Trip Report & Guide Recommendation

Hi ennusa. You've inspired me to finish my report today. Looking forward to your report and pictures. We haven't had time to get our together yet...I still have not unpacked from our Peru trip and we got back on 4/14!

Hi emd3 ... today's overcast and rain makes it a perfect day to take care of unpacking. I'm almost done putting everything away (a good thing since an especially busy time awaits me at the office) ... had a week's delay with the wash when we came back to a busted dryer. Looking forward to reading the rest of your cliffhanger .

I'm really enjoying your travel blog, eenusa. Very informative, interesting, and well-written! Looks like you have some prowess as a photographer as well.

I leave for Peru in 3 days (I'm very excited!).

How cold did it get while you were in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley? I live in Florida so I want to be prepared. I do plan to take lots of layers, but am wondering if I need to haul a heavier jacket along (I'm taking a set of long underwear, a fleece jacket, gloves and rain jacket/wind breaker). Do I need a more substantial jacket as well? I don't want to completely overpack, but I also don't want to freeze walking around at night...

I'm hoping you'll have time to post more on your blog before Wednesday.

cmerrell, glad you're enjoying the blog ... wish I could promise to get it done before you leave, but that would be wishful thinking. Just posted another segment and am working on at least finishing the rest of Day 3 today. (I'm an amateur photographer, so thanks for the compliment.)

The days were really warm while we were there, but once the sun went down, it got downright cold - however, not enough to use the long underwear we took with us (although the long johns made great pj's in Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu). I think you'll be fine with a fleece and rain jacket, especially if you remember to wear a wool cap to keep your head warm. I took a primaloft jacket (that converts into a vest) and often wore that instead of fleece under my rainjacket at night.

Have a terrific time in Peru ... looking forward to hearing your impressions.

Thanks for the info, eenusa. Looking forward to reading the rest of Day 3.

I am reading each entry, up to day 5 now. Really enjoyed the Pikillaqta entry!

Glad to have you aboard as a reader ... if not for workload being rather heavy, I'd be making faster progress. As it is, photo post-processing is on hold (downside of shooting raw instead of jpeg).

We headed off to Annapolis today ... read some of your report to hubby on the way up there... really enjoyed Oropesa and Tipon post as we had to skip those to make room for Pisac. Will be reading the rest of the report as we commute to work this week.

Hope you had (are having) a great mother's day.

Thanks for your great info - I leave in four days. I planned on just touring on my own, but Vidal sounds like a great guide. How much per day did he charge?

We made all of our arrangements through him (including hotel, local transportation, and domestic airfare). The total price he gave us for our 14-day trip was inline with the cost I had come up with on my own, so I didn't specifically ask his daily rate. Drop him a note if you're interested in using him just as a guide; he is quick to respond assuming he's not guiding a group on the Inca trail. (If he is not available, he can put you in touch with other guides. We're not ones to usually travel with a guide, but having someone who knows the history and culture of the sites we visited on this trip was invaluable.)

Have a great time in Peru.

one last question - is it better to leave passports and money in the hotel or keep it with you?

I preferred to keep passport and credit and debit cards locked up in the hotel safe.

Hid some money in a few different places wrapped in plastic, because if it deteriorates from dampness it isn't spendable.

I think it's a personal preference. Unlike, mlgb we prefer to keep our passports with us. We don't usually carry much cash, relying on ATMs instead. When we do take extra cash, if there is a safe in the room, we'll usually leave what we don't need immediately in the room; if not, hubby and I split it and carry it with us (some in the wallet, some in the bottom of the backpack or whatever we might be carrying; never all in one place.)

If you decide to leave valuables in the room, test the safe before you put anything in it to get a sense of the keypad (sometimes the buttons are wobbly or don't work well) or to make sure the magnetic strip on your card works OK. We've had occasions where the safe would not open after locking. (If this happens, just ask the hotel staff to open and reset the combination). By the way, we take an inactive credit card or something like a supermarket card to use for safes with a magnetic strip locking mechanism.

I think that in South America, it's really better to carry a copy of the passport and entry visa than the original.

As I said, personal preference.

As well as where you are going and whether you are traveling independently, or being escorted by someone that might deter bag slashers etc.

If you do carry passport and cards, eg when traveling between hotels, carry them on a secure hidden money pouch and not in a purse backpack or wallet.

I am so glad you finished your blog on your trip. I enjoyed every day of it with you. I am looking forward to my trip this September more than ever.

Thank you so much for sharing.