Peru: Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

After spending amazing three days in the Amazon rainforest near Iquitos, we spent a night at Lima and took the morning flight to Cusco. Domestic airports are a little chaotic, but that's part of the experience! The views from the flight are breathtaking. Ice-capped mountains, small villages in the valleys, around rivers and lakes.

Cusco

Cusco is at an elevation of over 11000ft, so AMS can cause headaches and heavy breathing. We booked our stay in Cusco at the Tierra Viva Cusco Centro. This is a 10 minute walk to the Cusco city center, where all the restaurants are. The buffet at Tunupa was one of our favorites- for food and views. We had the hotel arrange pick up from the airport (we paid).


After some rest, we walked to the city center. Due to altitude, the walk was quite tiring. We exchanged Sol and had a light brunch. We then walked around the square. Cusco is a world apart from the Amazon. Cusco is a very busy tourist place. People trying to sell you merchandise and get your attention to their wares or services. Busy cabs on the aged cobbled stone streets, transferring tourists to their destinations. We booked a city tour for the afternoon. This included the Cathedral, Sun temple (Coricancha), Saqsaywaman and Tambomachay. It is recommended to book tours while you are in Cusco, as they are cheaper. We took group tours with a bus full of people, as well as private tours. Both were cheaper than booking online from the US.  Group tours are chaotic, and you get herded along with a large group of people. There was a person on our tour who got on the wrong bus! So be sure to make a few friends on your bus and chain yourself to your guide if you have to! Spanish is the most spoken language on the streets and the tours, with quick summarization in  at the end. Shop around the square and get rates from a few people before you buy, and make sure you confirm it is a bi-lingual tour with English (bi-lingual tours are a tad bit more expensive).

Cusco cathedral at the city center

The tour started at the Cathedral. This time we lucked out with a small group of only-Engligh speaking people (so the tour was in English). Our guide was a history student and spoke passionately about the Incan times. The cathedral is beautiful, but pictures are not allowed. We then walked to Coricancha. The Incans mined gold and silver but had no concept of currency. They used the precious metals purely for ornamental purposes. The sun temples had massive amounts of gold structures. The Spanish destroyed and looted all this when they conquered the Incas.

Coricancha

The Incans were also masters of stone masonry. The structures they built are earthquake proof. They did not use heavy mortar; so the stones shook and fell back in place. The stones are cut and packed so expertly, there isn't room to fit a credit card in between them. Trapezoidal shapes are very common in their construction.

Stone work at Coricancha

We were then transferred to a bus, to join a larger group enroute to Saqsaywaman- pronounced as sexy woman with a heavy accent. It's pronunciation has nothing to do with the monument. Saqsaywaman is also a sun temple. It has some very large stones that are from a quarry near Cusco. How they were brought up here is a mystery.

Saqsaywaman

The Incans studied astronomy deeply. This is reflected in their construction as well. The sun temples trace the path of the sun. They were able to construct structures to capture sun rays at solstice.

Tambomachay was a resting place for travelers and message bearers. The messengers ran across the empire to communicate the harvest produce and other things to the administrators. They stopped at these "motels" for rest. The entire kingdom is connected by these aqua ducts and underground streams, that run all year round. They Incas were thus experts at irrigation and agriculture as well

Cusco city view from the mountains

Machu Picchu

The next day early morning, we left for Machu Picchu. These tickets sell out fast. We had booked train tickets and entry tickets couple of weeks in advance. Even then, Huayna Picchu had already sold out. I forget which website I had used to book the entry tickets. There are a ton of blogs about how to purchase the tickets. I had followed the steps outlined. Train tickets were easy. We booked train tickets on Peru Rail's VistaDome. We took a cab to Cusco PeruRail (Poroy) station. It was about about 30 mins away and around 30-40 Sol. We asked the hotel to call a cab for us. Some people stay at Ollantaytambo and take the train from there (shorter distance). But there is not much to do at Ollantaytambo, other than be close to the train station. 

The train journey was very comfortable. We were traveling light on our entire trip and only had two backpacks. People who have suitcases, leave their bags at the Cusco hotel for a small fee. The train does not have room to store a lot of large bags. The views of the country-side from the train were breathtaking, and the food was great too! From the train you can see the starting point of the Machu Picchu hike and hikers on the trail. Right before you reach Aguas Calientes, on your left you will see another ruin.

We reached the town of Aguas Calientes by noon. This town is purely for Machu Picchu tourists to stay overnight. We had booked a hotel for one night in advance from. Google shows you the Machu Picchu bus stop. Book a hotel as close to that as possbile. The town is on a slope, and carrying bags up and down the slope is cumbersome. Also, the few restaurants and shops are all near the bus stop. The shops in the marketplace are bright and colorful- perfect for some pictures. We spent the evening walking around and buying small souvenirs. There is a town square and museum. We had dinner at the square. There are a lot of mosquitos here so remember to bring your repellent with you. On this day, we also purchased our bus tickets to Machu Picchu entrance (available near the bus stop). We, like most people, decided to take the first bus out at 5:30am.

