TIPS ON: What The Weather Feels Like During High-Season

Oddly enough, your summer vacation is actually winter in Cusco.  So you're wondering what it feels like.  Well everyone says it's cold.  What kind of cold?
I'm from Ontario, Canada.  For those of you who think that means my standard is super cold and we live in igloos.... we don't.  Our winters feels similar to the winters in New York.

I can tell you June/July in Cusco feels like October-November.  It is cold enough for a padded jacket.  What I mean by that is not a winter jacket, but a thinner winterish jacket.  Not a spring or fall jacket or wind breaker, but a little bit thicker. 

You'll feel pretty cold walking around, but it's not like your cheeks or hands get cold. 
Your hotel blankets at night will be cold to the touch, so it is better to have socks and maybe a hoodie and sweat pants to sleep in.

It is best to book a hotel that has a heater if you want to get good sleep.  Add to the altitude sickness symptom of sleeplessness of being cold at night - its not a fun mix.  Most hotels in Cusco and the Sacred Valley don't have heated rooms, but they may have portable plug-in heaters they may give you for free or rent to you for about 10 soles.  So definitely check that out.

Hope that gives you an idea of what to pack and what to wear!

TIPS:
-pack a Fall season jacket
-pack socks
-pack sweat pants to sleep in
-pack a hoodie
-before booking in June/July, ask you hotel if they have portable heaters

TIPS ON: What To Do If You're Lost

Sometimes you might go out for the night and forget how to get back to your hotel or you may get off the bus or plane and not know where your hotel is, nor does the taxi driver.

Here are some tips that will help you in such situations:

1.Before you leave for your trip write down the name of all your hotels, the address, phone number and website address.

e.g.:

Ccapac Inka Ollanta

Los Eucaliptos street n/n Ollantaytambo

+51 84 204 186 reservas@hotelinkaollanta.com

http://www.hotelinkaollanta.com/en/hotel-ollantaytambo

This way, if you land and don't know the address nor does the staff at the airport or bus station, they can look up the website.  If the taxi driver doesn't know where the street is, he can use his cell or a public phone to call and get directions.  Keep two copies, 1. in your purse or backpack and 2. in your suitcase in case you lose the first one

2. Once you get to your hotel, get two copies of their business card.  When you go out, make sure you have this card in your pocket, purse or backpack.  Again, if you're coming back to the hotel later and the taxi driver doesn't know the location of your hotel, he can check the address clearly written on the card.

3.  If for any reason the taxi driver doesn't know where your hotel is or you dont have a card, address or number of the hostel, drop in to the nearest hotel you can find.  At this point, you can do two things, ask them to search the address of your hotel and write it down, or you can ask to use their public computers to search it yourself.

4. If you have the number of the hotel on you, and the taxi driver doesn't want to call for directions, then drop in at the first hotel or hostel you can find, ask the hotel or hostel to call your hostel and have your hotel or hostel send a taxi to the place you're at.

5. Ask the hotel to call your next hotel and write down directions from the bus station or airport to the next hotel.


From my experience, taxi drivers often don't know the hotels.  We can't expect them to know every hotel and hostel in town or every district.  A number of times I've been at one hotel and have asked them to write down the directions to the next hotel, and they respond with "Every taxi driver knows this place, it's okay".  I end up getting in the taxi and the driver has to stop every two minutes to ask a pedestrian, "I have a question, do you know the hotel __________?"  Its a waste of time and a huge risk, so make sure you have the number and address and get the directions if you can.

I once went for a walk at night to get a bite to eat, and I knew my hostel was two blocks from the Plaza De Armas, but was it two blocks from the Northern side of the Plaza? From the South-Eastern corner?  I walked in the direction I thought I came from, but ended up down a dark dead-end street.  I went back to the Plaza De Armas and asked about 5 taxi drivers to take me to my hostel and none knew where it was.  I stopped in at a few hostels and asked them to call my hostel (I happened to memorize the number because I had to call a few times before).  The hostel I stopped in at called my hostel and someone came to pick me up. 

The last thing you want to do is walk around asking locals.  You don't want to appear lost, because that makes you vulnerable to being jumped/robbed.

Primary tip: Ensure you have the address and number on you. 

