Peru trip and pics

[SandiF]

Re: Peru trip and pics

I left central Lima close to dark. Took a taxi back to Miraflores, hang around the ocean view for couple more hours then head back to the motel. I was ready for Monday's bus ride.

I was at the bus terminal an hour ahead of time and the bus was on schedule. Nice big double decker style bus. The bus when it left San Isidro station was partially filled but after 2 hours of driving, the next stop it got filled up. The seat next to me became occupied. I was ready for the journey and hoped to have a good night sleep. The view for the first 3 hours was not much worth seeing... dusty streets with much traffic. So I settled back and watched a good movie. Eventually, I started seeing some good views of the ice covered Andes mountains. Beautiful!

The mountain views were something else to see.

[SandiF]

Re: Peru trip and pics

By the time it got dark, we were served a hot meal on the bus, which tasted very good. I could tell that the bus was climbing and going up winding mountain passes. I could also see that one passenger was ill. A woman and her teenage children had to be constantly fanning her. Some time during the night, I felt like my lungs were not taking in enough oxygen. It was a tight feeling in my chest and very discomforting. Things took a turn for the worse... not only was I struggling to breathe, I also got a massive headache, which felt like a migraine. My senses became overwhelmed, especially my sense of scent. I was picking up every single disgusting odour on the bus, especially that of the woman who got ill. Then things became very much worse for me... stomach pain, nausea. For sure I came down with more than a mild case of altitude sickness. I was in agony and had to jump over the guy sitting next to me, before I brought every thing up over him and myself!!

The rest of the night I spent moaning and groaning with my face pressed against the cold pane. I could not breathe. My head was exploding and my stomach, even though emptied of its contents, was giving me a warm time. I was in cold sweat and burning up. Never in my entire life did I felt so ill. It was so bad that I asked the guy beside me if it was okay that I rest my head on his shoulder. He said "okay". I was so grateful. Something about the need to have an human touch... a warm body to rest my head on was what I needed. I dozed out but only for a short while. Another wave of nausea sent me rushing to the bathroom. The countdown for daylight was most agonising. At that point, I really started questioning the wiseness of making this trip.

[SandiF]

Re: Peru trip and pics

I made it through the night and watched the sun rise. I was also feeling a bit better and at that point, I fell asleep.



majestic ice capped peak


tomorrow I shall continue...

[BND1999]

Re: Peru trip and pics

((sandi)) i feel for you being so sick on that bus alone.....

i have heard many many times that people get violently ill from the altitude.. nasuea. vomiting headaches.. exactly as you experienced it...

it has also been on my radar like magic.. but many photographers i have spoken to spent a week holed up in a hotel because of the disorientation. no energy to even shoot.. so i have put it on my list... but not on the top.. because i have back and foot issues that already inhibit me...

i am sure it was worth it in retrospect.. as cuzco and the villages around there.. and machu pichu are so phenomenal..

the one thing i didnt understand.. because your such a seasoned traveller.. how is it you didnt know to book to get to cuzco way ahead of time.. and take the plane... rather than an aganozing 22 hour bus ride even if you were well? i dont really love the twists and turns in buses.. scarey for me... central and south america known for them..

i look forward to more of your adventure.. i admire you tenacity.. you have my same wonderlust

[MsExced]

Re: Peru trip and pics

Oh Sandi so sorry you got ill The pictures are lovely.

[mountaingal]

Re: Peru trip and pics

sandi, from the way you seh you was eating food from the vendors i wondered when you were going to start upchucking, lol. it usually tek me a couple day for my system to get acclimatized to food mi not used to.

then again, i've never experienced altitude sickness, so your situation could have absoluteley nothing to do with the food per se. glad you got better soon, enough, and that the gallant passenger agreed to give you a shoulder to rest on.

love these trip reports of yours, i get a vicarious thrill out of them.

[CeaBee]

Re: Peru trip and pics

nice pics sandi...i sometimes get nauseous just driving from Kingston to Ochi

so i cant even imagine how u must how felt. (well maybe a little bit)

[Bandana]

Re: Peru trip and pics

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SandiF</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I made it through the night and watched the sun rise. I was also feeling a bit better and at that point, I fell asleep.



majestic ice capped peak


tomorrow I shall continue... </div></div>


omg!


Sandi


Such agony for such beautiful pictures

[R00TS]

Re: Peru trip and pics

Very interesting place, glad your sharing did you eat any coco leaf?

[Kimberley24]

Re: Peru trip and pics

Were you sick from the food you had while in the park or it could be the change of atmosphere in the mountains? Last December i was in Lima for a week. We were told not to eat directly from the markets; i thought they were just been a bit much and don't drink pipe water. We stayed in San Isidro, visit Miaflores a couple of days and some other areas. Being majority catholic i was suprised at seeing so much affection shown but i think it's because of the area. Probably not the same outsie of Lima. It's a really beautiful country i hope to return to visit outside of Lima.

[SistahD]

Re: Peru trip and pics

Lovely start to a great adventure,(except for the sickness) love the mountains!

[SandiF]

Re: Peru trip and pics

Sorry folks, mi come down with another case of the cold...sinusitis..flu like problem and crashed out yesterday. Coming with more on the trip report...

BND.. that was actually how I had planned it.. not to book ahead but wait until I get there then deal with things as it approaches. A bit risky I know! A learned a few things though... if not wanting to spend time in Lima, book a flight from Lima to Cuzco or wherever you want to go. Seeing Machu Picchu in the early morning is worth it more than in late morning. Spend the night in the town below Machu Picchu, then do the 25mins bus ride up the mountain to view the stunning sunrise amongst the ancient ruins.

Mountaingal, my belly usually can handle any kind of food. But the altitude really caught me and with my belly full of all kind of spicy and sweet stuff. LOL!

Kimberley, yeah, I was told not to drink the water, which I did not. The food, oh my, I could not resist. Got to give it to the Peruvians for their tasty meals.

[H_O]

Re: Peru trip and pics

AWESOME!!!!!!! did you go to Michu Pichu?

[ReggaeGirl2000]

Re: Peru trip and pics

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SandiF</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Every now and then we get an overwhelming feeling to go away, be alone for a while... Go some place that is new to us... No friends, no family, different people, different language. I needed a break and that was how I was feeling to be away... gone for a while and think some things over, alone. I thought of different places to go... Ghana, Peru, Egypt. Peru was the one place that kept coming back to me... thoughts of seeing Machu Picchu and being a back-pack traveller, bumming it and figuring &quot;what next&quot;, once I was there.

My family thought it was crazy. My husband could not ... did not understand the &quot;why&quot; of doing such a trip. I was the only person that knew <span style="font-style: italic">why</span> and it was hard explaining it and the bigger picture, I did *not* want to explain. I did not let my family (parents, sisters) know I was going until the day before leaving. What the heck, they all kept acting like I'm some pickney and I have done enough travelling to know what to do and taking care of myself in a foreign country. Anyway, so ticket was bought, an Insider's Guide to Peru traveller's book, laminated map and I was all set to go. Truthfully, I was nervous about being alone in a foreign country, even though I kept saying &quot;I want to be alone for a while.&quot;

mi soon come with more... feeling tired and yeah, gotta get these pics up. </div></div>

SandiF, we are kindred spirits and seem to like the same things! I would never call it crazy, in fact GOOD FOR YOU!!! Thanks for posting, really enjoyed it

RG

[Gen]

Re: Peru trip and pics

nice report Sandi mi miggle name is wanderlust. I used to juss pick up and go anywhere too but not since mi have pickney. hopefully now that she is older mi can start again

I don't think I would be able to do the bus though up any winding roads.

nice pictures.