 Travel Tips for Peru & Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
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Travel Tips and What to Bring
Click here for Handy Travel Items: Bathroom Must Have, SteriPen, Jagbag
Frequently Asked Questions
Altitude
Whether you tour with Elders Without Borders or not, we wish for you the most positive experience possible, so we offer you these tips. Many of the lessons did not come easily.
DOCUMENTS YOU WILL REQUIRE: A valid Passport. Canadian Passport holders do not need visas for Peru. Please ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond  your intended stay in Peru. (Please reconfirm visa requirements prior to departure.) Holders of other passports must check with their embassies. No vaccinations are required. Some travelers to the jungle areas are concerned with malaria and take precautionary medicines. Most do not. Canadian and US travelers do not require a visa for touristic stays of up to 90 days. Extensions up to 30 days are possible. A valid passport is needed, that must be valid six months beyond intended stay. US travelers, PLEASE confirm!!
GENERAL HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: Most of the sites we will visit on the tour are at elevations between 7000-14,000 ft. Visitors will be much happier if their cardio-vascular system is in reasonable order. If you prepare a month or so in advance with some aerobics, bicycle riding, jogging or the like, you should be fine. We have had senior citizens on previous tours, and they did fine, albeit a bit slower.
TRAVELLING IN THE THIRD WORLD: The third world is not like home. Among the many differences are the different pace and sense of time. Commercial transport schedules are often subject to change, and this can be either interesting or frustrating, depending upon your attitude. Your patience and good humor are prerequisites. Standards of cleanliness there are far different to what you may be used to. Additional problems presented to the traveler might be acclimatizing to very high altitudes and the near certainty that no matter how carefully you eat, you could very likely contract diarrhea at least once.
PERUVIAN AIRLINES: Flying over the mountains can be quite a bargain as a time saver, as a one hour flight could easily take 10 hours by train and several days by road! However, traveling by air inside Peru can be frustrating, as often the time schedules are approximate. Your plane can depart early just as often as late. At many airports, the plane arrives, passengers disembark, they load the new passengers, and immediately takeoff. This is especially true at airports in the mountains, especially Cusco, where the weather often worsens in the afternoon, and so they want to fly in and out as quickly as possible. Flights can depart as much as 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure time! Woe be unto anyone arriving in the nick of time to catch a flight. It is best to be checked in and waiting for your plane at least 1 hour prior to scheduled departure, and in the mountains even earlier is a wise precaution.
THE PERUVIANS: They are very friendly and hospitable. There is no machismo. There is no anti-gringoism. In the Andes, Quechua or Aymara is the first language of most of the people, but almost everyone speaks Spanish.
Lima is a big city and you must have your street smarts about you. The mountain areas are much more mellow.
DRUG POLICY: There is no formal inspection when entering Peru. However, if you are bringing anything you suspect might be illegal, leave it at home. Upon your return, customs is usually perfunctory, but can be intense. You do not want to bring anything illegal back to Canada or the US. Never cross a Canadian or US border carrying anything illegal. The government is not sympathetic to the use of sacred plant medicine.
TOBACCO USERS: You will be lovingly banished to the outdoors. Please love and respect this sacred land and discard your cigarrette butts and filters appropriately, leaving nothing on the ground. Please be aware that nicotine tends to coat nerve endings, masking sensations and rendering the subtle energies we seek much more difficult to feel.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING LIGHT: You can tell the experienced traveler by the size of their luggage. Packing small, traveling lite, is an art form. By contrast, it is incredible the amount of stuff an inexperienced traveler can lug around and never need nor use.
One secret is to always choose articles with multiple functions. A windbreaker that is rain proof has more function than one that is not. If it is "dressy" enough to serve as your "dress up" outerwear as well, so much the better. One item thus might serve three functions. The more functions one item can perform, the less items you must lug around with you.
If something is indispensable or hard to replace, you probably want to carry it on your person. Limit yourself to a day pack and one piece of luggage, which you will have to carry at times, or pay others to carry.
