Going to South America

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Needless to say, healthy non working old farts Like me are a long way down the list of getting the shot when available. Could be 9-12 months after the vaccine becomes available depending upon production capacity.

Deleted

Edited May 18, 2020 by Paulchili

[clo]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Needless to say, healthy non working old farts Like me are a long way down the list of getting the shot when available. Could be 9-12 months after the vaccine becomes available depending upon production capacity.

THIS^  Think of all the "first responders" just in the US. And children now that we know we're learning in that regard. And teachers? Yeah, you get the picture. We'll likely be at the very bottom of the list. Kinda like when hospitals had to made the dreadful decision of who got the last ventilator. If you haven't already I think this could be a topic of its own rather than just "going to South America" which I only open because we do go there. Thanks a lot.

[clo]

24 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Still leaves me, with my old bald head at the bottom of the heap!  🥵

"God made a few perfect heads and the rest he covered with hair."

[clo]

1 hour ago, Ladys Mom said:

For those who think I am overly optimistic that we would sail in December I would like to clarify what I meant.  No way would we travel to Brazil now or in the near future.  They have had problems with Zika, yellow fever, and now Covid.  This is why we plan to get off the ship in Buenos Aires and fly home.  Before we booked the cruise I checked the situation in each of the countries we would be visiting and none approached the US or Brazil.  It is important not to generalize.  That's why I said parts of South America.

You are talking six months from now. Just think about what we were doing six months ago. I also wonder what South America is going to allow re cruise ships. The Caribbean needs the business. A lot of S. America doesn't. Buenos Aires is a big, beautiful city that gets loads of visitors, tourists and business people. If I were in charge of some of those countries I'd tell the cruise lines to 'kiss off' at least for now.

PS: If you do go to BA, I hope you'll stay over for at least a few days. We had a great time.

[pinotlover]

We a booked on the Marina for BA to Lima starting 1/28/21. Surely hope she sails. Iguazu Falls on one end, Manchu Picchu on the other.

 

Talked with the hotel in Cusco where we hope to stay. They are totally shut down until August 1st. They are reeling. Any tourists, including cruise ships, would be a welcomed blessing. 
 

Still eight months away. A lot can and will happen in between. Our 20 day cruise, starting in BA, is the second segment of a 30 day Grand Cruise starting in Rio. Not sure that is a good thing or not???

[clo]

49 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

starting in Rio.

If I could go to Rio without getting on a ship or an airplane I'd go! We just love Rio. Oh, and almost every place we eat is open air. There are fancier places that are indoors but those are the exception for us. This photo is right across the street from where we have feijoada on Saturdays. (You MUST be in Rio on a Saturday - it's the big family meal.)

 

[KirkNC]

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

. Could be 9-12 months after the vaccine becomes available depending upon production capacity.

I think that’s an excellent point.  To develop one is usually 12-18 months but to make billions of doses, no idea but it will take a long time.  I draw a lot of parallel with the Spanish flu, it ran out of steam on its own eventually but it took almost two years. 

[KirkNC]

1 hour ago, clo said:

If I could go to Rio without getting on a ship or an airplane I'd go! We just love Rio. Oh, and almost every place we eat is open air. There are fancier places that are indoors but those are the exception for us. This photo is right across the street from where we have feijoada on Saturdays. (You MUST be in Rio on a Saturday - it's the big family meal.)

 

Looks like Copacabana Beach.

[KirkNC]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

We a booked on the Marina for BA to Lima starting 1/28/21. Surely hope she sails. Iguazu Falls on one end, Manchu Picchu on the other.

 

Talked with the hotel in Cusco where we hope to stay. They are totally shut down until August 1st. They are reeling. Any tourists, including cruise ships, would be a welcomed blessing. 
 

Still eight months away. A lot can and will happen in between. Our 20 day cruise, starting in BA, is the second segment of a 30 day Grand Cruise starting in Rio. Not sure that is a good thing or not???

just an FYI, January and February are the rainy season in Peru.  In fact the Inca trail closes in February.

[clo]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

Looks like Copacabana Beach.

Yep. We go to a place The Deck on Copa for feijoado (and caipirinhas of course) for Saturday lunch. Go home and "sleep" and have egg and toast for dinner  🙂 

 

[clo]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

just an FYI, January and February are the rainy season in Peru.  In fact the Inca trail closes in February.