Secondary tip: if you don't have it or lost it, stop in at your nearest hostel to have them search the address or ask to use one of their public computers to search the address yourself. Say: "No puedo encontrar mi hotel. Puedes busque la dirección con su computador? Se llama _______" (I can't find my hotel. Can you please search the address with your computer?) or "Me gustaria usar su computadora.  No se la direccion de mi hotel" (I would like to use your computer. I dont know the address of my hotel).

DO NOT walk around asking locals. You don't want to appear lost and confused.  That makes you an ideal target for getting robbed.

TIPS ON: Using Taxi's in Peru

The taxi drivers throughout Peru are quite friendly.  From the time you step in each cab, you are almost guaranteed to get a pretty regular script that will go like this (but in Spanish):

Taxi: Where are you from?
You: ___________
Taxi: How many days in Peru?
You:____
Taxi: Where are you travelling in Peru?
You: ________
Taxi: Have you been to Cusco already? It's very beautiful.
You:____________
Taxi: Do you like the Peruvian food? Cebiche? Chicharrones?
You:___________
Taxi: Did you go to the clubs/discotech?
You:______________
Taxi: Do you like the salsa, merengue and cumbia?
You: ____________

They are very very friendly.

Here are some phrases you must know for the cab:

Me gustaria ir a ____________________ en (town).
I would like to go to ___________________ in (town).

Cuantos?
How much?

Caro! Menos por favor.
That's expensive.  Charge a little less please.

Cuantos minutos a ____(destination)____?
How many minutes until ____(destination)____?

Tienes telefono? Tengo numero de telefono de mi hospedaje/hotel.
Do you have a phone? I have the number of  my hostel/hotel.

*I recommend always having the number of your hostel or hotel in case the taxi driver can't find the place or the locals don't know it either.  If you have already been to the hostel/hotel, pick up their card and take it with you in case you or the taxi driver gets lost when you're coming back home.

 DANGER

You will hear warning after warning about using taxi's in Peru and how unsafe they can be.

Here are a few basic tips to stick to:
1. Only take taxi's that have that lit up taxi sign on top

 
2. Take a taxi with the sign on top that just let someone out, so you know it's safe

3. Leave your suitcase or luggage in the trunk, so if you get stuck up by a civilian at a stop sign or something, they can't get access to whatever you might have had in your suitcase

4. If you have a purse or bag, leave it on the ground so people can't quickly open your door and grab it off the seat or your lap

5. Stand beside police or security guards when flagging down a taxi.  Once when I was beside a policeman and was flagging down a taxi, the taxi driver stopped but seemed in a hurry to get me in and kept looking at the police man, like he wanted to me to get in before the police saw, so I told the taxi driver "No it's okay"

6. Do not rely on taxi's that have an oval taxi sticker on the windshield, like in the photo below.  It's a fake. They are not safe and valid taxi's.  The drivers pull off the sticker once you jump in, or around security and police.

TIPS ON: Using Cruz Del Sur

Here is a walkthrough so you know exactly where to go and what to expect.

1. It is completely safe to book your ticket online or through an agency. If you choose to buy your ticket at the station that is okay too.  Be advised that earlier departures may fill up.

2. Take a taxi to the Cruz Del Sur Station:

(The Lima station)

(The Ica station)

3. Go to the check-in to convert your online voucher to a real ticket with an assigned seat, or to purchase your ticket:

(Lima check-in)

(Ica check-in and baggage drop off)


4.  Drop off your baggage at the baggage check.  Lima has a separate area for this.  Some smaller stations have the baggage drop off right where your redeem your online voucher or buy your ticket:

(Lima baggage drop off) 

5. Ensure when you check your baggage that you keep your baggage ticket they give you, otherwise you may not be able to get your luggage back from them.  At one point, I couldn’t find my baggage ticket and they said they couldn’t give me my luggage.  I had to prove to them it was my bag by the address listed on my license and the address listed on my baggage tag. 

6. Wait at the assigned gate about 5 minutes before your departure.  Smaller stations only have one bus at a time coming in or one gate so you’ll know that it’s your bus.  Additionally it says the destination in big letters.

7. They will check your passport and your ticket before your board

8. Some stations will check your baggage for weapons.

9. V.I.P. is on the lower level, and the regular section is above

10. Check your ticket to see which seat you’re in.  In this photo, you will see where it says the seat number, which in this case is number 07: 

11. After your ride, you can wait outside the bus to get your bags or they will bring it into the station.  Again, make sure you have your baggage ticket ready:

(People retrieving their bags after the bus ride)

END OF WALKTHOUGH

V.I.P vs Regular Seating

VIP has wider seats.  They are covered in a leather-like material.  There is more leg/foot space.  The chairs recline much more further, so when your recline it all the way, you are almost laying straight.  There are single seats available in VIP.

