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Post by marielouise on Feb 15, 2015 18:33:42 GMT
Tiffany you are getting the temps we used to get in Calgary, mid Jan to now has been quite warm with very little snow here. Hopefully the storms will be over soon.
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Post by tiffany on Feb 16, 2015 20:13:54 GMT
Tiffany you are getting the temps we used to get in Calgary, mid Jan to now has been quite warm with very little snow here. Hopefully the storms will be over soon.to I grew up in Timmins, where the average winter temps were -25, however, I'm not used to the cold anymore as I've been in Toronto for 20 years now. I also find it windier and more damp in Toronto. I can't wait for this cold spell to pass.
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Post by mary on Feb 18, 2015 3:53:00 GMT
I have a few trips coming up: Florida : February 2015 - 9 days to go Iceland: May 2015 Galapagos Islands October 2015 I went to Iceland with Insight in August 2013. I loved this country and would go back again.
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Post by mary on Feb 18, 2015 4:14:22 GMT
I've been reading everyone's upcoming plans on the Countdown.
I recently booked Peru Splendors with Globus. My first choice was Trafalgar, but they were booked full for a similar tour in my timeframe. I had no idea Peru was so popular. I'm going in May and this will be my first trip to South America. I'm concerned about the altitude as I live at sea level, but I tell myself I did just fine on my Copper Canyon tour at almost 8,000 feet. Still...I worry.
I'm open to any advice or suggestions for Peru. I know a few on this board have been to Peru.
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Post by Tulips on Feb 18, 2015 9:47:58 GMT
Mary,
i didn't have any issues with altitude in Peru. Out of all the people on tour, only one person was affected. I believe the reason that person had difficulty was that it was searing hot and he refused to take off his jacket (so he wouldn't get sunburned) and got overheated and dehydrated.
Drinking water at altitude is very important. Trafalgar supplied us with lots of water, do it was never an issue. I drank a lit more than I usually do.
i wouldn't worry too much about the altitude.
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Post by tiffany on Feb 18, 2015 12:36:00 GMT
I've been reading everyone's upcoming plans on the Countdown.
I recently booked Peru Splendors with Globus. My first choice was Trafalgar, but they were booked full for a similar tour in my timeframe. I had no idea Peru was so popular. I'm going in May and this will be my first trip to South America. I'm concerned about the altitude as I live at sea level, but I tell myself I did just fine on my Copper Canyon tour at almost 8,000 feet. Still...I worry.
I'm open to any advice or suggestions for Peru. I know a few on this board have been to Peru.
I can’t wait to hear about your trip to Peru. I hope to make it there someday.
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Post by chech on Feb 18, 2015 13:22:54 GMT
I've been reading everyone's upcoming plans on the Countdown.
I recently booked Peru Splendors with Globus. My first choice was Trafalgar, but they were booked full for a similar tour in my timeframe. I had no idea Peru was so popular. I'm going in May and this will be my first trip to South America. I'm concerned about the altitude as I live at sea level, but I tell myself I did just fine on my Copper Canyon tour at almost 8,000 feet. Still...I worry.
I'm open to any advice or suggestions for Peru. I know a few on this board have been to Peru.
If you had no issues at 8000 feet, you won't have a problem. That tour only goes to Machu Picchu which itself is at 8000 feet. Cusco is at about 10,000 or so, but you fly in and are immediately driven down into the Sacred Valley which is 7000 feet. You spend enough time there and at Machu Picchu to get acclimated before you return to Cusco. The key is, as Tulips said, to stay hydrated and also don't exert yourself too much. No taking steps two at a time or running etc. On our tour, only one woman needed a shot of oxygen on our return to Cusco but she was very overweight and out of shape. Our tour went to Lake Titicaca which meant we had to climb to 14,500 on the drive there and Puno itself is around 13,000 feet. After the few days in MP and Cusco, none of us had much problem with that. Don't forget to check out our tales on Peru. One thing I recommend with Machu Picchu is don't waste your time climbing up to the Sun Gate. The view doesn't change and wasting all that time going up meant I lost out on a chance to explore the city on my own.
