John Edward Cooper’s Notes

[i] This is the flight number on the e-ticket. This flight would be an Airbus 320, with a seat arrangement
3–3.
[ii] 14:10 according to “Your tour dossier”; 19:35UTC (i.e. 14:35) according to Flightradar24.com
[iii] 15:35 according to “Your tour dossier”; 21:00UTC (i.e. 16:00) according to Flightradar24.com
[iv] This is the flight number on “Your tour dossier”. This flight would be an Airbus 319, with a seat arrangement 3–3.

DAY 12: Cusco to Lima B
Transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Lima. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel where you will have the rest of the day at leisure.

Janet wrote: “[John] had around 12 hours’ sleep. Good. He still has that damned cough, though. I had around 9 hours’ sleep — needed that. I washed and dressed then went down to reception to see about the laundry and pay our bill. Laundry was beautifully done: washed, ironed, folded and wrapped in plastic.… The ‘room use’ [charge for late check-out was] $35.… Back in the room, we discovered that the taxi driver had not ripped us off as there are three San Agustin hotels; so it was our fault [for not telling him which one we wanted]. We went for breakfast.… We returned to our room then I did the packing.…” I wrote at this point: “Transferred 107 photos and one video from the camera to the WD Elements HDD (09:26–09:31). Copied all the photographic material from this holiday to a USB flash memory device. Rotated those of yesterday’s photos that needed it (10:10–10:17). Wrote postcards to Mum and to Chris:

Cusco, 22 Feb.
Dear Mum,
I (John) ate a deep-fried guinea pig shortly after we arrived in Perú.
We saw Machu Picchu the day before yesterday. Spectacular!
In Cusco Cathedral is a large canvas depicting the Last Supper. As well as bread and wine being depicted, there are also other food items, and right in the centre of the table a plate with a roasted guinea pig on it.
Love from John and Janet xx

Cusco, 22 Feb.
Hi Chris,
We saw Machu Picchu the day before yesterday. Spectacular!
In Cusco Cathedral is a large canvas depicting the Last Supper. As well as bread and wine being depicted, there are also other food items, and right in the centre of the table a plate with a roasted guinea pig on it.
Love from John and Janet xx”

Janet’s journal continued: “We walked up to the Plaza de Armas. There was a festival there today. Parades of Peruvians dressed in traditional clothes dancing, playing music, etc.” On one side of the Plaza de Armas was the cathedral; on another the building we passed yesterday. I wanted to see what it was; for two cathedrals, I thought, would have been a bit — prodigal. It proved to be a complex of religious buildings; I wrote them down as I passed: “Capilla de San Ignacio de Loyola; Templo de la Compañia de Jesus; Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Loreto.”


Sunday 22 February 2015, 10:54:10
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 10:54:10 (detail)
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 10:54:26
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 10:54:26 (detail)
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 10:55:46
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco

“We had a look round the Plaza and watched some of the carnival,” Janet wrote, “then went to Paddy’s Pub for a drink. I had an ice-cold Coke Zero (that hit the spot!) and [John] had a pint of Old Speckled Hen on hand-pump.” It was on draught, but not hand-pump — it was propelled by CO2 or other gas — and it was ice-cold not cellar-cool as it would be served in the UK.


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:03:10
The nearby Paddy’s Pub, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:04:42
Paddy’s Pub, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:08:12
Paddy’s Pub, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:28:02
View from Paddy’s Pub, Cusco

“At ca.12 noon we were on our way out when Gobby Bastard and his wife came in,” Janet wrote, using her own epithet for the “garrulous fellow”: “Phew! Talk about perfect timing!” Actually, judging by the photos of the continuing festival, it was a bit before noon.


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:43:02
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:43:12
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:43:12 (detail 1)
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:43:12 (detail 2)
Fiesta in the Plaza de Armas, Cusco

“It was raining a bit,” Janet wrote, “but it was lovely and warm. We ambled back to the hotel — didn’t get wet — and returned to our room. We’d seen the Tall Rude Man and his wife sitting in the lobby. Ha! We have a room!”


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:44:34
Heading back to the hotel


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:46:18
Heading back to the hotel


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:47:42
Heading back to the hotel


Sunday 22 February 2015, 11:50:58
Our hotel

“We organised the tip for Boris and the driver,” Janet wrote. “We both updated our journals.”


Sunday 22 February 2015, 13:34:34
Waiting in the hotel lobby

“At 2.00pm Boris arrived,” Janet wrote. “Our cases were taken separately, thank goodness, so we didn’t have to struggle with them to the coach. Boris hung around until we’d all checked in, then we headed for our gate.”


Sunday 22 February 2015, 14:54:02
At the boarding gate


Sunday 22 February 2015, 14:58:08
At the boarding gate

“We weren’t hanging around for long,” Janet wrote, and at least we were seated together this time.” I wrote later: “According to Flightradar24.com, takeoff was slightly late at 20:43UTC (15:43), and landing five minutes early at 21:55UTC (16:55).” Janet wrote: “The flight only took an hour and we arrived in Lima just before 5pm. It was lovely and hot and sunny there. Andreas met us and we were at our hotel [the same one as previously: Allpa Hotel & Suites] just before 7pm. It was dark. We got our key, organised ‘day use’ of our room tomorrow until 4.00pm ([the] pick-up time), and arranged for a porter to take our bags to the room. This was a good hotel. Big room. Everything we needed. Big shower cubicle — walk-in. Super. We dumped our stuff then headed out to see if Vivanda was open. It was.… We got three bread buns (freshly baked), two large bananas, 50g ham, and ‘three-for-two’ litre bottles of Inca-Kola Zero…” We presented two bottles at the checkout, and an assistant came up with a third, explaining that there was a “three for the price of two” offer. “We went back to the hotel,” Janet continued, “and I opened the cases and organised some stuff. Then I had a shower and washed my hair. The bellboy sorted out the safe ([the] last room-occupant had shut the door) and we had our food…” I wrote: “Transferred 16 photos to the WD Elements HDD (20:04–20:05). Rotated one that needed it. Logged on to the internet, but the connection was very slow indeed. Firefox was hopeless. Chrome eventually reported Gmail as ‘unreachable’. Finally got through with Internet Explorer with the ‘Load basic HTML (for slow connections)’ option selected. There were tens of Facebook related items, which I deleted unread. There were e-mails from Chris [et al.]… Replied… Janet wrote: “It’s now 10.10pm so I’ll brush my teeth and hit the sack. If I get another good night’s sleep (as last night) I shouldn’t suffer too much on the return journey home.…”

[Monday 23 February 2015]
[2015]