Both levels include t.v’s where they play movies or musical performances.



As you can see, regular seats don’t recline as much, are not as wide and have seats side by side.  There are no single seats. 

TIPS:
1. They say to arrive 1hour before departure, but don’t fret if you are late and arrive just 20 mins before.
2. Be aware the buses are often late. Remember when these buses pick you up, your pick-up point is also a stop-over from many other beginning locations.  For example, if you’re at the bus station in Nazca, the bus may have started in Lima, stopped off in Paracas, then again in Ica and then at your point.  When travelling for over 9 hours, you can’t expect the bus to be on time.
3. I would recommend VIP for longer journeys. 
4. Take some food and water with you, especially when travelling to higher altitudes like Arequipa, Puno or Cusco.  Take altitude tablets and coca leaves if you can buy some, because even though Cruz Del Sur normally offers coca tea, they did not offer any during my bus ride, so it’s better to be safe than in pain.  Carbs and water help counter the symptoms of altitude sickness.
5. The washrooms can get nasty and sometimes it’s hard to keep the seat down with a covering of toilet paper on top, so use the washroom elsewhere before boarding or use the washroom at stop off points.



TIPS ON: Battling Altitude Sickness

DO NOT START IN CUSCO.

As you increase in altitude, the air loses oxygen and moisture.  As you know, we need oxygen to get into our blood and nourish our organs, and we require it for our overall body to survive.  So what do you imagine will happen when we get less and less oxygen and moisture .... we get more and more sick and dehydrated.

Well for some reason, some of us don't get as sick. According to scientific studies, it doesn't matter your age, your gender, your weight, your health or your race (unless you're from an ethnic group that has lived high in the mountains for generations like the Quechua people who have bigger lungs to take in more oxygen at once), no one is more susceptible (likely to get) altitude sickness.

However in speaking from experience, I believe the extent from which you wil suffer very much depends on your body.  It seems if you are more overweight, your heart and body does have to work much harder to carry your body weight up and down and around.

What does altitude sickness feel like in Cusco? The extent of what you experience is different for everyone.  But, you know when you're doing cardio and you've pushed yourself to your maximum heart rate and you feel out breath and your heart is pounding and you almost start to get a tightness in your chest?  That's what a mild case feels like.  It doesn't hurt badly, but it feels as if you've been walking uphill for a few minutes when you've only been walking down the street a few feet. 

As I was taking a bus up to Cusco with Cruz Del Sur (who didn't offer coca tea for some reason), I started to feel a tightness in my chest about 8 hrs before arriving in Cusco (we were heading up the mountain).  It was a light uncomfortable feeling that spread to my shoulders and jaw and to my back a little bit.  I didn't experience any headaches or dizziness because I drank lots of water to counter dehydration, but I did take one altitude sickness tablet 8hrs before arriving.  I think that even if you take the advice below, some of the symptoms like feeling out of breath and that you're at your max heart rate is inevitable and can last a few days. If your symptoms end up being worse than the basics I just mentioned, you may want to go down to Ollantaytambo which is a traditional residential town with a few ruins, only about a drve of 1 hour and 45 mins from Cusco.

I experienced extreme laziness, to the point that my mind was affected.  I had no motivation to go to the Plaza De Armas in Cusco, to talk to anyone, to watch tv, to go eat or something.  I didn't want to see anyone, I didn't want to do anything.  You are quite content to sit on your bed and look at the wall, and that is quite a contrast from the person who travels all the way to Peru to explore a new culture.

So you're wondering How do I prevent altitude sickness?  

As I've mentioned, you get sick because of the lack of oxygen and hydration in your body, so I'm not sure you can really prevent that as we need the oxygen to survive.  But you can drink lots of water before going to Cusco, Puno or Arequipa and during your trip there.

THE PREMIER NUMBER ONE TIP: DO NOT START IN CUSCO.

Landing in Cusco may be a necessity, but take a taxi directly to Ollantaytambo. (it is at a much
lower altitude and you may not experience any altitude sickeness there). It is a beautiful place. Stay there for a few days, go to Urubamba and Machu Picchu, and then go to Cusco.  Also, limit the number of days you spend in Cusco after Ollantaytambo, just in case you get hit with altitude sickness still.