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Post by marielouise on Feb 18, 2015 15:30:19 GMT
I've been reading everyone's upcoming plans on the Countdown.
I recently booked Peru Splendors with Globus. My first choice was Trafalgar, but they were booked full for a similar tour in my timeframe. I had no idea Peru was so popular. I'm going in May and this will be my first trip to South America. I'm concerned about the altitude as I live at sea level, but I tell myself I did just fine on my Copper Canyon tour at almost 8,000 feet. Still...I worry.
I'm open to any advice or suggestions for Peru. I know a few on this board have been to Peru.
I went to Peru in Oct 2012, I think it was a year after Chech, her tale inspired me to go, I did the same tour The land of the Incas. Owen transferred my tale and I found it when I searched "Peru". Many people on our tour had problems with the elevation, I think it was mostly because many of us were dehydrated. At that time we were allowed to take 1 bottle of water through security, which I didn't know. We were unfortunately not able to access water after the flight for quite some time and headed up above Cusco to Sacsayhuaman first which was unusual, instead of heading into the valley. I was quite dehydrated . I never needed oxygen but many on our tour used it in Cusco and at the higher elevation in Lake Titicaca. I took the high elevation pills but I am not sure if they helped. I am not sure it makes any difference at what elevation you live at, I live at 3000 feet, there were 2 couples from Denver, one did not have any problems but they were in a good physical shape, the other couple suffered quite a bit.
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Post by chech on Feb 18, 2015 15:57:25 GMT
Yeah...going up to Sacsayhuaman (which itself is above Cusco) wasn't a good idea on their part. We dropped by the alpaca shop on our way out of Cusco and they served cocoa tea and we could buy water. Then we went straight down into the Sacred Valley. It looks like they've changed the itinerary of the Land of the Incas back to what it was when I went except that they visit the alpaca farm on the way down. At least that's lower than Sacsayhuaman. The Globus tour does go to Sacsayhuaman before the Sacred Valley, so for Mary, she should make sure she's hydrated in Lima and buy water on arrival to have extra and could probably avoid any issues. And no running around with the alpacas hanging around Sacsayhuaman...LOL
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Post by Oz-T on Feb 19, 2015 20:46:06 GMT
I'm sure you'll be ok with the altitude issue, Mary. Chech coped fine.... .... although I couldn't say the same for some of the cats she took along with her....
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Post by marielouise on Feb 24, 2015 17:13:46 GMT
We are packing last minute items for our Insight tour Best of Italy. We are leaving for the airport in about 28 hours. I have been checking the weather and it seems to change every day I check, but we are bringing a variety and layering. Actually I am surprised it is not warmer, not much warmer than the temperatures we are experiencing in Calgary, right now 12C. We have vouchers for the Villa Borghese in Rome and the Uffizi museum in Florence. I will write a short tale after we come back March 10.
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Post by tiffany on Feb 24, 2015 21:46:23 GMT
Have fun Marielouise! You'll love Italy.
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Post by chech on Feb 24, 2015 23:18:08 GMT
Hey, ML...I'll wave when you fly over! LOL When I was there in January and March 1994, it was very pleasant. Temps were around 16 in January and in March, it was in the high teens, low 20s. And it was very sunny when we were there in early March. Very comfy time to see Italy! And I'm down to 1 month until the Yucatan...where temps are already in the high 30s!
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Post by marielouise on Feb 24, 2015 23:53:41 GMT
No I am happy about the temps, I would rather have it cold. I just don't like rain and hope we don't get any. Yeah I know what you mean about the Yucatan, it is too hot for me and can be quite humid. My father had time shares in Cancun and we used to go regularly there from Montreal in March. That was 15-25 years ago. We went once from Calgary but I found it too far for a beach vacation. I remember it was hot when we went to Chichen Itza. We also enjoyed going to Isla Mujeres and were able to snorkle there. Also at Xel-Ha and we also visited the pyramid by the sea, don't remember the name. I think Tiffany mentioned these places. My daughter went snorkeling at another place more recently, there is usually a lot of advertising about these places.