CLOTHES AND FEELING ENERGY: Peru is a poor country so it can be dangerous (and in bad taste) to wear expensive jewelry, designer clothing, etc. There is no need for dressy clothing in Peru because it is a very casual place. Please leave your jewelry at home. In Lima and Cusco, you may want a casual skirt or dress to wear to a restaurant, but nothing fancy. If your overdress, you will look out of place. The mornings are cool and it will get very hot by noon, and by 3 or 4pm the temperature starts dropping again. Natural fibers (cotton, silk, and to some extent rayon) allow energy to pass. Synthetics, especially polyester, do not. So, as much as practical, bring/wear only natural fiber clothing. Bottom line -- jeans and t-shirts with a fleece will carry you through most of the trip!
DRESS IN LAYERS: Temperatures change rapidly and dramatically at high altitudes. You will want layers of clothing in your daypacks, "just in case". You will find that you are layering and unlayering often, every day. Wear light-weight, easy to wash garments next to your skin, and you will be less concerned about soil and travel grime on your outer garments. Silk thermals pack small, wash/dry quickly, are very warm yet cool in sun. Tan or earth colored pants will show dirt less than darker colors.
Alpaca is a hollow fiber, hence considerably warmer than similar weight in sheeps' wool. Alpaca garments are incredibly cheap in the Cusco markets. You might want to buy an alpaca sweater, neck scarf, hat, wool socks, and finally an alpaca poncho.
Choose everything you take with you to be as small as possible.
Some sort of rain coat or poncho, (you never know when it might rain). A great shoe tip is cheap Velcro tennis shoes. They look presentable, are strong enough for hiking, are washable, come on and off easily when entering homes or sacred sites, and since they are cheap, you can toss them when the trip is over. They are the only shoes some use, except perhaps for a pair of sandals. Others have done entire tours in Teva sandals, and were quite comfortable the entire time.
Whatever shoes you bring, make sure to thoroughly break them in before the trip. Make sure they are comfortable on a long hike.
SUGGESTED MINIMUM CLOTHING FOR PERU:
ANDES MOUNTAINS: Can be hot or cold, wet or dry. Our tour sites range from 6000-14,000 ft. High altitude sun is very intense. It will be cold at night.
MINIMUM: A light-weight daypack, Raincoat or waterproof poncho, warm sweater, collared shirt (for under sweater), and a change. Preferably one short sleeve and one long sleeve (for maximum versatility). Two pair pants with a multitude of pockets (Military style pants with two sets of pockets on legs are great), 2 tee shirts, 2 sleeveless tees, 2 light socks, thermal underwear bottoms, cheap velcro tennis shoes, good sun block, good insect repellent (only Machu Picchu seems to have bothersome insects. The other sites are probably too high), sun glasses, sun hat or head kerchief. Bathing suit (there is a great public hot springs in the town below Machu Picchu). Ear plugs for occasional noisy hotels, even for flights, and travel alarm if you need one. Small powerful flashlights are the most practical - MiniMag or equivalent are best. Make sure your batteries are fresh. If you need a lighter, you'll be happier if its windproof.
There is literally nothing in Machu Picchu - no vendors, no hawkers, no concession stands after you pass the front gate, just its pure, un-touched beauty and Presence. Take water and sunscreen -- you are at 12000 feet! Also a sun hat with a wide brim and sunglasses are necessary (even a Shewee - see below!). Again, bottom line -- jeans and t-shirts with a fleece will carry you through most of the trip!
EXTRA CLOTHES: In the Andes, laundry service is available in large cities and often even in very cheap hotels. However it can be surprisingly expensive. "On the road" no one really cares what you look or even smell like. Many get away with the clothes they're wearing plus one change. After a period of time, then switch and wash. If that's too extreme for you, please be practical, you'll be very happy you have a light load, and space to bring back new things!
LAUNDRY: Is cheap in Cusco and tends to be expensive elsewhere. We will all do laundry in Cusco, and probably again in the Lake Titicaca area. One solution is to bring little and change seldom. One solution is to bring a lot of old stuff, wear it, then toss it or give it to kids, then buy new. Especially good idea with tee shirts, and other items obviously from your home country. Such "foreign" clothing will probably be popular with the Peruvians. Everyone likes to show off clothing from far away places.