Here are some other things you can do to help cope with the altitude sickness:

Before Arriving:

1. Drink huge bottles of water

2. Chew on coca leaves

3. Eat heavy carbs (pasta, potatos and bread -yum!)

4. Do not overeat
5. Take an 'altitude sickness tablet' starting 1 day before

When Arriving or During Your Time in Cusco:

1. Start out at a lower town after arriving in Cusco, such as Ollantaytambo.

2. Walk slowly. That means walk as if you have next to no energy left. Walk as if you haven't slept all night and you're getting up to walk at 4am. Slllooowwww
3. Plan no activities on your first few days in Cusco
4. No alcohol, no smoking, no sleeping pills
5. Hang out in Cusco by day, go back to Ollantaytambo just before sunset
6. Practice deep breathing techniques.  Relax, breathe in slowly and deeply. Hold your breath for 3 seconds and release slowly

7. Drink lots of water all day

TIPS ON: What to Take for Quechua Communities

It is always great to be able to give to others.  As a Muslim, we have been taught by the Prophet Muhammad, “When there is a Muslim who plants (trees), and from their fruits the human beings or the beasts or birds eat, it would be taken as an act of charity on the Day of Resurrection.”


That means that when you are able to contribute something, you are not only committing the act (e.g. buying a water filter), but the people and environment are also able to benefit from it on a long term basis.  Through the safe drinking water, you are making that family stronger and healthier; they are better able to assist and contribute to the whole community.  Maybe the child of that family will become a carpenter and build advanced shelter.  Or he or she could have had the strength and ability to travel into the city to get an education and advocate for recognition of issues facing indigenous communities; whereas he/she could not have done that being infected from a young age with contaminated drinking water. 

Of course my example is an exaggeration so that you get the idea, but nevertheless it’s a possibility and often a reality.  Therefore, you understand, based on what you donate, the whole community can benefit from your charity or donation.  This is called ‘sustainability’ or ‘sustainable donations’.

I have always been committed to the type of charity that has long-term, ongoing benefits for large groups of people.  In Arabic, this is called  “Sadaqah Jariyah”


When you go to such communities, I do not recommend taking candy for the children, or just loaves of bread, but perhaps you might take the following:
-water purification tablets (can be bought in Cusco)

-scissors

-blankets

-frying pans

-cooking utensils

-plastic storage containers
-hammer
-nails
-clothing material/textile
-shoes


Again, consider things that can be used over a long period of time or by a number of people.

As for me, though it is not much, I am taking textile (thick materials from which they can sew clothes for children), pot spoons, tongs, ziploc bags, knives, water purification tablets and bars of soap, toothbrushes, pencils and crayons.

 

TIPS ON: Indigenous Communities You Could Visit

If you're looking to visit traditional Andean communities, you must head south towards Cusco....and continue south into the Andes.  So the following pertains to areas from Cusco heading Southwards.

Are you looking to visit somewhere that isn't 'as frequented' by tourists?  What do I mean 'as frequented'?  Well there are certain communities that are visited by tourists in droves.  Because of this, you don't get to learn about their traditional lifestyle as they are focused on selling their goods to tourists.  It is a wonderful thing for us to have this kind of exchange where we see them for a few hours and how they live and buy products from them and go back to our hotels.

Image taken from ' wildland.com '
Patacancha - selling to tourists.

If you want to visit such communities, visit 'Willoc', 'Patacancha' and 'Amaru'. The following company can arrange a visit or 1 night stay with Patacancha: http://www.awamaki.org/community-visits

Other communities on hiking trails that are a little further way but are often visited by hikers include Huacahuasi, Cuncani and Siusa.

Another community that is considered the 'last incas' is very isolated. You must trek for days by foot to see them.  They are called ' Q'eros '. 

I will suggest some other communities to visit that have been suggested by tour guides.  I have not visited any of the following yet, but you can ask a tour guide about visiting any of these more rural, less-'popular', communities:
-Cusibamba

-Ccasacunca
-Paru Paru
-Choquecancha
-Misminay
-Tinki, Upis and other communities within Ausangate

If you can suggest any other lesser-known communities to visit for a more 'real' cultural experience, please leave a comment and add to the list.