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Post by marielouise on Feb 24, 2015 23:54:43 GMT
Have fun Marielouise! You'll love Italy. Thanks Tiffany, I am sure we will, last time I was in Italy was 47 years ago, I am sure it has changed a lot.
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Post by chech on Feb 25, 2015 2:37:07 GMT
Yeah, my brother was in Cancun and said the heat was tolerable there but when they did the day tour to Chichen Itza, it was like 50 degrees. He said one woman got off the bus and while they waited for the guide, a woman started to wobble and splat! When she sat up, her first question was 'do I have all my teeth?' And we'll be in the jungle for a week! I've been looking at the stuff to do in Cancun. I have a day there before and after the tour. I'm looking at the Cenote day, the underground/underwater limestone cave, swimming with dolphins and that temple by the sea. Should be interesting to see what I can squeeze in.
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Post by tiffany on Feb 25, 2015 12:46:26 GMT
I’ve been to both the Mayan Riviera and Cancun in March, and both times I was there, it wasn’t that hot. It was in the mid-20’s, but there was a nice breeze. In fact, the breeze made it a little too cool to go in the water. I don’t mind the heat or humidity when I’m at an all inclusive, because you can go in the water to cool down, but it’s not comfortable when you’re sightseeing. It was hot when I went to Chichen Itza, but there are a lot of trees (except near the main pyramid) so you can find some shade if you want to. Make sure to bring some water with you.
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Post by tiffany on Feb 25, 2015 12:47:46 GMT
No I am happy about the temps, I would rather have it cold. I just don't like rain and hope we don't get any. Yeah I know what you mean about the Yucatan, it is too hot for me and can be quite humid. My father had time shares in Cancun and we used to go regularly there from Montreal in March. That was 15-25 years ago. We went once from Calgary but I found it too far for a beach vacation. I remember it was hot when we went to Chichen Itza. We also enjoyed going to Isla Mujeres and were able to snorkle there. Also at Xel-Ha and we also visited the pyramid by the sea, don't remember the name. I think Tiffany mentioned these places. My daughter went snorkeling at another place more recently, there is usually a lot of advertising about these places. I hope you don’t get a lot of rain. It rained almost every day when I was in Switzerland and Austria, and it really put a damper on the trip.
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Post by chech on Feb 25, 2015 13:38:27 GMT
I’ve been to both the Mayan Riviera and Cancun in March, and both times I was there, it wasn’t that hot. It was in the mid-20’s, but there was a nice breeze. In fact, the breeze made it a little too cool to go in the water. I don’t mind the heat or humidity when I’m at an all inclusive, because you can go in the water to cool down, but it’s not comfortable when you’re sightseeing. It was hot when I went to Chichen Itza, but there are a lot of trees (except near the main pyramid) so you can find some shade if you want to. Make sure to bring some water with you. Yeah, my brother loved Cancun cause it was perfect temps when he was there (Mid-march) but the humidity was in the high 40s when they went to Chichen Itza. Gulp! LOL I'm actually looking at a camelbak for this tour (which I could use later in Egypt and other locales). I'm trying to find one I can put in my back pack and have at least a litre of water available. I've read that some of the sites we will be visiting don't have trees. At least after having visited Cartagena, I know what to expect. Man, it was sizzling hot there!
