NEW! HOW TO SURVIVE THE USA AIRPORT EXPERIENCE: For the very latest in travel tips with your photographic equipment, both within the USA and Internationally, it's best to follow the advice given in this website: http://thinktankphoto.com/airport/. The following text is probably quite out of date by now (February 14, 2008).
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, in NYC and Washington, DC, a tightening of security has been implemented in all USA airports. It is imperative that you call your airline and find out exactly what they require you to bring and also what not to pack or carry. You MUST have a photo ID: driver's license or passport is best. Keep your photo ID handy at all times until you are seated on the plane.
For domestic flights (within the USA), arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight leaves. Some airlines, such as US Airways, allow electronic tickets. In this case all you need are your flight number and your photo ID. Others may require paper tickets. Check when making your reservations. Some airlines will have separate window stations where you can get your boarding pass if you already have your ticket and have no luggage to check. Be sure to ask the first official you see about where to go for this.
You are allowed only one standard-sized piece of carry-on luggage, plus a large purse OR briefcase. Try not to have to check any luggage, because those lines are very long. For flights out of the USA with luggage to check, better allow more than two hours.
Next hurdle is the security line which every passenger must pass through. Family or friends are no longer allowed past the security gates, only ticketed passengers. Have your photo ID plus your boarding pass ready. Security officials will be pulling passengers at random from the line for a thorough check of your carry-on, purse, briefcase, pockets, etc. This means they'll open everything and go through it carefully. If you pack your clothing first, then put the other stuff on top, the officials won't have to take out all your clothing to check your toiletries case and other hard items. People have reported success with packing several items of clothing in each of the special zippered or zip-lock clear plastic travel bags. Layer these bags in your suitcase. Checking and repacking will be easier.
After your carry-on, etc, have passd through the x-ray machine and you have walked through the metal detector, then you will be subjected to a body scan by a security person with a very sensitive metal detecting wand. A woman will check the women and girls; a man for the men and boys. These wands are extremely sensitive and will detect the location of even the small metal hooks in bras! So do not wear clothing that has metal parts such as pocket rivets and metal belt buckles if possible. Also, women will do well to have packed their jewelry instead of wearing it. You will also be patted all over your body, discretely and gently.
Once successfully through the security process, you'll be free to go to your gate. But you're not clear of security checking, yet. As the passengers are called to board the plane, you may be pulled out of this line randomly and subjected to a thorough search, just as they did in the main security line. And this is the current state of affairs at airports in the USA.
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I've been to several areas of the world over the past 11 years and have learned a few tips that will make traveling easier for you. When I first went overseas, I thought I had to take everything with me that I might possibly need. I didn't use half of it, of course. So, over time and subsequent trips, I learned to cut my packing way down to the minimum necessities. And I became a much happier traveler. Now I plan what to wear each day and lay it all out in daily piles on the bed before packing. Then I eliminate some items, if necessary, so that I'm left with the essentials for each day's clothing.
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PACKING
LUGGAGE: We're usually allowed to take one large suitcase and one carry-on for overseas flights. If you sign up for the 10-day Hatun Karpay Initiations trip via the Wiraqocha Foundation, Barbara Perrins Associates, or The Dreammaker, you will spend 2-3 days in Cuzco first, then 4 days in Machu Picchu, then back to Cuzco for the rest of your stay. If you plan ahead, and pack your carry-on for the 4 days in Machu Picchu, with the rest of your clothing in the large suitcase, you'll be prepared to make the switch in locations with minimal hassle.
So in my carry-on, I placed 4 days worth of lighter clothing suitable for the semitropical climate at Machu Picchu. I did not wear shorts, thank goodness, because those who did got many bites on their bare legs. Insect repellent didn't seem to work on those types of bugs.
When it was time to go to Machu Picchu, all I had to do was transfer my toiletries kit, hat and a few other items to my carry-on and I was ready. The hotel in Cuzco will put your large suitcase in locked storage.
When packing, I put the day's underwear, the blouse or t-shirt and the pants for each day together. So each morning all I have to do is take out the layer for that day. I can take these daily layers out of the suitcase and put them in drawers in the hotel room, if I desire.
However, I always place my dirty clothing beneath a solid divider back in the suitcase each day. This saves on packing time when I have to leave the hotel for another hotel or for home. In Peru I found that if I washed out my underwear each night after taking a shower, the items would be dry in the morning.