TOILET ARTICLES: Decant your liquid toilet articles into small plastic bottles. Best "hiss test" them first: When empty, tighten cap then squeeze. If it hisses, toss it, as it will leak under pressure, in airlines luggage compartment, or altitude change. You might then want to pack your good bottles in a zip lock bag to protect your stuff if a leak does occur.
TOILET PAPER: The third world has an incredible product they call toilet paper. Looks like crepe paper, feels like sand paper, tears like butcher paper. Bring your own. New rolls are bulky and far more than you're going to need in any one day. One secret is: at home before a trip wait until a roll is down to its last 1/4 and then set it aside, and break out a fresh roll. Come travel time, take out your collection, crush them flat, and pack them in a plastic bag in your luggage. Then while traveling, you will always have a 1/4 roll in your day pack and another in your pocket. Never bulky, and always handy. NEWS: Even though the Peruvians have now apparently mastered the art of making soft TP, you will still want to bring ¼ roll or so for carrying around in your pocket or day pack. At many public washrooms you must pay for TP and receive only a very small amount. Carrying around a full roll of TP is awkward at best.
IMPORTANT TIP: Take only what you'll need for the length of your trip. Small bar of soap, small supply of shampoo, small tube of toothpaste. Don't take a three months supply of anything on a three week trip. Even a towel might be optional, as even the cheapest hotel will supply a clean towel if you ask.
Pack small. It's a habit that becomes a science, and evolves into an art form. You'll also want to leave room for some shopping!
LADIES: Not sure if it's the altitude or the intensity of the energies experienced, but some women report a much more intense menstrual period than normal, physically and/or emotionally, while on tour. Be prepared, do what you do, and it's a nice idea to let your companions know when your moon time comes so they can understand and support you without taking anything personally.
Bathroom 'Must Have' for Women: Consider purchasing a "Shewee" or "Whiz Easy"!
These provide women with a simple, private
and hygienic method of urinating without removing clothes while standing up! Click on the following links to visit their websites for more information and ordering: Whiz Easy or Shewee -
These are VERY convenient when a bathroom is not around or is undesirable! NOTE: The "Whiz Easy" is also available at Mountain Equipment Co-op! Practice first!
Optional Sleep Item: Many people love to travel with silk sleeping bag liners. They are actually sleeping sacks in and of themselves, without using a sleeping bag. They are great for  hotels and the tropics, or third world countries (where the bugs are biting). They are wonderful for anyone sensitive to the bleach in hotel sheets, and also bugs don't bite through the silk! Silk is able to keep you cooler in warm conditions and warmer in cold conditions! There are many on the market, but Jagbag Liners range from simple to artistic, are inexpensive, and offer free shipping all over the world!! Note they offer two types of silk. See their FAQ's! Check them out at JagBags
 WATER: South of the US border, never ever drink un bottled water or un boiled water. Your North American habits can get you into serious trouble here. You can't rinse your tooth brush in the tap water, or your mouth in the shower - keep your mouth closed while showering or swimming! ! Tourists can get quite sick from each practice. The treated water in North America may taste bad and dry out your delicate skin a bit, but it won't make you sick...with traveler's tummy! Only drink bottled water (available everywhere and carried in your daypacks).
The exception is when you are in a restaurant that is obviously accustomed to catering to foreigners. There you can usually trust that they know and take the necessary precautions. Although tap water in Lima is considered safe to drink its chemical contents differ from those of which you are used to. To avoid problems you may prefer bottled water which is readily available everywhere.
** You might also enjoy bringing a convenient SteriPEN. It's the only portable water purifier that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to destroy waterborne microbes, in less than one minute, and is no bigger than a very small flash light! Whether you get water from a tap in a foreign hotel, either to drink or brush your teeth, or even to be sure about bottled water, the SteriPEN is always handy. For more info on the various models, visit the SteriPEN website, or go to Mountain Equipment Co-op!!
So there are certain steps you can take that will reduce your risks of spending your holiday looking for the nearest toilet! Top of the list is DO NOT drink the local tap water in any country in South America. Also avoid ice! Always buy bottled water and check that the seal on the lid has not been broken. Alternatively, take water treatment tablets or drops (iodine based ones are the best), or better still, bring a SteriPEN.