Aguas Calientes

Most hotels serve breakfast early morning from 4:30am. After breakfast, we checked out and left our bags at the hotel (no valuables). There was a long line for the bus, though there were a lot of buses lined up as well. The bus took about 20 mins and we got to the top before 6:30am. There is a restroom and a food stall near the bus stop.  There are no restrooms after you enter the gates. So make the most of your time here before your head up ;) The ticket is multiple-entry though, so if must go, you can hike down for a pee break. If you purchased food with your Machu Picchu ticket, you will get that at the restaurant/stall here. Food cannot be purchased later, you have to buy it with the ticket. The line at the entrance was long. They check tickets, passports, no tripods, no disposable bottles etc. We had a camelback for water and some power bars. Just be sure to not litter. Tripod rule is quite strict though and I saw a person getting refused (or fined may be) because he had a large camera tripod. Bring printouts of all reservations and your passport to Machu Picchu.

After you enter, it is a short but steep hike up for 10 mins. By the time I reached the top, I was out of breath and starting to wonder if I let my enthusiasm get the better of me. But when you make your way out of the tree lined path, and step out to grand panoramic views of lush green mountains and valleys, all your pains fly away with the wind. It is absolutely gorgeous!

view on walk up to Machu Picchu

A few more steps forward and right there, in plain sight, appearing out of nowhere, is Machu Picchu!

Machu Picchu as you enter

The best view of Machu Picchu are from the watchman's hut, and as you walk down from there. We spent a lot of time exploring and taking pictures. Since we were there early in the day, clouds swept over us, enhancing the magic of this palace on the mountains. As the sun came out, the views got clearer.

Watchmen's hut, Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu

After wandering around for a few hours, we decided to get a guide. We went back down to the entrance. There are guides available all the time. Once the morning rush is over, the rates also may have dropped. I highly recommend getting a guide. Our guide was very knowledgable. She took us around the entire site (which can be a little hard to navigate on your own since they close certain paths). She explained the different temples- sun temple, moon temple and the temple of the condor. The tall peak behind the clouds in Huayna Picchu. Along the middle of the site is a green patch. That is a garden area. To the right of it are homes of the royalty, while on its left are the homes of the commoners.


                          Grand entryway                                                                               Temple of the condor


                        Lamas                                                                       Temple of the moon

Aqua Ducts for year round water

Terraces for agriculture

Sun Temple

The sun temple. On Equinox, the window at the sun temple gets the ray of light that comes through the Sun Gate. The sun-gate is another structure about 1.5 miles away from Machu Picchu

Moon Temple

The 3-steps are symbolic of three phases of life. The Condor represents life above, the Puma represents life on earth, the Snake represents life under earth. The three steps represent the extremes and the middle ground where there is balance. This can also be thought of as the good, the bad, and the middle where most people are. Like the dark, the light, and a bit of both where life thrives.

Temple fo Condor

The rocks behind are wings. the rocks down are the body, head and beak

Entryways

Notice the ridge on top and the holes on the sides. Incas did not have secure doors for their houses, only curtains for privacy. The punishment for crime was very severe- death by torture. So there were no wood doors required, except for entrance to royal areas or temples- like this one

Houses

Some houses were two storeyed. The top floor was use to stay pure for rituals. Cubbies were a feature in all homes, probably used to keep a light. Roofs were thatched with hay, and had leather -lining for water proofing.

Sun Gate

After the tour was over, our guide left us to walk around some more. We decided to go to the Sun Gate (IntiPunku). There are sign for it nearer to the entrance. If you were at the entrance, to your right is Machu Picchu site, and to your left is Intipunku. It is not very visible from Machu Picchu, but keep walking the 1.5 mile road/stairs. From the trail you can see Machu Picchu, the road up to it, and Huayna Picchu.

View from Sun Gate. Huayna Picchu is the tall peak to the right

The trail was tough, with stairs straight all the way up. There are points when it is scary since there are no guard rails, and the stones are slippery. But we were so tired and exhausted, we were just focused on getting there. The Sun Gate itself was over crowded. Tourists were perched in every corner atop the magnificent Sun Gate, so I couldn't really appreciate what I was looking at. Though to think that the Incas were able to catch a ray of light from this far away in a tiny window is admirable! It was past 1pm, so we headed back in a hurry to hotel and then the train. The train ride back had lot of entertainment. The staff did a fantastic job cheering us up after a long and tiring day! We got off at Poroy, and took a local cab to Cusco. 
That night, we had a hearty meal and drank up a few Pisco Sours to celebrate a beautiful new memory.

