By Ardenia Jones Terry
The Truth Travel Correspondent
Machu Picchu is an ancient Incan site. The Incan’s building techniques, agricultural procedures, and medical surgeries were advanced, and many are used today. I flew from Lima, Peru, to Cusco, Peru. Then, I took a three-hour bus ride to the town of Ollantaytambo and checked into the Pakaritampu Hotel.
Ollantaytambo is 9,150 feet above sea level, and Cusco is 11,152 feet above sea level, making it necessary to take altitude sickness medicine. The only man-made World Wonder I had not visited prior to the cruise was Machu Picchu. It was the World Wonder I was most eager to see on the World Cruise. However, I did not get to see it!
Protesters blocked access to the Incan site over a new online ticketing system. The Protesters opposed a private company profiting from Machu Picchu ticket sales. I was one of hundreds of tourists stranded near Machu Picchu in Ollantaytambo near the train station.
The protesters blocked railways and bus routes to the site. In the end, I understood and empathized with the protesters. Oppression is worldwide. Again, I purchased a three-day private excursion to Machu Picchu with a group of cruisers from Australia. We went to an alternative plan when we could not see Machu Picchu and toured the Sacred Valley, a women’s yarn production company, Centro Text’l URPI, and toured Cusco. We spent the night in Cusco at the Monasterio Hotel before catching up with the ship in Lima.
The Great Pyramids of Giza (Cairo, Egypt, 2600 BCE). The Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are my favorite World Wonders. The Great Pyramids of Giza are the last ancient world wonder in existence today and, as a result, Egypt claims that the Pyramids are the only world wonder. I agree. I visited Egypt in 2009. If you see only one World Wonder, visit The Great Pyramids of Giza, cruise the Nile River, and visit Nubia and Abu Simbel.
Egypt is the only country with multiple ancient structures and artifacts. Cairo is the only city where I have seen camels, horse-drawn wagons, Rolls Royce, Jeeps, and ordinary vehicles on the same road. Before the rerouting, the ship was docking in Alexandria, three hours from Cairo. I had arranged a private excursion to Cairo to see the Cairo Egyptian Museum, which recently opened with additional Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s treasures and artifacts; the light show at the Great Pyramids of Giza, and dinner with an overnight stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel next to the museum. The next day, we planned to rise at dawn, visit the Pyramids in daylight, return to Alexandria, tour the city of Alexandria, and board the ship.
Iguazu Falls (Argentina & Brazil, 1541 CE) Iguazu Falls is the largest waterfall system in the world, consisting of 275 waterfalls. The falls sit between Argentina and Brazil, forming a border between the two countries. You can view Iguazu from both countries. A boat ride also takes you around and under the falls. Plan to be wet if you take the boat ride. We flew two hours from Buenos Aires to Iguazu International Airport with a private guide and driver. I decided to make it a day trip and only view the falls from the Argentinian side. We had a delicious Argentinian bar-b-que lunch at the La Selva Restaurant on the Falls property. The falls are located in a jungle and are hot and humid. Therefore, the walkways are made of stainless steel, making it easy to get around. While there, I witnessed monkeys harmlessly take Cokes from two little children’s hands. I guess monkeys like Coke-A-Cola, too. In the park, I saw the sheer beauty of the falls, the force of the water flowing down over the cliffs, and the many languages being spoken, representing people from all over the world. We spent eight hours at the falls and flew back to the ship. The next day, we went to the Buenos Aries Hard Rock Cafe for breakfast before sailing to the next port.
Temple of Artemis (Ephesus, Turkey, 550 BCE) The Temple of Artemis is a Greek Temple dedicated to the ancient Goddess Artemis. If we had docked, the cruise line planned to host a party in the temple ruins with a choir singing and refreshments. I have never traveled to Ephesus, Turkey, toured the Temple of Artemis, or seen the Whirling Dervish, so I was looking forward to learning about Ephesus and having new experiences in Turkey.
Cancellation Due To Weather The Great Barrier Reef (Queensland, Australia, 20,000-6,000 CE) The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system. The Aborigines indicate the reef is more than 600,000 years old. It is the world’s largest single structure made of living creatures and can be seen from outer space. The excursion to The Great Barrier Reef from Carins was cancelled due to strong waves and storms. The African Renaissance Monument (Dakar, Senegal, 2010 CE) should be a World Wonder. The monument is a 171 feet tall bronze statue showing an African family drawn up to the sky with the man carrying his child on his chest and his wife by the waist. There are elevators and 150 steps that take you to the top. I was proud to see and stand in front of this statue. I felt like someone was finally seeing the Black family. Later, I used the monument photo to barter with the Senagalese brothers I met on my journey from port to port. The people of the world share so many things and the World Wonders are just one of them.