After the euphoria of reaching Machu Pichu and the subsequent celebrations it was back to reality and the commencement of the staged journey back home to the UK. Stage one was the trip back to Lima where we would spend the rest of the day.
We had a lie in (most people were actually up by 7ish) for an 8.15 meet to get the coach to the airport. Peter had survived an unsuccessful attempt at death from 1,000 cuts via shaving and had to leave the breakfast area to sort his face out a couple of times. Perhaps investment in a more expensive razor may be an idea.
Breakfast was finished and we rushed to the meeting point to get the coach to the airport with Liz fretting that the timescale was over-tight in order to make our check in. She need not have worried as the norm for internal flights is a delay of at least 2hrs. We travelled to the airport on a coach hotter than Gandhi’s flip-flop and ended up hanging about the airport, twiddling our thumbs, which were blistered from holding onto walking poles for dear life on the previous days.
On the coach we were treated to the revelation that Graham, having thought that he had tipped the porter $10 on the trip out (a generous tip out there in anyone’s books), had in fact, on a recount of his dollars, presented the guy with $100 by mistake. No wonder the guy followed us onto the coach to personally show his gratitude.
Another, less surprising, fact was imparted by Ann. After her week long shopping spree she only had 13 of the Peruvian currency left (about £3). However, even on this amount, she was hoping to pick up a 100% alpaca blanket, a statue of a puma and a full Andean village costume………….all by offering 10% of face value. Not sure that she succeeded.
We arrived back to the same hotel in Lima that we had left a few days previously. People were given the afternoon to themselves to explore Lima in more detail than they had the chance to on our pre-trek visit. Dave, Dave, David, Peter and Ben decided that the best use of this time would be to sample the local people watching activities and positioned themselves in a street-side bar to quaff a few of the local tipple and while the time away.
This evening was the final dinner of the trip including the presentations of medals to each person who completed the challenge i.e. everyone. We all congregated in the bar area and it was immediately apparent that the ladies had made an effort, whereas the lads, excluding Graham, were all about the dress down. Top effort goes to Carrie, who had somehow been hiding more hair than Cousin It on the trek and George, who had used the afternoon to purchase clothes for the occasion.
Liz did a great job of presenting the awards (including presenting Cath with a replacement Regal tiara for the one she had left back in Scotland). Liz rightly received a few gifts which we had all chipped in for, as presented by Debbie. Following this presentation, Debbie remained at the front and choked back the tears as she gave a speech rivalling Gwyneth Paltrow at the Oscars, to thank Peter, and especially David, personally for helping her to complete the trek. I spent a bit of time at the back of the group with Debbie as she struggled with her knee injury and she is one strong woman, never complaining along walks that were hurting the most able of bodies.
Dave and Dave managed to drink the restaurant dry of white wine, having downed the most extraordinary quantity of a bottle between them. The restaurant was obviously not expecting scenes of such legendary drinking and had to search at the back of the cupboard for an old bottle half empty bottle of house. Apparently, the bar was also drank dry of amaretto also, with the stomach wrenching quantity of 4 measures having been consumed.
Post dinner was the time for some to take their leave… but definitely not for some others. A number, lead by the lively James, ventured over the road to the nearest bar, where they were served by a barman called Timotei, whom the group “took a shine” to. These shenanigans went on until 3.30am I am told; the time that the stragglers (Catriona, Jenny, James, Liz and Graham) rolled in. Catriona has obviously been living in England for too long and lost her drinking boots as apparently she had to be put to bed. All in all a good day and a great evening. Tomorrow is a day in Lima before the overnight flight to get home.
Ben
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