Do the trains stop running also?

 

Thinking about Iguazu and Cusco, I'm betting they have NO medical care at all. We were there about 25 years ago and I understand that Machu Picchu is just overrun with tourists. That's a real shame.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think that’s an excellent point.  To develop one is usually 12-18 months but to make billions of doses, no idea but it will take a long time.  I draw a lot of parallel with the Spanish flu, it ran out of steam on its own eventually but it took almost two years. 

Yes, and people should really take a look at the numbers of the second wave of the Spanish Flu. 

 

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

[pinotlover]

Unfortunately, we know about the rain, but we’ll be on the train.

 

They have now instituted strict capacity controls at MP. One must now have a certified guide. The guides are limited to specific max numbers of tourists  with time slots for each tour. The guides can now book up well in advance. You can no longer just show up and expect to get in and wander around.

[clo]

26 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Unfortunately, we know about the rain, but we’ll be on the train.

 

They have now instituted strict capacity controls at MP. One must now have a certified guide. The guides are limited to specific max numbers of tourists  with time slots for each tour. The guides can now book up well in advance. You can no longer just show up and expect to get in and wander around.

Yeah, so I hear. One of these days I should pull out the album from that trip.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I think that’s an excellent point.  To develop one is usually 12-18 months but to make billions of doses, no idea but it will take a long time.  I draw a lot of parallel with the Spanish flu, it ran out of steam on its own eventually but it took almost two years. 

Maybe if they had social distancing   it may not have lasted 2 yrs 😁

 

[LHT28]

OT

DH  just went to get milk   was amazed  no other customers were wear masks  neither were the cashiers

People must think because some places are opening up it is  safe to relax the protocols in place

 The number of cases here are still over 300  a day  in our Province 

 

Once  they get under 100 pd  I will feel better about going  shopping with a mask ...maybe

[clo]

33 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

OT

DH  just went to get milk   was amazed  no other customers were wear masks  neither were the cashiers

People must think because some places are opening up it is  safe to relax the protocols in place

 The number of cases here are still over 300  a day  in our Province 

 

Once  they get under 100 pd  I will feel better about going  shopping with a mask ...maybe

Wow. Unlike not so very long ago, almost everyone I see has on a mask. Costco won't let you in without one. Good for them.

[KirkNC]

59 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe if they had social distancing   it may not have lasted 2 yrs 😁

 

They did use social distancing but like today some cities did not or for too short of a period of time.  Social distancing has been used for diseases before this one, that’s why they know it works.

[KirkNC]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Unfortunately, we know about the rain, but we’ll be on the train.

 

They have now instituted strict capacity controls at MP. One must now have a certified guide. The guides are limited to specific max numbers of tourists  with time slots for each tour. The guides can now book up well in advance. You can no longer just show up and expect to get in and wander around.

We went last July, beautiful weather and not too crowded.  Our guide knew how to get us through the choke points (getting on the bus and at the main gate). We went one afternoon and then again the next morning.  Busy time is 10-2.

[Queen of DaNile]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

We went last July, beautiful weather and not too crowded.  Our guide knew how to get us through the choke points (getting on the bus and at the main gate). We went one afternoon and then again the next morning.  Busy time is 10-2.

Just before closing time - only us and the llamas

[clo]

11 minutes ago, Queen of DaNile said:

Just before closing time - only us and the llamas

 

Was that on zoom or were you really that close to them? You know how lucky you were - and we were back in the day - to have it pretty much to yourselves.  I remember that we carried a picnic lunch and ate it on one of the terraced gardens. I'm betting that's not allowed anymore.

As long as we're OT we did have cuy aka guinea pig one night in Cusco. Our server spoke no English and he made very sure that I knew what it was...and I did 🙂

Edited May 19, 2020 by clo

[KirkNC]

I am sure she was that close, pics when we were there:

[clo]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

I am sure she was that close, pics when we were there:

 

That's wonderful. Look at that baby 🙂  Thanks a gazillion 🙂

Edited May 19, 2020 by clo

[KirkNC]

Funny part was I was so into taking pictures I did not realize my legs were getting attacked by some biting insect.  About 20 minutes later I had about twenty welts on my legs that itched like crazy.