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We’re privileged on AFF to see another trip report from veteran traveller and trip report writer RooFlyer, who recently jetted off to South America for a month-long tour. The impressive destination list will include the likes of Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, Quito and the Iguassu Falls, to name but a few!
Following in the footsteps of, and inspired by a number of AFFers (hi JohnM, dr.ron/mrsdr.ron, kpc and others) I’m going round (western) South America for a month, mostly on LAN, but a bit of Avianca and even TAME.
Its amazing what happens when you decide to do a simple Galapagos cruise but there is altogether too much in Y for my liking. Although I got SYD-SCL-SYD in J for $4K in a Qantas sale some time ago, the rest of the budget blew out all over the place, so whY it is.
It all began with a trans-pacific flight over to Chile on LAN. It seems our correspondent was “lucky” enough to get a seat on one of the last LAN A340 flights from Australia. In the week following the flight, LAN upgraded the aircraft used on its Sydney-Auckland-Santiago route to a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. By the looks of things, it’s probably just as well, as the A340 was showing its age.
Eventually our member made it to the mountainous Ecuadorian capital of Quito, but sadly the first couple of days were spent at the hotel recovering from a combination of jetlag and a sinus infection. Thankfully though, our member was able to see an English-speaking doctor and salvage some sightseeing time out of the last few days in Quito. There is certainly plenty to see in this historic city, from the Presidential Palace to the Basilica of the National Vow. It seems the Virgin of Quito statue is also worth a visit – if nothing else, then for the view.
A bit like Christ the Redeemer over-looks Rio de Janeiro, the statue of the Virgin of Quito dominates the Old Town. Sitting atop El Panecillo (Little Bread Loaf) the statue is interesting, but the main attraction for me was the magnificent view over the city of Quito. From here you can appreciate how big the place is, stretching way down the valley to the north and south.
There’s bound to be plenty of exciting adventures in store as RooFlyer ventures through the Ecuadorian rainforest, cruises around the Galapagos Islands, tours Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, visits the Iguassu Falls (both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides) and much more! But be warned, you may find yourself compelled to book your own trip to South America after following this adventure! See for yourself HERE.