Tips on Avoiding Travelers' Tummy!: An upset stomach is the most common medical complaint when travelling in Latin America, and there can be any number of reasons for it, including change of climate, new diet, change in altitude and local water. To protect your stomachs against travelers’ tummy, don’t use ice, drink or brush your teeth in tap water in Second or Third World countries. Buy bottled water - always making sure it is properly sealed, and/or use a SteriPEN UV portable water purifier. Best advice for avoiding travelers tummy is don’t use ice, never drink the water or brush your teeth in their water, or rinse your toothbrush in their tap water, keep your mouth closed in the shower....eat only fruits and vegetables that have been peeled or cooked, no raw fish etc...sashimi, sushi (which is popular).
Street vendors’ food is usually a no-no (it often sits all day without refrigeration), as is ice cream (it may have melted and been re-frozen.) In the early weeks of travel in developing countries, avoid fresh salads unless you know that the restaurant washes the veggies in treated water. Until our stomachs have adjusted to new bacteria, we eat only well-cooked food and fruit we can peel. Slowly add local dishes - eating in busy restaurants where the food hasn’t been sitting around for long periods. |
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HEALTH: The best medicine is to begin the trip in the best health possible. Get in shape, especially legs, cardiovascular, and lungs. Do some aerobics, take bike rides, or long walks. You will thank yourself. Our tour does not go into any areas that require inoculations or malaria medicines. If you plan to later go into the Amazon basin, some travelers take malaria precautions, many do not.
MEDICINES TO BRING: It is highly recommended that you bring a mini first aid kit consisting of the following items: Imodium Sublingual tabs are excellent for diarrhea - as is Lomotil, which is available at most pharmacies throughout Latin America. Headache tablets, bandaids for blisters, ginger tablets – fabulous for adjusting to change of climate, food, etc., keeps the stomach very stable, charcoal tablets – natural option for upset stomachs, antiseptic cream for sores/blisters. These are the basics and we will off course have access to local remedies via our tour guide Willaru. Another option is a homeopathic kit which covers a multitude of ailments. Please talk to your local doctor or natural health provider who can advise further items that may be necessary for you to take.
Latin America is not ruled by the AMA or the American / Canadian pharmaceutical industries, so the rule in any pharmacy is; if you can pronounce it and pay for it, you can buy it, no perscription required. Incidentally, they have zero problems with drug abuse. I am sure most people by now realize that the FDA, AMA and all their rules and regulations are not to protect you, but exist solely to insure the profits of the medical and the pharmaceutical industries. Prices in any Latin American pharmacy will illustrate just what your medicine can and should cost. However there is no certainty of your obtaining a particular brand of medicine. Take any special medications you require. If in doubt, bring your own (again, to conserve space, bring only the amount you will actually need).
Also: You might want to bring Insect repellent: 100% DEET, or all natural if you prefer, but make sure it works. Some only needed it for "no-see-ums" at Machu Picchu. Bring copies of any prescriptions you might use, eye glass prescription or perhaps a spare pair. Skin moisturizing cream. Lomotil or other anti diarrhea stuff. Optional: High Altitude medicine (acclimatization seems to take max. of 2 days).
MONEY: US currency: The cash dollars you bring should be crisp, clean & new-no tears. Up to you if you prefer traveler's checks. They are a bit more awkward to cash, though no huge problems, and you do get a slightly lower rate of exchange. Many chose to bring both. Use money belts or stash your cash in various places!
Always separate your stash so if one piece of luggage is not available or worse, lost, you still have some funds available.
MAKING CHANGE: The concept of business people having change diminishes as you go into smaller towns. It is nearly absent when you arrive at Lake Titicaca and vanishes entirely on the islands. Solution: Have coins with you at all times. Finding change for even the smallest bill (10 sols) can consume an hour or more. Is that really how you want to spend your time? The game is - when you are in the larger cities, purchase items with bills and stash smaller bills and coins for future use.