Also, I pack as lightly as possible, taking only what I know I'll need plus a few extra sox and underwear. I want to leave room in my suitcase for stuff I'll purchase at my destination.
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JACKETS, OUTERWEAR
MICROFIBER FLEECE JACKET: Lightweight, and with several pockets, is perfect for Peru. This can be worn by itself if the day isn't going to be cold and windy.
NYLON WINDBREAKER JACKET: To wear alone or over the fleece jacket, the windbreaker is a necessity for Peru, as much of the time it's quite windy in the mountains. The combination of these two jackets kept me warm and I could layer or unlayer as the day progressed. I just used the sleeves of the jacket I removed tied around my waist. Sometimes I could leave it on our private bus.
LIGHTWEIGHT PONCHO: For those sudden and unexpected drenchings one can get during the wet season, November through March. If you get one that folds up and can be stored in a compact pouch, this works fine. Much better than trying to cope with an umbrella.
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ACCESSORIES:
MONEY BELT: With 2 zippered pockets. I wore mine with the zippers facing inward. Pickpockets abound in Peru, so you can't have a separate purse, as it's likely to be stolen no matter how hard you think you're hanging onto it.
BACKPACK or WAIST PACK: For the day trips. Wear these in front, not on your back! Pickpockets, again. I took a waist pack that had two holders for water bottles, plus some zippered pockets. No backpack. I really didn't need one.
SOFT HAT WITH A BRIM: To shade your face. The sun is very burning at high altitudes, even though the air might feel chilly.
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FOOTWEAR:
HIKING BOOTS: I splurged and got the best boots I could afford. I prefer the over-the-ankle ones. These could be waterproofed and have removeable inserts so I could use my special inserts to support my arches. Soles should have plenty of tread to grip those stone steps, even when they're slick and muddy.
WALKING SNEAKERS (not running shoes): Again I bought the best I could afford. Mine are low, but have plenty of great tread. I used these in Machu Picchu instead of the hiking boots and they served me well.
Purchase your boots and other shoes at least a month in advance and wear them every day to break them in. Start with an hour and gradually increase the time worn until you can wear them all day.
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION:
SNACKS: Power bars, granola bars, whatever you use for extra energy and nutrition. Do not take along ordinary candy bars. These will seem to give you an energy boost, but then your energy may crash. Take enough bars so you can plan to have 3-4 a day. Quite often our breakfasts were very early and our lunches late. A long time to go without food at high altitudes. Also, on the days when Juan bought box lunches, I often ate only my power bars. Their box lunches are pretty terrible.
SUPPLEMENTS, MEDICINES AND HERBS: You're on your own here! When I take supplements, I take them in their original containers, so if the authorities check, they don't think I'm trying to smuggle drugs into or out of the country. Then I put each day's supply in a sandwich-sized plastic zipper bag and keep the bottles in my hotel room.
If you must take prescription drugs, take them in their original container and also take along the prescription.
Ask your druggist (pharmacist) for some Diamox to help you cope with the high altitude. These pills seem to have no side effects and sure helped me for the first couple of days.
NUTRIBIOTIC GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT: Obtainable from natural foods stores. This comes as a glycerine extract in small squeeze bottles. Nine drops will sterilize a gallon of water. I used 4 drops in a small glass of tap water when I brushed my teeth and also to sterilize my toothbrush. It's bitter, but worth it, so you don't get 'traveler's revenge.'
Also take this product along as capsules. If you think you've eaten something you shouldn't have, immediately take 3-4 of them and repeat the dose an hour or so later. If you get sick at your stomach or get diarrhea, Juan carries some tablets that are very effective.
WATER: Tap water may look clean in Peru, but it's not pottable, which means you shouldn't drink it. Buy bottled water from the hotel (expensive) or from the peddler in front of the hotel. It's the same stuff. I bought two pints to carry with me each day and a quart or so to keep in the hotel room. Make sure you ask for "agua sin gas." (Agua is pronounced "ahwah.") This is the non-carbonated type. If you want carbonated, ask for "agua con gas." But it's not such a good idea to drink carbonated water at high altitudes, as it can give you lots of bloating.
SUNSCREEN: Even if you already have a tan, it's best to use a sunscreen of at least 32 SPF. The Andean sun is unbelievably strong. Very sensitive people should use a SPF of 45, wear a brimmed hat at all times outside, even on cloudy days, and wear long sleeves and pants.
