Peru!

I just got back from spring break in Peru and it was amazing! I flew into Lima and then to Cusco. After 2 days of acclimating to the high altitude (it's around 10,000 feet there), we set off for our 4 day hike to Machu Picchu on early Tuesday morning.

This 4 day hike is known as the Inca Trail, and it's not an easy walk in the park. We trekked around 26 miles over the 4 days, which doesn't sound that bad, except for the fact that:
1) It's done at high altitude - from 10,000 to 14,000 feet
2) We go up and down - so a whole morning's upward hiking can be canceled by an afternoon going downhill, only to be repeated the next day.
3) The steps are uneven and very steep at times
4) Incas didn't seem to believe in switchbacks. For the most part on Day 2 we hike uphill for a straight 4-5 hours.

Fortunately, they recommend porters who took the tents, food, and out nighttime belongings for us. That dramatically lessened the load so that I only had to carry water, spare clothing, and snacks which was probably around 8 pounds or so. These porters are AMAZING. They carry so much weight and they zip and up and down the mountain. A lot of them are from poor farming towns, and this is their way of making more money - which is pretty sad because for 3 days of carrying work, we gave each porter a $15 tip which is supposedly considered on the high side. I was very humbled by the experience.

This was also my first time to go camping for 4 days. Yup that means no showers for 3 nights and VERY non-ideal bathroom conditions. Two of the nights, the bathrooms (ie squatties) were far away and I almost got lost trying to find them in the dark.

All in all the experience was awesome though. The Andes mountains are beautiful and grand - I couldn't believe some of the views we got. And Machu Picchu, well it is truly amazing. It's located in this beautiful spot between mountains and streams and it is VERY big.

Here are a few teaser pics and if you'd like to see more, you can go to my Picasa album.

Spring Break in Peru - Machu Picchu

Cali Calls

After all the recruiting hoopla, I now have settled on my summer plans. I'll be in the Bay Area working for a consulting firm. I'm excited because it will be a great opportunity and good experience, plus I get to enjoy great weather for a bit. Part of me wonders though if I should have done something risky, like not find an internship and try to do some type of social venture. Oh well, I don't have a great business idea right now so that might not be the smartest of moves at this point :) At least it's making me think of different field studies etc I can do next year.

In the meantime, anyone know of any good housing sunlets in the Bay Area? Something near Palo Alto would be awesome...

Why I Hate Delta Part II

After making it to the airport, I try to use the ticket they've given to be at the electronic kiosk. But surprise, it doesn't work. They point me to the long check-in line - I guess that's why I left at 7 am. While I'm in line I'm told I can't go standby because I'm not high enough in the frequent flyer program. We'll see about that I think to myself.

I finally get my chance in line, and I get my boarding pass for the San Antonio flight at 9:30 and a standby ticket for the 9:00 to Austin. I go to the Austin flight gate to see what my chances are. I'm #2 in the list which is great, but since the flights are delayed for weather there's more time for someone to claim their seat. I wait, and then good news finally comes! I made it onto the Austin flight. No ridiculous flight to San Antonio and then riding a bus into Austin! I'm so happy. Then the euphoria starts to wear off as they continually delay my flight. The flight crew is here they promise, but we don't see them. Finally we board the plane and then we wait in line again for our turn to get de-iced. I think we finally take off at 11:30 am.

I arrive in Austin and have a VERY quick visit (about 25 hours outside of the airport).

On the way back, I get to my gate and everyone is supposed to be on time. Then the announcement is made: my flight has been delayed. If your connecting flight is before 7:40, you should be fine they say. Hmm, my connection is right at 7:40. I wait in line to see if I have any other options. None. Then the flight gets delayed some more before we finally board. I find out that our flight was delayed because they had forgotten to refuel it when they were in Portland. That comment gives me a lot of confidence. My only hope is that my connection is also delayed.

I land in Cincinnati and haul it. As I reach the terminal, I ask the customer service rep, that they've "placed their for own convenience", about my flight. It's at 7:40 she says. I ask if it's been delayed. She doesn't seem to know but tells me instead that it's 7:30 right now. I didn't really understand what her role was if she was going to be less informative than a flight monitor. I run through the airport, catch the shuttle, and then run to the gate to find out, indeed the flight has been delayed. Whoo hoo - I'm going to make my flight afterall - I won't have to spend another night in Cincinnati. YAY!!!! Never have I been so happy about such an annoying situation. Delta is forever banned from my list no matter how cheap the flight is.

Why I Hate Delta

When I was a kid, and we would fly to Taiwan, I would ask my parents not to choose Delta. I always got airsick whenever I flew Delta, and so we stayed away from it. This weekend, prompted by a cheap $300 weekend fare to Austin, I decided to give Delta another try. Maybe my stomach has settled with age... but it became obvious that Delta really stinks.

Original flight plan:
Leave Boston Friday morning at 10:20, layover in Cincinnati, and land in Austin at 3:30 pm.

Thursday night at 10pm, I get an automated message telling me that my Cin - Aus flight had been canceled. They rebooked me for a flight leaving Boston Sat morning and arriving at 11:40. Since I'm only going for a weekend (and was leaving Austin Sun afternoon), this didn't sound like a great plan.

I sat on hold for a while, and was able to take a different connecting flight that got me into Austin at 11pm. Not great, but better. And they said they would rebook my first flight to 5:40 pm so I wouldn't have to sit at the Cincinnati airport all day. So nice, I think to myself.

Friday morning I check my itinerary again - it says I was still scheduled for the 10:20 am flight. It's now 11 am. Technically I've missed my first flight. Afraid they'll claim it's my fault and make me pay extra, I frantically call, and they change me to the 5:40 pm flight. They apologize for the confusion, and I think ok, they're still nice.

Bos - Cin flight is late. I have a tight layover so I sprint to the other terminal and arrive to find out we've been delayed by 30 minutes. OK, I can handle that. Then they delay becomes 45 minutes. Then 1 hour. 1.5 hours. 2 hours. They say they're waiting on a crew member to arrive. She arrives, and we wait another 20 minutes. Then she leaves. An announcement comes: the crew member we're waiting for has timed out, so she can't fly. We're getting a replacement as we speak. Another 15 minutes go by, and then the cancellation announcement comes at 11:45 at night. They can't find another crew member but since it's their fault they'll put us up in a hotel and will rebook us.

I'm told I'll be put on the first Austin flight in the morning at 9 am. After further questioning, I find out I'm not confirmed on that flight - just standby. Since my other option is a 4:45 pm flight, they put me on a flight to San Antonio at 9:30 and say they'll provide transportation.

Then the horror of hotels comes... I've got a voucher for the Baymont Inn and $14 in food vouchers that I won't be able to spend because their kitchen is closed by now and I have to be back at the airport at 7 in the morning. Great. :) I trek to the shuttle location to find out they won't pick us up for another 45 minutes. I try to find people to share a cab with. No luck at first, but then I find some folks and jump in. Kindly one the guys is traveling for work and puts it on his expense account for us.

We arrive at the Baymont, and the line is wrapped around the whole lobby. He makes an announcement about an alternative motel since he probably doesn't have rooms for all of us. Delightful. I wait for 45 minutes to hear him say (with 12 people in front of me) I think I only have 7 rooms left. Wonderful yet again. I start trying to drop the hint that I would be ok sharing a double room with another lady in hopes of having a bed to sleep on. Praise God - the girl 2-3 in front of me overhears me. The front desk says they have a room for 2 or more people and the girl offers to get that room and let me and the other women sleep in it as well. I have a room!!! I go to sleep for 5 hours and then wake up to catch the shuttle to the airport...

to be continued...