TELEPHONE AND MONEY TRANSFER/CASH ADVANCE WHILE IN PERU: If you think you might need your phone cards or bank cards, check with your card company to make sure they can be used in Peru and ask for any special instructions. Calls back to Canada can be made and paid for at any major Post office, but a phone credit card makes it much easier, and can be done from more places, as several of our over night stops have no major Post Offices. Phone cards can be used at many hotels. We strongly recommend that you don't set yourself up with any more obligatory phone calls than absolutely essential. We've observed many tour participants take themselves right out of their experience by too frequent contact with people and habit patterns back home. Even one phone call can alter your experience.
Bringing Your Sacred Objects: You may wish to bring along small favorite objects, to purify and energize in the Andean sacred sites or Lake Titicaca. You may want to bring offerings of corn, crystal or whatever. You may also wish to leave pebbles, crystals or small objects from home at these sites, to serve as antenna when in future you wish to tune in on your favorite sites. That is my understanding of the deeper reason why pilgrims since time immemorial have left objects at sacred sites. Originally it was not as an offering to the gods, (the gods do not need our trinkets) but a means of later reconnecting with the energies of a particular place.
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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions |
Facts:
Population: 27 million
Capital: Lima
Official Language Spanish
Other Languages Quechua, Aymara
People 54% Indian, 32% Mestizo (mixed European and Indian
Descent), 12% Spanish descent, 2% Black, Asian minority
Religion Over 90% Roman Catholic, small protestant population
Time Difference Only 1 hour behind EST!! (No known DST-adjustments for year 2008). The locals have what they call Peruvian time and they put it down to being in the Tropics…which means they take things very easy!
What is the recommended currency:
Peru’s unit of currency is the Nuevo sol. Notes come in denominations of S/10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and coins in denominations of S/1, 2,5, 10, 20, 50 centimos. The easiest
Currency to exchange is US dollars. Other currencies are only exchangeable in major cities and at a high commission. Money can be changed in banks, casas de cambio, or at first-class hotels. The Casas de cambio are usually the easiest places to change money. Street changers, who hang out near banks, never offer better rates than the best bank rate and have been known to cheat travellers so are best avoided. Hotels tend to charge high commission. Travellers cheques are changed at a slightly lower rate than cash. Visa is the most widely accepted credit card, but credit cards attract an 8% commission unless you are using it for a cash withdrawal (in Peruvian currency) from a bank. ATMs (Visa and Plus system are most widely recognised) are now the best way to extract money in Peru. Banking hours are 9am to 5pm weekdays and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. This may vary during the summer season.
Booking your Flight: For those of you flying from Ottawa/Toronto, it's about an 8 hour flight from Toronto.
Security of valuables: Major hotels provide facilities for safe guarding where you can deposit your passport, air tickets, additional currency you are carrying,
You should take particular caution and carry your personal goods wisely and unobtrusively especially in busy marketplaces and towns.
Power/Voltage: The current is 220V/60HZ , throughout Peru however, caution should be taken. Most hotels have special 110 outlets in bathrooms for the use of electric razors. These are not suitable for travel iron or hair dryers etc.
A travel adaptor will be required if you wish to use any hair dryers, etc.appliances from Australia or New Zealand.
Phones/Internet Access: If you wish to take a mobile with you then the Vodafone network is particularly good in South America. It is expensive to make a call from South America so please check with your local provider as to what “calling cards” they have available. There is an excellent supply of internet cafes throughout Peru so make sure you have a hotmail or yahoo address so you can keep in touch with family and friends.
Dress Code: It is very casual with comfortable clothing due to the amount of walking we will be doing and also the altitude we will be at. During the day it will be warm so layers are recommended. Early morning and then the evening can be rather cool. A fleece, poly-props are great for these times of the day. For the remainder of the day t-shirts and trousers, shorts or a skirt are suggested. Most important is an excellent pair of walking shoes. Lima in the evening is less casual if you are going out to dinner or a club.
Shopping: Peru is one of the top shopping destinations in Latin America. It's a shopper’s dream, it caters to all markets, you can get anything from inexpensive clothing to  valuable weavings, and jewellery. Perfect for some unique holiday shopping! They produce a dazzling display of alpaca-wool sweaters, blankets, ponchos, shawls, scarves, typical Peruvian hats, and other woven items, jewellery, art, pottery, and more. Bartering is definitely expected in certain places such as the markets. Certain shops do have fixed pricing.
