I just returned from a 2 week trip to Peru, attending a photo book workshop (more on that later) and visiting the Sacred Valley, including Machu Picchu. In the course of the trip, I made several observations which I think are worth passing on.
1. When reclining your seat on an airplane, do so SLOOOOWLY and only as far as you need to. The person in the seat behind you will be appreciative! This applies in Business/First class as well. I experience the guy in front of me reclining his seat as fast and as far as he could at the first possibly moment in flight and then forcing it back even more by pressing his feet against the bulkhead and then bouncing in the seat. I would almost have rather been in an exit row in coach than in the domestic first class seat. (Note: "almost" is the operative word here.)
2. Always carry an extra pair of socks in your carry-on bag in case you beat your luggage to your destination. It was easy to get toothpaste and a tooth brush; not so easy to get a pair of socks during the 30 hour delay in getting my checked bag in Cusco.
3. After an all day and all night flight, avoid a 5-hour layover before your final connecting flight. 'Nuff said.
4. Airport security varies WIDELY among airports. I went through security screening at Seattle-Tacoma, Lima, Cusco, Lima and Miami on this trip. Shoes off at SeaTac and Miami, thorough carry-on baggage search in Cusco and Lima, body pat-down on the return flight from Lima. Never took more than 5 minutes to get to the front of the security line.
5. American Airlines serves the BEST ice cream sundies in its business class cabin!
6. The Alaskan Airlines digiEPlayers are an interesting feature - a dozen or so movies, television programs, music, etc. I kind of prefer the seatback systems that the major airlines use on their trans-continental and international flights, but its a reasonable alternative. And certainly beats the lack of personal video entertainment systems on the American Airlines 757 fleet. As soon as they've scrapped their MD-80 fleet, they need to purge their domestic-type 757s. And, believe it or not, TACA airlines actually had in-flight entertainment on their Airbus 320 planes on the 70 minute flight between Lima and Cusco. Nice planes too.
7. The check-in agents at American are great; not so great at Alaska suprisingly. On board, its the opposite - Alaskan flight attendants are THE best, while it was more of a mixed bag at American.
8. All 8 flight segments were on-time and I made it safely back home. That's really all I can ask.
9. If you want to go to Machu Picchu by train, do so quickly. The line just re-opened after a two month closure due to floods, mudslides, etc. The trackbed still looks precarious and its hard to imagine that the tracks can survive another round of torential rains like they experienced earlier this year.
10. In spite of delay luggage and other minor inconveniences, the trip was definitely worth it - as are nearly all trips! So, Journey On!
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