INSECT REPELLENT: I took along some repellent, but had to use it only a few times. I waited until I got attacked and then put on the repellent, as I don't like to just slather it on at the beginning of the day. The only times we really needed to use repellent was at Machu Picchu, and then that was mostly for those who had bare legs.
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FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
CASH: American (USA) money is accepted in Peru, but you can exchange it for Peruvian soles either at the hotel (you won't get a good rate) or use the money changers that Juan (or your guides) recommends. Each morning in Cuzco, we met a man on the sidewalk in front of the hotel and he gave us a good rate for our American bills. At Machu Picchu we exchanged money at the hotel.
Go to the bank a week or so before you leave and ask for clean, new 10s, 20s and 50s. Some Peruvian money changers won't take bills if they're creased, worn or torn! For further information about carrying cash, exchanging money and avoiding counterfeit money, click here.
TRAVELER'S CHECKS: You can take Traveler's Checks, but you won't get as good a rate of exchange if you do. Also, the banks charge a whopping 10% fee for each check cashed! I kept all my money ($500 cash) with me at all times and had no problems. My money belt was always around my waist, hidden by my jackets or under my t-shirts.
CREDIT CARDS: Visa and MasterCard are accepted. I had two credit cards for emergencies, but didn't have to use them.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
CAUTION: Register with the Customs Office of your country your camera and other electronic equipment you plan to take. This is very important, so when you re-enter your country after your trip, you can prove that you owned the camera before your trip and that you did not buy it while out of your country. You can find Customs Offices at any airport which accepts flights from foreign countries. Phone ahead first to find out what days and hours you can register equipment.
Another caution: Do NOT take any photographs at any foreign airport unless you find out that this is permitted! Some countries do not allow people to take photos at airports, for security reasons. If you do so, you may have your film and camera confiscated!
CAMERAS: One-use: Many people feel that the one-use cameras are adequate. Just remember, though, that these cameras have plastic lenses which will make your photos look slightly fuzzy. So if you want to enlarge some of your photos, you'll need to consider investing in a much better camera.
CAMERAS: Point-and-Shoot 35mm: Try to get as good a point-and-shoot camera as you can afford! These are all very light weight, compared to the standard 35mm cameras many people use, e.g., Nikon, Canon, Minolta and Pentax.
The point-and-shoot camera my husband gave me after I returned from Peru is a Leica Z2X with a 35-70mm zoom lens that takes pictures as sharply focused as the ones my two heavier Nikons take! How I wish I'd had this camera in Peru! Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Olympus and other manufacturers all sell point-and-shoots of varying quality.
CAMERAS: APS: The APS (Advanced Photo Series) cameras are fairly new and are smaller and lighter weight and use a smaller film size than the 35mm. Here again, if you decide to get one of these, buy the best quality you can afford.
CAMERAS: Standard 35mm: If you already own one of the standard heavy 35mm cameras, try to take only one good all-purpose zoom lens, to cut down on weight.
CAMERAS: Digital: Some of these are lighter weight than others. Instead of film, they use cards which usually don't store many photos. So unless you're taking a lap-top computer (expensive) with you so you can download photos into it, you'll need a lot of cards. Or take along an external hard drive. Get one with the most storage you can afford. They are small and more easy to carry than a leptop. Make sure you have an electrical outlet adaptor for the country you'll be traveling to, so you can charge your camera batteries. There are brand new rechargable batteries in several sizes that now will hold their charge for longer than a year. So buy them instead of the usual rechargables. Unless your camera takes a special dedicated battery, in which case have a spare or two along.
LENSES: If you have a standard 35mm camera, you can get by with only one lens! Sigma, Tamron and Tokina make excellent smaller lighter-weight zoom lenses that give you a wide range of options, from wide-angle (28-35mm) to telephoto (90-300mm). Newer zoom lenses have even wider ranges (28-300mm). So do some investigating.
FILMS: Most people will want to use color films. If you use black-and-white film, more power to you! Films come in slide (transparencies) or print versions. When deciding, just remember that slide films are much less forgiving than print films if you goof up the exposure.
That said, film speed is the next consideration. You'll encounter a variety of lighting conditions in the Andes. So you might want to take at least two film speeds: ISO 100-200 for the bright sunlit scenes; ISO 400-800 or higher for lower lighting conditions. Both Fuji and Kodak make excellent 800-speed print films.