Begging and Tipping: You are guests in another culture. Tipping is not natural to Peru. It is being introduced by foreign travelers. It is now an accepted practice in Peru to tip 10% in restaurants, bars as well as to guides, hairdressers, bus drivers, bellboys etc.
You have an obligation to the future. In obvious tourist establishments, tipping is optional. In local establishments tipping is not expected and perhaps not even desirable.
If you encourage kids to beg they will grow up seeing tourists as objects to beg from or otherwise prey off of, and it severely limits their abilities to make a productive life for themselves. If you reward begging you are encouraging and training that generation. It really changes the relationship between local and visitor.
There are many places where no one begs. The kids stay with you or ignore you depending on what they feel and not what they can get from you. Begging is not natural, it is a learned activity, it is taught.
Please reward creativity and entertainment. Don't reward sadness, pity, or displays of misery. If you are moved to add to someone's life, please give them food, or perhaps school supplies.
Camera Equipment: Remember to bring a good supply of film, extra discs and your battery re-charger as you will want to take many shots with the scenery and people being so spectacular!
Altitude Sickness: When you first arrive into Lima you are at sea level. From there you will travel by air into Cusco, gradually climbing up to over 11,000 feet above sea level!. This is very demanding on the body no matter what age,
so there are certain recommendations to adhere to when you first arrive:
Walk, very slowly. The body is not accustomed to being deprived of oxygen so suddenly. Avoid climbing stairs and just relax. We understand your eagerness to see as much as possible however we want you to enjoy everything to the fullest.
Eat lightly at first as you will find your dining habits can affect adaption to the altitude – keep the quantities small and also the type of food. Avoid alcohol on the first day of arrival and then take in moderation as it has a much greater effect at high altitude.
By comparison, Ottawa is 374 ft above sea level, and Lima, Peru ranges from 10 feet above sea level (Ancón) to the highest altitude of 2,824 feet above sea level (Chosica).
One of the best kept secrets to avoid altitude sickness is to drink a lot of water each day, some say a minimum of 3 litres of water a day when travelling! De-hydration plays a large part in altitude sickness. You are also participating in spiritual work/growth and the body needs to be hydrated at all times. Always make sure you keep drinking lots of (bottled) water and avoid alcohol). Drinking the local coca tea with sugar also helps relieve the symptoms. One of the most common mistakes is to drink plenty of alcohol and not much water on the international flight to Peru, and arrive in Cusco dehydrated, where you could then feel very sick. If you are not adjusting to the altitude in Cusco after a day or two, I would recommend a trip to the sacred valley which is almost 1000m lower, which makes a big difference.
To adjust easily to the altitude, follow some simple guidelines at the time of arrival in Cusco, which is most importantly, to lay down for at least 6 to 7 hours or so if possible (horizontal, not sitting). Herbal remedies plus some great flower essences for altitude are also very helpful. A company in the U.S.partners with a Peruvian herbalist, and they make a wonderful flower essence called Travel Solution, made from essence of Peruvian coca, muna, habanera (all collected in Peru), which is helpful to start taking 2 or 3 days before your trip begins. You might also want to try their Super Immune Spray. Also the essential oil 'Balsam Fir' or peppermint on the nose, helps with altitude. Visit Star Flower Essences. (Thanks for the helpful tips Valerie!)
Also feel free to arrive a day or two earlier to adjust to the altitude. If you wish to arrive a day or two...or three, early, we can arrange extra nights for you in Cusco, with an excellent group rate.
This is good for those who live at sea level and wish to adapt to the high altitude prior to official start of the tour. |
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Standard of Hotels: We are travelling a third world country so the standards differ. We stay at mainly three star hotels, that are centrally located, clean and comfortable and have private facilities. Many times you will experience something very special when we get to mix with the owners and it is much more personable, especially in the likes of the Sacred Valley. Willaru, who we work with, has been guiding tours for many many years now and the hotels we use are very reliable.
Please note when we stay at Willaru's hostel retreat it is shared bathroom facilities and the rooms are basic but clean and comfortable.