Sacred Valley

The next day we had a tour scheduled for Sacred Valley (booked on the first day). This included Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero. Just getting on this tour was chaotic. Our tour did not pick us up. Then they rushed us to the next tour when we threatened to post a bad review online. After a chaotic and nerve recking start to the day, we finally got on the bus. We made a few acquaintances on the bus ride. Half way on the journey, our friend realized he was on the wrong tour. Too late, he had to take this tour! So make sure you get picked up, and are picked up by the right people! This was a tiring day, since these sites are quite far from each other. We were also tired from hiking and had not had a rest. The tour guide spoke mostly Spanish. After a while we quit trying to ask for clarification. We took some pictures and enjoyed the views.

Pisaq
Sacred Valley from Pisaq. Pisaq was a burial ground. It is high up on the mountain so that the souls of the dead can fly away like a Condor.

Ollantaytambo

The city is shaped like a maize. Ollantaytambo was also a resting place early on. After the Spanish took over Incan empire, Manco- an Incan emperor in exile, launched guerilla attacks on the Spanish. One such battle was fought here. The Spanish were defeated and chased back to Cusco, where their headquarters were.

Chinchero

Incas built cities and connected them via trails. Chinchero is connected via the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. It is also connected via trails to Cusco. Chinchero was a trade center. Here you can see Spanish construction on top of Incan construction. This is common throughout the region, even in Cusco.

Maras Moray

On our last day in Cusco, we took a private tour (car) to Maras & Moray. The group tours needed a full day, which included shopping. We had an evening flight out, so we decided to do a private tour. We found someone at the Cusco town center and negotiated a rate. The driver doubled as a tour guide, except he could not speak English. He was a nice guy though and we managed with signs. He stopped a few places along the way, took pictures, bought us special corn that is grown in the Maras region. All in all, we really liked it. It was relaxing, at our pace and we absolutely enjoyed the drive through the country side.

Moray was a research center for terrace farming. The circular shape allowed experimentation for different wind and sun directions. The soil in the terraces is not simply earth. They built the terrace walls, then filled it with sand, gravel and soil. This allowed for water to be held longer, providing moisture all year round.

Pre-Incan salt mines at Maras. These are leased.

By afternoon we were back in Cusco. We bought some souvenirs from the markets around Cusco town center. We stopped at the chocolate store for some Peruvian chocolate. Lastly but most importantly, I refused to leave without this and the man had to give in-- a picture with a baby lama!

Peru: Amazon Rainforest

As a kid, I was never particularly interested in the subject of Geography. The content was mostly at the national level and loaded with statistics that failed to spike my curiosity- population, soil type and crops! However one year Geography was different. It was the year we studied world geography- the icy Tundra, the grasslands of Africa and the rainforests of Amazon. The Amazon of my books felt like Alice's wonderland... gigantic trees, mighty river, carnivorous plants, variety of birds and plants seen nowhere else. I would love to go there! And so almost two decades later I did, with my husband!

While Brazil comes to mind when you think about Amazon, the origin of the Amazon river is in Peru- near the city of Iquitos. We flew straight to Iquitos from California. Iquitos is not accessible by road; and is not easily reached by boat either. We had a stop at Lima where we collected the bags and cleared customs. The airport is strange- after customs, we had to exit the airport and re-enter to checkin the bag again. We also exchanged some USD for Soles at the airport. Neither USD nor credit is accepted in the Amazon forest region. After four hours, we got on our 6:30am flight to Iquitos. The views were amazing- first snow capped mountain peaks above the clouds and then the Amazon river itself, with its muddy waters snaking through the green landscape, and meandering tributaries joining the majestic river.

 Rio Amazonas from the flight

We had booked a 3D/2N stay at the Heliconia Lodge.  We emailed them the payment information to make the reservation. The purchase however can be made on hotels.com or other travel sites as well, which are more convenient. The description on these websites vary, but it is all the same offering. The lodge is located 80km from Iquitos city and about 300km from the origin of the Amazon river. The stay included daily tours and meals; though anything at the bar needed to be purchased, including bottled water. The tours are in groups. Our group had seven of us, only the Mr and I were English speaking. All of us were picked up from the airport together, did the tours together, and most were also dropped off at the same time. Hence they, like most lodges in this area, insist that you arrive before 9am and depart after 6pm. We were picked up at the airport and taken to a hotel in Iquitos. We left our luggage there and went for a walk in the city with our guide Freddy, who speaks good English (in addition to Spanish). Life in Iquitos is very interesting. Means of transport included honda bikes modified to make rickshaws or tuk-tuks, and old wood truck modified to make buses. After the tour, we boarded a van along with the rest of the group and were taken to the port in Iquitos for an hour long boat ride on the Amazon!

