julies

The dollar stinks, and even though we love visiting Europe we are thinking of an alternative where our dollar will go further. I'm thinking of Peru or Ecuador, but probably not the Galapagos Islands because it seems as though they are terribly expensive. We like interacting in different cultures, different foods, historic sites, outdoor activities and nature, smaller towns etc. We don't like tourist traps and we don't vacation just to shop. In Europe we always rent a car and go around on our own arranging our own accomodations. In addition to doing the typical moving around and sightseeing, we have also rented small cottages and stayed for a week, which we really enjoyed. We've also taken a 9 day bike trip and have done some hiking holidays. If you've spent time in Europe and South America, how do you think we'd like one of these countries I have mentioned? Thanks.

kemarshall64

Julies, I went to Peru last March and have also been to Europe (Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, going to Italy again in 3 weeks!)
Peru was hauntingly beautiful but also extremely poor. The poverty is shocking. The Peruvians were the kindest warmest people I have experienced anywhere (especially once you get outside the tourist areas.)
I don't think you could ever regret a trip there and to Macchu Picchu, it is a holy, moving place.
If you do go you should be prepared for the fact that its not Europe and its not convenient or easy to move around yourself but it is quite possible if you have a strong sense of adventure and plenty of patience. The roads away from the coast are exceedingly difficult to drive, but there are buses that will take you many places (an adventure in itself!)
You have to be super careful with the food and water. My husband ate food from a vendor and spent the rest of the trip in agony. The food was fine but he plates were washed in the river and the sewage from the town drained in the river!
With that said you should go. You will come back to the US with a different view of life.
In terms of the dollar buying more, we brought back so many "treasures". There is an art market off the beaten track in Cusco where you bargain with the vendors and we brought home many beautiful things. It was great for anything other than the beautiful alpaca sweaters. For those you should stick to stores for quality.
Anyway, I rarely get to talk about this trip, but I think of it often.
I'll be happy to anwer any questions that I can, I hope you will go!

BARRY

you may want to think about Argentina..I was regular traveller to Europe but our last 2 major vacations started in Buenos Aires and were incredible..Check out some of the Argentina theads in the forum ..I educated myself and then called a travel agent in BA and had 2 wonderful trips in the past 18 months...

janelp

We have been to both countries and thoroughly enjoyed our experiences there. If you would like a sense of them, see some pictures and get some ideas, you may find my site useful. We,like you, have done quite a bit of travel in Europe but love having other experiences, also. This is the site address and once there you can just naviagate to different sections. Hope it helps. http://www.janeandken.com/travelmemories.html

rbh

Hi there. I backpacked in South America for almost a year and Ecuador was definitely my favorite country. Peru is beautiful (especially Cuzco), as kemarshall64, said and Machu Pichu is amazing, but it is VERY touristy. I hiked Machu Pichu in 2001 and that was the last year that you could do the trek on your own. I carried my own pack, made my own food, etc. Since 2001, you have to go with a guide. The upside of this is that they carry your packs, the downside is that you are often part of a big group. When you hike, you are literally with dozens of others, and at the main campsites, there were at least 200 other people around -- it was like combat camping, which isn't my style. Ecuador is a little more off the beaten track -- although touristy enough so that it isn't terribly difficult to get around. One reason that Ecuador is preferably to Peru is that the country is smaller, so you can get around easier. Peru is a very big country. In Ecuador, I loved Banos -- there was an active volcano which was amazing. Also went to small town called Vilcabamba, which was just picturesque. It's known for having some of the oldest people in the world. There is also a really cool town to buy Ecuadorian crafts called Otovalo -- it's just a couple hours from Quito if I remember correctly. Quito, the capital, is also a pretty nice city -- especially for being a South American capital city. Often they are terribly dirty and dangerous (like Lima), but Quito is rather nice and has some great architecture. Finally, when I was in South America, the dollar went much further in Ecuador than Peru. Ecuador was cheap cheap cheap. I would be surprised if it as cheap today as it was then, b/c now Ecuador uses the dollar, but I'm sure it's a much better bargain than Europe.

Hope this helps! Feel free to contact me if you need any more info.

kywood1955

Yes, Julies, we've decided also not to brave the weak dollar in Europe this year (have selected SE Asia). However, were in Peru two years ago. It's totally amazing! Warm, friendly people. MP is a site of a life-time;try to go at dawn when the sun rises; and stay a a night or two in Aguas Caliente (a day trip is not enought time). Also, try to go north to the Amazon area; stay in one of the river lodges. The Nazca Lines were interesting, but would last on my list when compared to MP, Lake Titicaca and the Amazon.
Also, I agree with kermarshall64, Peru is not Europe in terms of convenience. But it's worth the trip any day!! Happy travels!