me sane , joking and chatting, until incredibly the plane appeared, we boarded, and I arrived in Lima only two hours late.
One more surreal, bizarre experience to add into the mix.
I'm in downtown Lima for my final stop. Miraflores, with its cool sea breezes, ocean boardwalks and trendy bars, was the perfect introduction to Peru but I want to end by staying in the heart of the city.
I no longer feel like an idiot abroad, even if I look like one😀. The busy streets, manic markets, crazy traffic, seem normal now after weeks away. Two more days to explore, eat, and, of course, shopping.!
Turns out the reason this flight was the cheapest is because a) this company has the oldest planes known to man and b) most of them don't go! 75% of the scheduled flights are cancelled as the planes aren't equipped with modern technology to deal with altitude issues such as , well, cloud...
Fortunately I knew nothing of this when I arrived at Cusco airport at 9 am on 27th for my 11 am flight. Then to my horror as I entered the terminal all I could see was a sea of shouting, angry crowds, pushing, shoving, screaming....
Fragile after the bus crash, I simply burst into tears. At which point a security guard and two smashing Canadian chaps took me under their wing. Fighting a path through the chaos they got me to a check in desk where, to my amazement, I found out my flight was actually due to depart, albeit two hours late.
Checking in was a nightmare. One hyserical woman tried to rugby tackle me to the ground to get me to give up my seat, she said she'd been trying to get to Lima for three days, I was surrounded by sob stories, another woman in a wheelchair rammed my ankles... but i'm tougher than I look. An armed guard was summoned to protect me and he escorted me, machine gun at the ready, into the departure lounge.
This resembled a scene from hell as every flight was obviously late, this being Peru. My Canadian friends also made it through the gates, and kept me sane , joking and chatting, until incredibly the plane appeared, we boarded, and I arrived in Lima only two hours late.
One more surreal, bizarre experience to add into the mix.
I'm in downtown Lima for my final stop. Miraflores, with its cool sea breezes, ocean boardwalks and trendy bars, was the perfect introduction to Peru but I want to end by staying in the heart of the city.
I no longer feel like an idiot abroad, even if I look like one😀. The busy streets, manic markets, crazy traffic, seem normal now after weeks away. Two more days to explore, eat, and, of course, shopping.!
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