As soon as our boat set off on  the river, we saw grey dolphins in the water! These are dolphins in the wild, untrained and hence shy of humans. We also stopped where the black Nanay river meets the brown Amazon. Cruising on the Amazon is an experience that no words can do justice to. The sound of the motor boat splashing water, as we bounced off the ripples on the river water, occasionally a loud thud of the drifting logs and debris was heard, sometimes wood got stuck in the propeller and the motor had to be turned off to clean and in seconds we were off again. On the banks were lush green forests, most trees lining the banks had exposed roots as evidence of the might of the Amazon river that took soil and trees with it. Nestled in the greens were also small villages. The villagers had small canoes and sometimes motor boats docked for their use. These villages are accessible only by boat. There are no roads in this part of the world, and no ones complaining.

Nanay meets Amazon	Cruising on the Amazon

After an hour, we made our first stop to meet a local tribe who would give us some insight into their culture. While locals dress in jeans and Ts these days, this family had dressed traditional for us. They welcomed us with music and dance, in which we participated. They also demonstrated the blow gun. We all got a chance to try. Freddy was the narrator on this tour- he spoke mostly in Spanish, and periodically gave the Mr. and me a quick summary. This was how the bilingual tour worked on all our tours at the Amazon. Mr and I felt a little lost at times, but we chose to take in the surroundings and get good pictures during the Spanish part of the tours. At the end of this tour, was an opportunity to buy handicraft from them. We all bought something though it was optional.

We then proceeded to the lodge by boat, just in time for lunch. Lunch, dinner and breakfast were buffet. It is the best simple meal I have ever had! The food is delicious because everything is fresh and naturally grown. The fruits and vegetables are so tasty; and the fish is out of this world! At every meal I kept wondering what GMO crap I was eating back home! The staff is very courteous and we got great service during our stay.

Heliconia Amazon River Lodge

Our room with patio

Palm bark was on the menu one day

After lunch, we went to our rooms. Our room was in the back, towards the forest and away from the main lobby/bar/dining/pool area. We were pleasantly surprised at how good the room was. It was spacious with two double beds. There was a fan in the center of the room, night stands and sufficient plug points to charge 2-3 devices. The bathroom had a stand-in shower with hot water and a toilet (toilet paper provided). The sinks were outside the bathroom, and did not have heated water. The closet was in the foyer, it had a locker but no doors (who cares!). There was a patio in the front with a hammock. The entire lodge, including the walkways, is raised on stilts to be about 4-8 feet above the ground/swamp. The room was clean and free of bugs and insects. The netted windows however did not keep the room free of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes came out at night. We sprayed repellent on the sheets and over ourselves, but still got bit. It may be good to bring a mosquito net for the beds. However, I must say that there were much fewer mosquitoes than we expected. When we left Iquitos, I had may be 4-5 bites on me. We came in expecting to be swarmed by mosquitoes at all times, that was far from the reality!

The Amazon rainforest does not have power lines running through it, which means there is no electric supply! The lodges have generators to provide electricity for a few hours everyday. I do not remember the timings, but it was two hours in the morning, two hours post lunch, then two/three hours post dinner. They did not follow the timings strictly though. On/off schedule, all nights were without electricity. When there was electricity, we were thankful for the fan! When there was no electricity people stayed cool in the pool or enjoyed the breeze by the river. It was hot and sweaty all the time, though we were there at the end of winter! We enjoyed the simplicity of life there- simple meals, schedules arranged around the little electric supply we had, fresh fruits and juices. There was no TV or radio. For entertainment we watched the river flow by,  for music we listened to the patter of rain and the choir of frogs and insects. We enjoyed each others company and the company of our tour group. After the first day, we dined together as a group, and had interesting conversations about cultures and economies, healthcare, politics and sports across US, India, Argentina and Peru (nationalities of our group). On our last day even Pedro, the talking pet parrot, joined us for lunch!

Tours

Day 1: We had multiple tours in the day. On day 1, in addition to the visit to tribal village, we also made a boat trip to a lake. Here we saw pink river dolphins. These are wild dolphins and will not dive for your entertainment. We saw their humps a few times as they went about their business. The lake is beautiful, its water is like a mirror reflecting the green forests and the blue skies. Our guide and a couple on our tour caught a few baby piranhas. We all had a fun time! Before dinner we went for a short night-walk in the forest, along a muddy path around the lodge. The lodge provided a torch for each room, and a poncho for each guest. They also provided knee-high rainboots for the walking tours, which came back covered in dirt after each tour! On this night tour, we saw a snake, a tarantula, a possum, a yellow frog and many crickets. It was fun, however if you (like me) have lived in a tropical country side, you may find yourself wishing for a little more adventure.

