Vacation Planning-- Lima Edition

LIMA, PERU

Flights Dallas → Lima: https://www.google.com/flights/#search;f=DFW;t=LIM;q=dallas+to+lima;d=2013-05-04;r=2013-05-08


Proposed Itinerary:
Day 1- Flight from DFW→ LIM
7hrs nonstop

Day 2- Lima
Things to do: http://www.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1977548_1977464,00.html

Day 3- Lima to Cusco (around $300 RT)
Airlines: http://www.lan.com/en_us/sitio_personas/index.html, http://www.starperu.com/ 

Day 4- Sacred Valley

Day 5- Machu Picchu

Day 6- Return flight from Cusco → Lima
Afternoon massage?? http://www.cntraveler.com/hot-list/2012/spas/heavenly-spa-lima-peru

Day 7- Return flight from LIM → DFW


Lima Hotels:
Miraflores Park Hotel- $290USD/night

http://www.miraflorespark.com/web/olim/miraflores.jsp

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g294316-zfn15352-Lima_Lima_Region-Hotels.html
• Hotel Vila Santa Miraflores- http://www.hotelvilasanta.com/en/index.aspx

http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/hotels/lima/
• Hotel Antigua Miraflores- http://www.antiguamiraflores.com/rooms.php
• Casa Andina Miraflores, Centro- http://www.casa-andina.com/classic-miraflores-centro/
• Casa Andina Miraflores, San Antonio- http://www.casa-andina.com/classic-miraflores-san-antonio/


Helpful website: http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/

Vacation Planning- Peru/Machu Picchu Edition

Machu Picchu

Fun Fact: Machu Picchu is located at an altitude of 7,972 feet. 

Cusco is located at an elevation of 11,152 feet.

Dallas → Cusco flights: 
https://www.google.com/flights/?hl=en#search;f=DFW;t=CUZ;q=dallas+to+cuzco;d=2013-04-19;r=2013-04-23

Day Tour Information:

http://www.machutravelperu.com/TravelPeruTours/MachuPicchuTravelPeru-FullDay.html

Trains between Cusco & Aguas Calientes: 
https://www.perurail.com/index.php $140 pp  
http://www.incarail.com/?arw=1  $108 pp 

Sacred Valley Tour:
http://theantitourist.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/anti-touring-the-sacred-valley-cuzco-peru/

Hotels:

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Sacred Valley

http://www.sonesta.com/SacredValley/

Hotel Monasterio

http://www.monasteriohotel.com/web/ocus/hotel_monasterio.jsp

Encanta Casa Boutique

http://www.encantadaperu.com/en/hotel-cusco

Additional Information:
- The tourist high season in both Cuzco and Machu Picchu runs from May to September, with June, July and August being particularly busy. This is the dry season, with the clearest skies and the lowest daily rainfall averages.
- Take a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes. Buy ticket well in advance during peak tourist season. Purchase entrance tickets at Machu Picchu Cultural Centre in Aguas Calientes (10m from main Plaza, opens at 5:15am) The bus from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu takes about 20 minutes and costs $6 each way. There is a small ticket office just opposite of the departure point but it speeds things up if you buy your bus tickets the night before from the Consettur offices in Cusco (located in Avenida Pardo opposite Parque Espana- its a short walk from the main post office or ask a cab driver to take you there).The first group of buses departs at 5:20am, then at 10 minute intervals until around 4pm. The last buses depart around 5:30 so be sure to check the schedule because its a long walk back to Aguas Calientes.
- Guides are available at the site. Expect to pay around $20 per guide for a 2 hour private tour.
http://www.perutreks.com/machu-picchu-by-train-1-day.html

Another useful website: http://goperu.about.com/od/planningandpacking/qt/Tips-For-Picking-A-Machu-Picchu-Tour.htm

Vacation Planning- Greece Edition

♥ GREECE ♥

general airfare research:
Dallas → Athens  $1100 RT
Athens → Mykonos  $70 (Aegean Air)
Mykonos → Santorini  $75 (Hellenic Seaways)
Santorini → Athens  $90 OW


Hotels:
Athens

http://www.oandbhotel.com/

Santorini:

http://www.chromata-santorini.com/


Mykonos:

http://www.mykonosgrace.com/


helpful website: http://www.cntraveller.com/guides

Year in Review Part 2- 2012

Yet another year gone by. Friends got married (quite a few actually!), people had babies, I stayed the same... and traveled a little. Here's a quick highlight reel:

Stars Casino Night! One of my favorite nights of the year. Feeling particularly nostalgic about it since we won't be having it this year because of that damn strike. Anyway, love me some Ralphie and his glasses!

Ahhhh St. Paddy's Day on Greenville Ave. My favorite non-holiday holiday. And that's all I have to say about that (insert appropriate Forrest Gump voice).

Kimberly Purple had a baby. Baby Harry!! Yay! He is no longer a baby baby anymore.

Girls night, girls night, girls night!!! Definitely a must for sanity reasons. Bottom left is Hannah's bachelorette party (yay marriage) and right waaassss Zaza's pool opening?? Yeah- pretty sure. And up top was for no good reason than because we can.

Ahhhh Europeeeeee. God I miss it. Top row- left is Belfast, right is Paris. Middle row is Dublin and bottom row- left is Rome and right is Barcelona... Want. to. go. backkkk. 

September 29th- Danny and Priscilla got married!!! So since the actual wedding pictures aren't available, had to commemorate it with a party favor of me and Angie. 

Halloweeny. Yep- we're loofahs. It was awesome. 

Guess who got PADI certified?!? This one, right here, did:)

And last, but certainly not least, Christmas in Cozumel with the fam. Not a bad year!!

Lessons learned?? 

Have faith in something, anything. Don't push off until tomorrow what you want to do today. Everything is exactly as it's supposed to be. The greatest indulgence is doing what you want to do and not feeling guilty about it.

Here's to an amazing and even better 2013. Happy New Year!!!

some of my designs

I love designing invitations and the like. I would totes do it for a living. Here's the latest and greatest!

Love this quote

Thoughts on my Europe Trip

So since I will be in Dublin and Florence this summer, taking a couple courses, I decided to visit London, Paris and Venice while I am there. I will be in Dublin for 6 days, Belfast for 1, and Florence for 7 days. I already added 3 days in London and Paris, and a couple days in Venice.

Wellllll... apparently that just wasn't enough for me. I am seriously considering adding on another 2 weeks or so to visit Greece:

Mmmmm Athens:) Can't go wrong there!
and Turkey:

I have been wanting to visit Istanbul for forever and am having a hard time passing up the opportunity to shoot on over there since I will be so close! Yes, I have to see the famous Blue Mosque buuuut, more importantly, shopping at the Grand Bazaar!:

My alternative to Greece and Turkey would be Spain and Morocco:

Madrid-- ohhhh the food, the shopping, the culture.

Casablanca-- gorgeous city on the ocean.

Ideas? Thoughts?