Viator – The Chicken Scratches

Lima, Peru (11-15 June 2019)

by Pat & Ray WhydeJune 25, 2019September 10, 2022

We planned at trip to Peru with my son and grandson, specifically to go to Cusco and Machu Picchu. But first, Pat and I stopped in Lima. We arrived in Lima, Peru, late night on the June 11 – getting to our hotel (Hotel El Carmelo Miraflores) after midnight. We’re here for only 4 nights, before heading to Cusco for the second half of our trip. Wednesday, 12 June The good thing about our hotel was its location only a few minutes walk to the cliff overlooking the beaches and the Pacific Ocean. Lima has a park system running for …

Lisbon, Portugal (13-20 March 2018)

by Pat & Ray WhydeMarch 20, 2018June 7, 20220

Well, this trip didn’t quite start as we wished – our flight from Charlotte to JFK never got off the ground because of a mechanical problem with the aircraft. Since it was the last Jet Blue flight to JFK that night, there was no way to make our connection to Lisbon.We were lucky enough to get rebooked for the same flight the next night and got a taxi home (paid for by Jet Blue). One of the bad parts of this, besides not getting home until 1 AM, was the need to let our hotel in Lisbon know we would …

Unexpected India (1-4 June 2017)

by Pat WhydeJune 5, 2017October 13, 20220

When Ray and I flew back to Singapore to visit Jenny et al we didn’t plan on any additional trips until we leave at the end of June for our next adventure. But an opportunity arose shortly before we left the US. Jenny had a work trip to New Delhi the week after we arrived in Singapore. She asked me if I wanted to join her at the end of the work week for a few days of mother/daughter adventure. I had just enough time to apply and wait the 7 working days to get my India visa (I had …

Panama (February 2017)

by Pat & Ray WhydeFebruary 15, 2017October 17, 20220

Our flight to Panama, left Charlotte on February 7. This is the first time we have ever cashed in credit card points for a flight. The only problem with this: the tickets were not up-gradable, so we were stuck in basic economy. For a 4-hour flight, it wasn’t a real problem. Our hotel reservation at the Hyatt Place Panama City/Downtown, were made through booking.com. We arrived there about 11:30 PM and immediately went to bed. February 8 (Wednesday) For our first full day here in Panama City we did what we usually do when we get to a new place …

Thailand (2016)

by Pat & Ray WhydeFebruary 8, 2016October 26, 20220

Because Pat and I had a free week, we decided to go to Bangkok, Thailand. Saturday, 30 Jan 2016 Flew to Bangkok on Tiger Air and took a cab from the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Although we were offered transportation in a limo for THB$1000 (about US$28), one of our friends in Singapore told us to ignore these offers and go directly to the taxi stand. Good advice – taxi cost us THB$400 (US$11). Traffic was terrible, especially the short drive up Soi 11 to our hotel. This road, that we often had to walk to get around, took at least 1/2 …

Vietnam (21-26 November 2015)

by Pat & Ray WhydeDecember 5, 2015October 29, 20220

Pat and I have returned from a short trip to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and the island of Phu Quoc). The main part of the trip was arranged by Eco Adventures here in Singapore. They arranged our flights on Vietnam Airlines and the hotels we stayed in. We arranged our own tours using Viator. Saturday, 21 November 2015 Our flight left Changi Airport at 1:15 PM for the 2 hour flight into Ho Chi Minh City, or the name most residents call it – Sai Gon. (It’s interesting that most signs spell it as 2 words, while I remember …