Day 2: We woke up in the morning to heavy rain. I ran out in excitement. The river was beautiful. As it increased its pace, it took with it big trees, logs, soil, even islands of floating plants. After breakfast we went for a longer walk in the forest around the lodge. This time the only creatures we saw were Ants. Freddy spoke about the different plants and trees. After lunch, we took the boat again to a sugarcane rum brewing establishment. It is a family run business, passed on through generations. It is setup in their backyard. We got a tasting of the rum. At the end was another opportunity to purchase merchandise. Post dinner we took a night boat tour back to the lake. It was relaxing to drift slowly in pitch darkness, listening to sounds of the wild, watching the stars above. With torch lights we saw Iguana. We looked for frogs, but saw nothing.

Day 3: There was no rain this morning so we went on a bird watching tour by boat. We went along a small tributary. We saw a lot of birds, beaver nests and termite nests. The highlight of the tour was a family of monkeys. They hopped from one tree to the next, without having to stop to figure out their path. They only occasionally stopped in their tracks to checkout their visitors (us). It felt like they were as excited to see us, as we were to see them! When both parties had their fill, we turned around towards the lodge, and the monkeys went about their day. After breakfast, we went to see the Victoria Reggia. We took the boat to a nearby island, and then walked on that island. This was a more fun walking tour. It was a road less traveled. The trees were bigger and taller, but climbers still made their way to the top of the canopy. These climbers would eventually kill the tree that was supporting them. There were more ants here, and I got bit while walking. The most fascinating was the leaf-cutting ant. They looked like walking leaves as they carried the leaves to their anthill. The path was a dirt path, and at points I almost lost my boot as I tried to pull my feet out of the dirt! Freddy demonstrated how to weave a bottle holder from vine. We climbed a tree, swung on vines, and had a lot of fun! Finally we reached a lake. Afloat on the lake were huge round leaves like massive dinner plates. Among the leaves was a beautiful flower, similar to the Indian Lotus, the Victoria Regia. During high season, this would be a canoe tour not a walking tour. The lake would have more flowers then. Freddy informed us that the lake had Caiman and Anacondas, but they were hard to spot. We only saw the flower. We got back in time for lunch. After lunch we set out to Iquitos. The Amazon bid farewell to us with heavy rain, as we left with heavy hearts.

I had come to the Amazon to live a three day fantasy where Anacondas would be lying waiting every few feet, sloths and monkeys would play outside my room, Caiman and Tarantulas would be everywhere. I was unrealistic. I would have to live here for a few months to see all this. However it was a trip I will always remember and keep close to heart- the simplicity of life here, the beauty and power of nature in its purest form, and the mighty river itself are what define Life on the Amazon. It is an experience that can only be lived, not captured on cameras.

Helpful tips

• Children under five are not recommended/allowed at most lodges I checked. While there, I did not see any children either.

• Other options: There are luxury cruises available if that is what you are looking for, they also cost $$$$. If you prefer the convenience of electricity, you can consider living in/near Iquitos than in the forest. If you want a more adventurous and 'true' Amazon experience, I read advice to travel further upstream to the Pacaya Samiria. However it is a 3hr+ boat ride from Iquitos, and hence you will need more days. Upstream lodges are also more expensive. We found it difficult to contact them.

• Pickup: Whichever way you book, contact the lodge (email or call) to let them know your flight details. If your flight does not arrive before 9am and departs after 6pm, check with the lodge before you book.

• Cash: Bring Soles with you instead of USD. The Lima airport rate is not bad. You will need Soles to purchase bottled water (recommended). Tips may be paid in USD (they can exchange in Iquitos city).

• Insect repellant: Carry mosquito repellent with high Deet (we took 100%). We also took insect repellent spray for clothes. Bring a mosquito net for the bed. I had worn a netted hat on the walking tours in the forest. Everyone else found it funny :) I will not recommend against sunscreen, since the UV index is high. But with all the insect repellant, I skipped sunscreen on walking tours. I carried a hat and sunscreen with me on the boat tours, and used both on the Piranha fishing tour one afternoon.

• Clothes: Pack full sleeve cotton tops and full length pants. Others in the group were fine with short sleeves/pants though. Ladies please wear sportswear and leave the skirts for another trip.  Other than being convenient, pants also keep the insects away!

• Footwear: Anything comfortable. Most people wore sneakers. On the boat trips you can wear flip flops and shorts. On the forest walking tours, they provide rain boots

• Toiletries: The lodge provided standard toiletries (no conditioner, toothpaste). If you are particular about brands or quality, bring your own.