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Post by marielouise on Feb 25, 2015 14:29:27 GMT
I’ve been to both the Mayan Riviera and Cancun in March, and both times I was there, it wasn’t that hot. It was in the mid-20’s, but there was a nice breeze. In fact, the breeze made it a little too cool to go in the water. I don’t mind the heat or humidity when I’m at an all inclusive, because you can go in the water to cool down, but it’s not comfortable when you’re sightseeing. It was hot when I went to Chichen Itza, but there are a lot of trees (except near the main pyramid) so you can find some shade if you want to. Make sure to bring some water with you. This has reminded me of the time when visited in mid February and my husband wore his Harris tweed jacket on the beach for the first week, our then young kids were not so happy but were digging in the sand and the oldest one made Mayan pyramids.
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Post by chech on Feb 27, 2015 16:40:56 GMT
Californian...to answer your question from Oz's thread...places I haven't been but am looking at are Australia, Nepal (with either India or Bhutan), Norway, Switzerland, Alaska, New York/Washington area, a full tour of Turkey, Tanzania (safari), Easter Island after Best of South America tour, Morocco, Costa Rica, Portugal, Thailand, and I'd love to do the Trans-Siberian rail trip. Places I want to go back to...Egypt, Spain and the US Canyonlands. Australia is high on the list for October. Thinking I could time it so that I climb the Sydney Harbour bridge on my 50th bday.
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Post by chech on Feb 28, 2015 14:34:54 GMT
So, after I finished ROFL over Oz's latest installment, I decided it was time to do my express check in for the Yucatan tour and found that TT has completely revamped the check in process. And it is sweet. All my information was already in there. I just had to add the dietary stuff. But it also shows that they have my arrival and departure flight times and shows that I have a pre-paid arrival transfer and a complimentary departure one. It also notes extra nights like my pre-night and specifies the hotel. There is also extra information - like that the extension is not guided but that the guide can pre-arrange anything we want to do and it notes other info like the need for a flashlight. Pretty cool. At least that part of their website change was for the better.
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Post by mary on Mar 3, 2015 4:13:25 GMT
I'm sure you'll be ok with the altitude issue, Mary. Chech coped fine.... .... although I couldn't say the same for some of the cats she took along with her.... I hope so! I'm still concerned...
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Post by mary on Mar 3, 2015 22:37:51 GMT
I'm adding one more trip to the countdown. This may be the shortest trip on the board.
I've booked myself on a 2 night cruise on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas departing November 6, 2015. It leaves from Fort Lauderdale on a Friday evening, ports in Nassau, Bahamas on Saturday and back to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday morning. I'm going solo on this cruise. It's one of Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships, so I probably won't even be able to explore the entire ship in this short time. I'm 2 1/2 hours from the port so I'm able to take a weekend cruise.
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Post by chech on Mar 4, 2015 14:50:47 GMT
LOL...that's so cool. Must be nice to have the option to ... "I think I'll take a cruise this weekend." I'm down to just under 3 weeks for the Yucatan....and slowing melting at the thought of the temps in the high 30s!
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Post by purvis on Mar 4, 2015 23:20:23 GMT
Chech: Not too sure which I would want the least the temps in Mexico or the ones on the east coast. Neither appeal to me. Purvis
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Post by scottie on Mar 5, 2015 1:06:31 GMT
So tired of our extreme cold weather decided it was time to go back to my favourite resort in Varadero, Cuba. This will be my 4th visit to Sol Palmeras where I have made many friends. Can't wait! The long range forecast is showing still below average temps for March. Brrrrr.
Scottie
<Administrator Note: This post was moved here from a separate thread >
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Post by mary on Mar 5, 2015 1:47:13 GMT
Chech,
A short cruise add on to a trip is always an option the next time you fly through Miami.
Mary
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Post by chech on Mar 5, 2015 1:50:54 GMT
Very true. Now, is it always true that a single has to pay the full price for the cabin? That seems to be what I've noticed. Any deals for single travellers on cruises?
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Post by scottie on Mar 5, 2015 1:52:01 GMT
Oops...looks like I posted this in the wrong place. Hopefully MrOzT will put it where it belongs.
<Administrator Note: This post was moved here from a separate thread >
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