 Luggage: As we are staying in hotels and not walking the likes of the Inca Trail you are able to travel with a suitcase or backpack if you prefer. It is much more comfortable to travel as lightly as possible for many reasons. Porterage covers one suitcase per person, you have more room to purchase shopping, there is limited space on the coach and also with airline regulations these days you pay excess when you exceed the limits put in place.
Phrase Book: This is not essential but another great tool to have at hand when wanting to know the basic greeting in how to say hello/thank-you, goodbye, where is the closest toilet and how to order a glass of wine in Spanish!
Journal: We highly recommend that you bring along your own journal to record your experiences while on tour as it is a very personal time and when you return home it is wonderful to look back and relive your time in Peru. Often you forget the sequence of when you did things and not to mention it can also help with remembering your photos!!
FOOD: Peruvian food is still relatively unknown to the English speaking world. Some say that Peruvian food is one of the best in the world, however, eat at the right place. Avoid eating from street vendors. Cheap local lunch (what has been prepared for the day) is called "menu". You will get soup, meat, grain, vegetable and tea for about $3.00.
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Do not eat fruits or vegetables that have not been peeled.
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The local food does tend to be fried, but you can often order around that.
- You might want to bring along some of your favorite treats, or power bars, or other emergency food supplements for the days when "you've had it" with whatever.
While no one journeys to Peru for the food, it is adequate and nourishing. Most common cooking method is fried. Lots of fish, chicken, beef and fried potatoes. Large towns have more variety - yogurt, spaghetti, pizza, Chinese food, pancakes, omelets. To escape the dreaded fried potatoes, boiled is called "al vapor". Mashed may be called "puré".
The fish is excellent. Trout is huge and very good, and you can often order a white fish called pejery (pronounced "peheray") which is even better. The Lake Titicaca region has the best roasted peanuts on the planet.
Peruvian food is famous for being hot and spicy, created with aji and ajo (hot pepper and garlic). Peruvians enjoy a wide variety of vegetables; there are over 2000 kinds of indigenous and cultivated potatoes alone. Tropical fruits are abundant, as are avocados.
Typical Peruvian dishes are tasty and vary regionally. Seafood is understandably, best on the coast, while the Inca delicacy – roast guinea pig – can be sampled in the highlands. Local specialities include:
Escabeche – a cooked fish appetiser eaten cold, served with peppers and onions
Chupe de camarones – a chowder-type soup made with shrimps, milk, eggs, potatoes and peppers
Lomo saltado – chopped steak fried with onions, tomatoes and potatoes, served with rice
Ceviche – this is said to be a 'must try' in the coastal region. Made with uncooked shrimp or sea bass marinated in lemon or lime juice, chilli and onions, served fried corn, sweet potatoes, onions and flavoured with coriander. (Note, this is raw fish, and is not recommended if you want to avoid travelers' tummy!)
Sopa a la criolla – a lightly spiced noodle soup with beef, egg, milk and vegetables
Cuy – guinea pig roasted in an oven and served with chips
Palta a la rellena – avocado stuffed with chicken salad
Pisco sour – made from a potent grape brandy.
Chicha – homemade corn beer dating from Inca times, found in small Andean villages and markets
Cerveza / Beer – Cusco and Arequipa are known for their beers, Cuzqueña and Arequipeña
STAYING ON AFTER THE TOUR IS OVER: If your schedule allows, we encourage you to consider staying on, on your own, after our tour.
You should have a bit of the language, have an idea as to how to arrange local travel, find a hotel, find your favorite foods, and other basic necessities. You will also have some intuitive guidance about where you want to spend more time. My experiences have been that after a brief period of cultural shock, the tour became a smorgasbord of what the country offered, and tour participants soon have a good idea of what they want to go back to or concentrate on. If shopping or gift buying is on your to do list, you'll know the prices, have acquired some bargaining skills, and knew where the best merchandise can be obtained. If you do chose to stay longer, it is MUCH EASIER if you now in advance so you can book your air ticket accordingly. Changing your return flight while in Peru is sometimes easy, sometimes difficult, and the airlines usually tack on a surcharge.
Ask us about special hotel rates if arriving early or staying on after tour.
Contact Susan at:
suewayra@hotmail.com
613-852-8393
or email Erica!
Pachamama Blessings to you!
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