Segfest US Visit, Cuzco, Machu Picchu

[TiVoAussie]

Hi Folks

If we come to the USA for SegFest we're thinking about going down to Peru for 5 days and visiting Cuzco and Machu Picchu, which we've always wanted to do. Anybody been there? Would the sites be accessible to a Segway? How problematic is the altitude?

Any other tips for the best things to see in the USA? Most of the things on our list so far are the typical tourist things, Vegas, the Smithsonian, the Grand Canyon, New York, maybe Hearst's San Simeon...

We're not really theme park types, we're more into museums & galleries, we love history but also technology, old buildings, fine dining etc.

Any tips would be very much appreciated! At this stage we're not sure we'll do it... here's your chance to tempt us!

Cheers

Ron


There are a little over six thousand Segway owners!
There are a little over six billion people in the world!
I'm one in a million! :)

[Race3]

Washington, DC has excellent museums (especially the Air & Space Museum!!!) and all of them are basically free. It's a nice place to visit if you like history, museums, etc... and should be a great place to segway from gallery to gallery. While in Floria, you may also be interested in visiting NASA.

[AtlSeg]

Ron,

Both Cuzco and Machu and Picchu are incredible experiences--I was there a year ago (it was one of my "have to see before I die" trips). You'll love it!

Cuzco is a very curious mix of old and new--parts of it look like any urban landscape, while there are remants of Incan structures intermixed! Cuzco is built partially on a hill, and some of the streets can be interesting to navigate. In parts, the sidewalks are very narrow, and the streets are cobblestoned. Not sure how Seg friendly they would be!

Cuzco is actually at a higher altitude than Machu Picchu, and if you fly into Cuzco, you definitely feel the effects of the high altitude. Just take time to relax, and drink plenty of coca tea--which is offered in all the hotels. Another method reported to counteract the effects of the altitude is Viagra. For whatever reason, it does seem to help!!

If your budget permits, you might consider staying at the Monasterio Hotel (an Orient Express Hotel) It was originally built as a seminary over 300 years ago and today is a 5-star hotel.

You'll most likely take the train to Aguas Caliente, which is the town at the foot of Machu Picchu. Again, not entirely Seg friendly. To get to Machu Picchu itself, you have to take a bus up a steep road with many switchbacks. Within the "park" itself, there is no way you could use a Segway! The paths are made of stones, with many stairs.

Again, if budget permits, I would recommend staying at the Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel at Machu Picchu. It is also an Orient Express Hotel, with only 31 rooms. The incredible thing about staying here is that you don't have to rely on the bus's schedule to get "up the hill" and you can enter Machu Picchu when there are few other tourists--even at night, if you wish. Being in the park at sunrise is a magical experience.

If you're really adventurous, you might try using a Segway. I probably wouldn't.

Dick (Richard) in Atlanta

[TiVoAussie]

Hi Dick

Just the info I was looking for!

I was looking at the "dicoveries" package offered here:
http://www.monasterio.orient-express.com/web/ocus/ocus_c1b_packages.jsp
by the Monasterio Hotel, and which includes the Sanctuary.

We only speak Australian (a vaguely English like language :)) so a package is probably safest for us... I assume they can handle English okay at the big hotels?

Doesn't sound like the Segway would be viable there... shame!

Washington sounds good, we'll add that to the list... Any more?

Cheers

Ron


There are a little over six thousand Segway owners!
There are a little over six billion people in the world!
I'm one in a million! :)

[Sunday]

Come check out Segway friendly Park City, Utah-home of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. We've got miles of paved trails, and the colors will be beautiful this fall.

Segway-more fun than you can stand!