It was just not meant to be!

My original plan was to do the tours in Manta and then leave the ship for about a week to travel around Ecuador and Peru by myself. The ship had tours to Quito, Ecuador ($999 USD) and Machu Picchu, Peru ($3499 USD), but I figured out that I could do both places on my own for about $1200 USD. Due to internet problems onboard the ship and the fact that we arrived in Manta on a Sunday, I couldn't get a flight out of town. Reluctantly, I returned to the ship and realized that I would have to make another trip to South America if I ever wanted to visit these two attractions.

Luckily, I did not put a deposit down on any hotels or the train passage to Machu Picchu because I just found out that it was declared a disaster area. Torrential downpours washed away the railway tracks stranding many tourists at the site. Helicopters are being used to fly people out of the disaster zone and it will take quite a while for the area to recover from this natural catastrophe. Naturally, all the ship tours to the site have been canceled and passengers are now scrambling to make other arrangements.

I guess, it was just not meant to be this year. So if anyone reading this wants to travel to South America (in the next year or two) to see these sites, then send a note to me at my sweeetttoooth email. No, I won't be cruising again and no, I won't be going in the rainy season (this time of the year). But I would be interested in doing a 2 or 3 week overland trip to this part of the world in the dry season.