• Vaccinations: Most insurance will not cover travel vaccines. Routine preventive vaccinations will only cover adults for DPT once in ten years, which I had already taken few years back. No vaccination is enforced by law for entering the Iquitos region (unlike Puerto Maldonado which requires Yellow Fever vaccine). The cost of the vaccines is very high and were approx $80-150 each vaccine per person. We decided to not be deep in the forest by staying at Heliconia Lodge, and skip the vaccines. I am not recommending this, but this is what we did. We travel to India (home country) without vaccines and have probably built up good immunity. We however did take 4 advils each a day before/during/after our stay in Peru (we are healthy and felt certain Advil will do us no harm. Consult your doctor). We have been back for almost a month and have been fine.

• Safety: We never felt unsafe at the lodge and on the tours. The staff and guests at the lodge were very nice and friendly. In Iquitos city, if you venture out, be careful and hang on to your belongings and tour guide! Safely secure your backpack and do not leave things in the outer pockets. I recommend carrying passports and cash in a travel wallet. We did not go to the Belen market. One couple from our group stayed a night in Iquitos. They went on a private tour to Belen, but they did not feel safe and returned.

• Visa: If you are US citizen, you do not need to get a Peruvian visa. We needed one. We walkedin to the Peruvian consulate in San Francisco two weeks prior to travel (too late, go sooner!). We took all the documents listed here. We took copies of all the international and domestic flight bookings, all hotel bookings, passports, proof of employment and bank statements. Bank statements should have the name of each traveling adult. We picked up our passports after 4 days with the Peruvian visa stamped. The consulate staff was friendly and helpful.

Cost

• Lodge 3D/2N: $250 per person (they were offering a 30% discount on all the travel sites) + tips

• Water + merchandise: 100 - 150 Soles. Drinks at the bar have to be purchased. We were just high on fruit juices ;)

Jamaica: Montego Bay to Kingston

Who doesn't love to travel around the world! If that was not a rhetoric, the answer would be- an H1B visa holder! Vicious cycle... "I have a visa, my husband's expires soon.. Now he got his, but I changed jobs. Oh wait, now my passport expires!"  But we finally broke the spell this September- we went to Jamaica!! H1 stamped, vacation done... Ya man!

Before you read any further, here is the standard disclaimer- This blog is not meant to be immigration, travel, legal or any other advice. It is purely a narration of my experience to Jamaica and the Kingston consulate  for my visa stamping. Please review your case with your lawyer/agent/adviser, weigh your options and decide what is best for you. My husband and I have been on H1B (work permit visa) in the USA for a few years now. We are both Indian (Asian).

As soon as this enlightenment of a new visa stamping location was bestowed upon us, we jumped on cheapcarribean.com and found the perfect one-week all-inclusive trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. We would go to Kingston for the interview and get our passports shipped to the resort, easy! Even better for us- Jamaica does not require a Jamaican visa for Indians. This is probably because- many years ago, when Jamaica was also a British colony, a lot of Indians had moved to Jamaica to work in their fields and manage the businesses. Jamaica is an English-speaking Caribbean island. The language Patwa sounds very similar to English.

Anyways, without further ado, I started filling up the amazon cart and putting together my todo list. Uh-uh, not so soon!

We soon realized this was not going to be an easy trip to plan. I called the consulate (yes a consulate that actually answers the phone!). The nice lady told me that they recommend 7-8 days for receiving the passport. I asked if there was a way I could request express shipping- No. This meant we would have to be in Kingston to pick up the passport! We read up on what others had done and the norm seemed to be- stay in Kingston. However we wanted this to also be a get-away-from-it-all vacation. So we looked at options to fly into Kingston and return from MoBay, but this was way more expensive than our cheap cheapcarribean.com deal. You can't just give up on a deal like that! So we came up with Plan D - we stay at the MoBay resort and travel to Kingston for two days.

And that is what we did! In addition to the resort stay and international flights, we also reserved shared airport transfers with Amstar DMC from the airport to the resort through cheapcarribean.com. Since we would not know upfront how many days it would take for the passport to be ready, we decided to only make arrangements for the visa appointment travel. We took a 10:30am visa appointment, leaving enough time to get there. A drive from MoBay to Kingston would be 3-3.5hrs. We found well-priced flights from MoBay-Kingston and back, on the same day, at www.intercaribbean.com. We did not have airport transfers for these flights though. We tried to book through different travel websites; but out of MoBay and back seemed to be a challenge to reserve a ride for. We decided to figure it out later in Jamaica, worst case we would end up paying more. We shortlisted a few tour companies on tripadvisor.com before we left.

We landed at Montego Bay to views of the blue waters surrounding the island (probably fewer white-sand-beach stretches on this coast though)

Montego Bay

The airport arrival-meeting-area was chaotic. There was a crazy rush at the currency exchange counter with everyone stopping to get some Jamaican dollars. You really dont need to, USD was accepted everywhere we went. The airport counter offers exchange rate that is worse than what we got outside. At the airport we got a rate of 95, outside it was 105. On the way out of the airport, we passed by stalls for tour companies. As we waited there for our ride, they tried to sell us their tour packages. The only thing we needed was a ride to Kingston, but strangely no one was interested. So we waited for our shared ride to gather his flock, and then got going. It was a beautiful 25 mins ride to our resort - the Lady Hamilton Grand Palladium resort.