Buy film in your own country! Films purchased in the Andes may well be out-of-date, resulting in poor quality photos.
Take the film cassettes from their plastic canisters. Put the cassettes in zippered clear plastic bags and put these bags in your carry-on where you can get at them easily. When you get to the airports and have to go through the X-ray process, take out these bags and ask for the film to be hand-checked. The checkers won't have to open the plastic bags, as they can see that you are carrying film if you have followed the above instructions.
Before you leave for your trip, develop a system to keep track of which film cassettes contain which pictures: A small notebook in which you can jot down the date and "roll #1, Cuzco street scenes" or something like that; a permanent black marker to mark each exposed cassette; and extra zippered plastic bags. Keep the exposed cassettes in separate bags.
How do you tell which cassettes have been exposed and which are unexposed? Cameras with auto-rewind will roll the leader clear back into the cassette. If your camera doesn't do this, then use the marker to mark the leader of the exposed film when you remove it from the camera.
At all times, keep your daily supply of film and your camera out of the sun! Heat of this nature will ruin film quickly.
VIDEOCAMS: I'm not an expert here, but videocams come in all sizes, weights and quality. If you want to take one, you'll have to ask the experts.
TAPE RECORDERS: Instead of or in addition to a notebook, you may want to consider taking along a minicassette recorder and lots of minicassettes. You can keep up a running commentary of your impressions and which film cassettes have which pictures. But one thing to consider before you buy one is, will you have or take the time to listen to it after you return home?
BATTERIES: You'll need to remember to take along extra new batteries for your cameras and other equipment. Do not rely on buying batteries in Peru. Like film, batteries may well be out of date. You can take recharable batteries, but you must also take along the special chargers for those types of batteries, and also a current converter suitable for use in South American countries.
• THE UNIVERSAL CURRENCY CONVERTER
Here's a free, easy to use currency rates converter to give you up-to-the-minute conversion rates from any country's currency to any other currency! A very handy site to bookmark.
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EASY JET LAG REMEDY
Peru lies in the same time zone as the eastern coast of North America. If you live in any other time zone, this little trick will help you reset your body's energy meridiens to local Peru time.
This very easy massage technique was taught to some of my friends by an accupuncturist. He said he didn't know why this works, but that it resets the body's energy meridiens to local time wherever you land.
You must do this during the last few minutes that the plane is circling for landing. If you wait until the plane has touched down, it's too late, even though your own feet may not have touched the ground!
1. With LEFT hand, massage the whole LEFT ear lobe, inside and out, over and over until the plane lands.
2. Simultaneously, with RIGHT arm crossed in front of chest, find the sorest spot in the middle of your LEFT side. For women this is approximately at the lower edge of the bra. So men can judge from that where to hunt for the spot. Massage this sore spot while you massage the LEFT ear lobe, until the plane lands.
That's all there is to it! It really does work! The ear lobes have over 300 accupuncture points that go to all parts of the body. Also, that sore spot in the middle of the left side is a major junction point that influences all the meridiens.
I have used this simple massage and taught it to all the passengers around me on long trips to New Zealand, Australia, China and Tibet. Over there, their daytime is our nighttime here in North America. The people in my groups who did this massage had minimal jet lag, while those who didn't do this took over two weeks to get over jet lag after returning home! This also works if you're crossing only one or two time zones.
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• SPIRITOILE: Heure de Greenwich
Another very handy site, this gives you the Greenwich Mean Time. If you are going to be traveling to different time zones and you know how many hours to add to or subtract from GMT for particular time zones (often the travel brochures or your travel agent can give you this info), you can figure out that location's time as compared to your own.
Peru is in the same time zone as the East Coast of the USA. Peru always stays on Standard Time, but certain other South and Central American countries switch to Daylight Savings Time from about November to March. So to figure the time in Peru, just subtract 5 hours from the GMT. Here's another webpage that gives the time information about Peru. To see other Western Hemisphere countries, just click on the link in the upper right corner, "America."
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• WORLD TIME ZONES
A chart comparing the world's time zones, naming well-known cities and countries and giving their time variation from Greenwich Mean Time.
• WORLD TIME SERVER
Not a chart, this site allows you to click on any country. You'll see the Greenwich Mean Time plus that country's local time(s).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Midi playing is "El Humahuaqueño" (Traditional festival song)
Last revised, May, 2002
