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South America: Ep 18 - Bogota City Tour

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Today I would be making my way home via a connecting flight to Bogota, Colombia. I was picked up early from the hotel at 4:30am and transferred to Lima Airport. I cleared security and passport control very quickly and bought some breakfast to pass the time. The flight boarded on time and I was on my way to Bogota, Colombia. The flight was just under 3 hours and one meal was included. I was also impressed with the leg room on the flight as the time soon passed. Upon landing I cleared security and met up with a local Bogota guide to start a 6 hour layover city tour. Landing at Bogota Airport in Colombia. We first visited Monserrate taking the funicular up the mountain, bypassing the queue with a priority pass. I looked down at the city from besides the Basilica admiring the view. We would then go back down to start to walk the city centre. I was guided around the city and the local guide explained in detail what I was looking at. Monserrate Basilica. We then t...
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South America: Ep 17 - Ballestas Islands

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Today was a free day in Lima for some people, but for others it was an optional excursion to see the Ballestas Islands and the Nazca lines. I was joining the day tour which was a very early 3:15am start, with a breakfast box provided by the hotel. Boat tour to the Ballestas Islands. It would take us around 3.5 hours to reach our destination, where we would take a boat to Ballestas Islands at 8am. This was an amazing experience to see some sea lions, penguins and various different kind of birds. Sea Lions. After making our way back to land in the boat it was time for our flight so see the Nazca Lines. The total flight time was around 1 hour and 40 minutes and we had a very basic security check before boarding the 12 seater plane. We saw some of the amazing etched lines from the sky as the skilled pilot banked left and right. Once landing back at the airport it was time to get a very late lunch before the long drive back to Lima. A Spider etched into the gro...
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South America: Ep 16 - Lima City Tour

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It was another early start with breakfast at 5am and leaving the hotel at 5:45am. We transferred to the airport in 3 different shuttle buses and dropped our bags off as soon as we arrived. Clearing security was quick as the airport was small and we boarded the plane around 7:45am departing on time 30 minutes later. Leaving Cusco Airport. Once we arrived in Lima, Peru we boarded a new coach with a new guide and drove into the city. We would have a brief driving tour and then a walking tour of the main square, before making our way to the hotel in the Miraflores area. We then checked-in and would have around 4 hours free time before meeting in the lobby for our final included dinner as a group. I chose to briefly walk down to the beach area to take some photos, before retreating to my room for the afternoon. Walking around Plaza De Armas De Lima. The evening dinner was a great 3 course meal at a restaurant just 10 minutes from the hotel. The sunset view over the...
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South America: Ep 15 - Cusco, Peru

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Today's departure was at 8am so we could wake up at a reasonable hour for breakfast. We would then begin the drive towards Cusco, Peru. Our first stop of the morning on the way was 90 minutes to Saqsaywaman citadel. This was the historic capital of the Inca Empire and from here we could get a good wide shot of the city.   View of Cusco, Peru.   We would then drive into the main city of Cusco for a tour. The walking tour of the city would last around 75 minutes and finished nearby to the hotel. We would go inside the Cusco Cathedral which is located on the Plaza de Armas The afternoon was free time for everybody to do whatever they wanted. Cusco Cathedral. I decided to take a rest and just grab some food in the evening for dinner. There was an evening optional for a dance show and included dinner which some people attended but not everybody. A video of this day can be found below:
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South America: Ep 14 - Machu Picchu

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Today was a very early start with breakfast at 5am. This was because we were meeting in the lobby just after 6am for the day trip to Machu Picchu. We transferred by coach to where we were yesterday to board the train in Ollantaytambo. The majority of the group were in the same train carriage and the total journey time was 90 minutes. Windows all around the train carriage. Upon arriving at Machu Picchu train station it was a 20 minute shuttle bus up the hill before entering the site. We would spend just under 3 hours inside and the clouds would come and go, bringing some light rain with them at times. Machu Picchu. We then got the shuttle bus back down the hill and went for an included buffet lunch. The selection of food was good and very filling. It was then time to make the 90 minute train journey again back towards the hotel. Dinner was not included tonight, but after a big lunch I only needed something light before bed. A video of this day can be found be...
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South America: Ep 13 - Ollantaytambo

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This morning we had a good lie in because we were not due to leave until 9am. So I made the most of this and went to breakfast at 7:45am. We split into 2 minibuses as we were such a big group and we set off to explore Peru's Sacred Valley further. We had some photo stops in the morning, one was to feed some llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. Another was to visit Chinchero Archaeological Complex. After the mornings activities we had another included buffet lunch. Feeding the animals in the local villages. In the afternoon we visited Ollantaytambo Ruins. Most of the group considered this to be a Machu Picchu warm-up for tomorrow. Some of the group walked to the top of the ruins to get a great view back down. This was the last stop of the day and at 5pm we started to make our way to the hotel. The view from Ollantaytambo ruins. Dinner was not included tonight so I grabbed something quick ready for an early start tomorrow. A video of this day can be found below: ...
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South America: Ep 12 - Sacred Valley

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Breakfast this morning was very early at 6am, before we were told to meet in the lobby at 7am. We would be making a long drive to Peru's Sacred Valley today with several scheduled stops along the way to break up the drive. Our first stop was in the city of Pucara where we had a brief walk around the museum and took some photos with llamas and an alpaca. We spent around 1 hour here before continuing on to our next stop. Animals at Pucara museum. We would drive to another roadside stop to use the toilets and check a few souvenir stalls. A couple of people bought some items to support the locals. Next up was the buffet lunch stop and was honestly my favourite meal of the tour. The selection of food was fantastic and really filling. In the afternoon we stopped at Raqchi Archaeological Site and finally at Andahuaylillas church on the long drive towards our 3 night stay in the Sacred Valley. Raqchi Archaeological Site. With a bit of rain in the air we finally a...
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