Lady Hamilton is the adult-only section of the Grand Palladium in Lucea (aka Lucy). We stayed at the honeymoon/villa suite at the far end of the resort. It is a 10 minute walk from there to the restaurants, which are in the main building you see below. They do have golf carts that transport people and luggage across the resort. We enjoyed walking! The resort has a night dress code. Dress up for dinner or you will be turned down at restaurants (other than buffets). Men have to dress in full length pants. Only during the day, may you rock the golf shorts and RayBan aviators! Thanks to the visa interview the Mr. had packed a pair of jeans.  Women, understandably, don't seem to mind this rule at all ;)  The beaches at the Grand Palladium resort are not the best. The main beach you see below, is rocky just a few feet into the water. It felt like a man made beach. We were told Negril is the place to be for beaches.

Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort

Villa suites are on the far right corner of the pic. The far left is where the above pool is

We had a relaxed day at the resort- the free food, drinks, towel service, room service, minibar refills, soaking in the morning sun by the pool, enjoying the afternoon tropical rains in the cabana, and ending the day in the pool-sized-jacuzzi. The next day we turned our focus to Kingston and our visa appointment on Monday. The resort had desks for tours. We checked there as well about airport transfers for our trip to Kingston. They did not offer the shared ride and gave us private tour rates. That is when we realized the obvious- cab fare is through the roof in Jamaica, atleast in comparison to the US. So we started calling the people we had shortlisted on tripadvisor. One tour company stood out from the few who even cared to respond- Jam Island Tours. The owner, Morris, came to the resort to meet us and worked out the best trip for us. He gave us a good rate for the four airport transfers we needed the next day. He does not operate in Kingston, but arranged for someone to take us to the consulate and back in Kingston. Morris sent his driver early in the morning at 6am to drop us off at MBJ airport. He also called multiple times during the day to make sure we were fine and had been picked up, dropped off and taken good care of. Excellent service by Morris!

Flight to Kingston

The visa appointment itself was smooth. We got picked up at the airport and were taken straight to the consulate. We first waited in a short line outside. After 10 minutes we were let inside. There was a quick security screening of bags etc. Cell phones are not allowed inside and we left both iphones with our driver- a very nice and trustworthy guy that Morris had arranged. There are also people on the street who will hold your phone for USD 5. After security check, we moved into a long (but seated) line in an open area. After almost 45mins, we were taken inside the building. Our passports were checked and marked, and we were moved to the third line with tokens. We were taken to a counter to be finger-printed and came back an waited in line again. This was where the visa officers interviewed people as their token number was called. We had taken a group appointment. The interview went well for us and we were asked to come two days later, on Wednesday at 2pm to collect passport. We were out of the consulate in about 2.5 hours. (Please read the disclaimer at the top of the page)

When we got out of the Consulate, our ride was there to pick us up. He offered to give us a short tour, at additional charges. Since we had a few hours to kill before our return flight in the evening, we decided to take a city tour. We first went to Scotchies and had the most amazing jerk chicken. Get the chilli sauce if you like mouth-on-fire spicy. We loved it! The place is popular with the locals and is very well priced. We then went to the Bob Marley Museum and stopped at the Devon Bakery. Nothing spectacular about either of these. Devon bakery has good patties and ice cream, but requires an entry fee for Devon House. Our driver being local, made friends with the guard who let us in for 15 mins. The museum however lacked content worthy of a national icon.

Scotchies Jerk chicken

Bob Marley Museum

We were very happy with the service Morris provided and decided to use Jam Island tours to take us to collect the passport as well. This time we decided to enjoy the drive! We asked Morris to take us to the Blue Mountains near Kingston. Blue mountains is home to some of the world's best coffee. Again Morris assured us he would give us the best experience. He and his wife picked us up at 5am. His wife is also a really sweet person. We all chatted along the way. The Mr. is a sucker for knowledge and he had a lot of questions about Jamaican economy, politics, freedom, culture, religion, infrastructure. Morris is a great guide and engaged in all the discussions. His wife offered us fruits they bought along the way, she is really sweet. After three hours of comfortable freeway driving, we started the climb up Blue Mountains. The road up the mountain is a single lane road with no shoulder. We went slow on turns, and stopped to give way to those coming down. Our destination was the Alex Twyman's Old Tavern Coffee Estate. We passed by a few other coffee estates along the way- Strawberry Hill and Croydon. We kept going past these, the road became one with potholes and fallen branches. We still kept going. We seemed to have come to the other side of the mountain from where we started, but we still kept going. Finally we reached a military base.

Military base atop Blue Mountain

View of Kingston from the military base

We kept going beyond the military base in search of the coffee estate. There was no sign board for the house or estate. Infact, the house itself is not visible from the road. A passerby on the way up, had given Morris directions and somehow when we reached the house, Morris knew it. It is a beautiful home perched at the edge of the mountain. Mrs. Twyman is a lovely lady. She welcomed us in, even though we were unannounced. She prefers people to call before they visit, since she may be in the middle of roasting. She showed us the bean selection and roasting process setup in a kitchen-like room. We were given time to hang around in the balcony with breathtaking views. She invited us inside the house again and served us black coffee with cookies! Isn't she sweet, who does that!!! Later we went out to walk around the plantations. She explained the process of planting to seeding, showing us saplings and beans. She described how some of the hurricanes and storms had destroyed plantations. She is a very polite and kind lady; and a great host! If you are looking for a regular guided tour, this may not fit the bill. If you are looking for a personal interaction, I would recommend a visit. In addition to the coffee, the views are great too! We needed to rush back to the Consulate so we thanked her and left. The tour is complimentary. As a gift to ourselves and an appreciation for her time, we bought coffee at USD 20 for each 220gm pack.

Alex Twyman's Tavern

View from the balcony

We got to the consulate 15 minutes before time. In the afternoon there was no waiting in line anywhere. We went through security and waited where the visa interviews had happened. They called out peoples' names and we walked up to collect our passports. We verified everything was correct and left for MoBay after a quick lunch. The drive back took much longer, because of the evening traffic.. Yes, even in Jamaica there is commuter traffic, no escaping that anywhere! It was not stand still or slow moving, but we just took more time at traffic lights etc. We probably took over 4hrs to get back and it was around 7:30pm by the time we got back- tired, sleepy and exhausted! But all business had been taken care of and we could simply relax now!

During the remaining three days, we wanted to relax and pretty much stayed at the resort. The trips to Kingston, even though they were good deals, were expensive at roughly USD 500 each day. We made a trip to the Dolphin Cove Negril which is right next door to the resort. We bought discounted tickets through the resort tour-desk. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Even though we swim with aids at the local gym, for most practical purposes the Mr. and I are not swimmers! :) The guys at the Dolphin Cove were really helpful and made sure we had a good time. After five minutes of us in the water alone, one of their personnel saw our struggle and got in the water with us. He was keeping an eye out for us and making sure he was near by always. We had life vests that made it easier to float and move around, but these are not your bulky airplane life jackets. These are meant for you to be able to enjoy in water; not float on water. Keep that in mind if your swimming skills are rusty :) (I do not recommend throwing yourself into the ocean if you cannot swim!) We did the Ultimate Swim with two dolphins and the shark encounter. The shark (a cat shark) encounter would seem like a rip off at full price. With discounts, we did not mind the opportunity to lay a shark on our lap and feed him!

At the resort we also enjoyed the food and the nightly dance performances for entertainment. At the far end of the Lady Hamilton, there is a natural beach called the Sunset Cove. This is where the Jerk Hut of the resort is. It is not bad, but doesn't compare to Scotchies! We did some easy snorkeling at the Sunset Cove. We did not even need to snorkel, we just stood in the water and schools of fish were swimming around us! If you can swim, there is a coral reef a little out into the water. Near the shore, we did not see any colorful fish. Snorkeling was best at the farther end where the kayaks are, away from the resort end of the beach.

School of fish right off the beach

A week went by pretty soon. With more time and flexibility, we could have spent a day at Ocho Rios or Negril. We did drive through Ocho Rios, aka Ochie, on our way to Kingston. Ocho Rios has a lot of activities, especially for family. The Blue Hole looks very beautiful in pictures. Apart from being the party place, Negril is known for its beaches. Seven Mile beach and Rick's Cafe are popular tourist spots. Some other time may be, until then...

“Don't worry about a thing, every little thing gonna be alright” - Bob Marley

Cost for two adults in USD

Hotel + International flights to/from California-MBJ + shared airport transfer for this: $3000
Flights from MBJ to Kingston and back: $120
Airport transfer for MBJ, Kingston and Kingston tour: $300
Road trip to Kingston and back: ~ $500
Dolphin Cove (Ultimate swim + shark encounter + photo CD): $253 + $55 + $108 + tip for the team

Keep in mind that we were traveling off season, with T-storms everyday. Rates may vary based on time of travel. Tours for Ochos Rios and Negril can be booked at the resort (good prices) or with an independent tour guide (like Jam Island Tours) after you get to Jamaica. I would recommend doing that rather than prior booking, especially during off season. The resorts are able to offer group rates for tours by putting multiple guests on the same tour. Negril tours were very popular at around $50 per person at group rates.