Three more sleep before I embark on Peru. I am on my fifth time re-packing and checking my list of essentials. I took all my shots weeks ago and I already packed my travel medicines, travel documents, small beauty kit and toiletries in my backpack and my other essentials in my carry-on luggage. I am carrying everything with me. I have no checked-in luggage.
My essentials are my breathable hiking boots, merino wool socks, and undies, my lightweight Gore-Tex jacket, lightweight down jacket, six sets of clothes and sports bras, ponchos, headlamps, battery chargers, and sleepwear. I am leaving my fleece only because I have no room in my carry-on. I am determined to travel light, one of my criteria for travelling now.
Challenge: can I really live in six sets of clothes for 25 days? Maybe? ....maybe even less ... I still have two days to decide what to take out. My toiletries and makeup are down to two small kits. The hardest decision is leaving my DSLR camera... I keep packing it and taking it off... bearing in mind that the porter will only carry 6 kg of our personal luggage on the trail and that includes the sleeping bags and mat that we rented.
I am excited and anxious at the same time!!!!! I am going to tackle the Inca Trail up in the Andes going to Machu Picchu. It is crazy as it sounds crazy..... I am crazy... !!!!
Budget
I saved US$4,000 to do this trip. This is my set budget for longer trips now. However Peru is cheaper and with this amount, I was able to buy new hiking boots, hiking outfits and paid for vaccine shots. My friend and I split on hotel accommodation. She said she'll pay for my food since I did all the work. Her budget is $6000.
From our budget minus the things I already mentioned above, we were able to do:
* Lima - hired a personal guide
* Buggy tour and sandboarding in Huacachina Sand Dunes Oasis
* Helicopter Ride to see the Nazca Line in Nazca
* Spent two days in Arequipa and took day tours
* Acclimatised for four days in Cusco before the trek
* Cusco City Tour and the Sacred Valley tour
* Four Days trek of Inca Trail (organized group tour only and it's the highlight of our trip)
* Three days for Puno and Lake Titikaka
* then back to Cusco then Lima then Canada
I had a year of serious research and preparation. I did all the planning including booking transportation and hotels. It is my first time to go to South America and my first time trekking. For training, my friend and I went hiking for every possible chance we have. She started training at the gym in January and kept motivating me every day to exercise. I am still working full time so I would stop at the gym before or after work and spend an hour doing a combination of treadmill and stair-master. It is when we are four months away from our trip that I started slow jogging alternating with brisk walking. I am weak to go full throttle. Every time my heart starts pounding hard, I fear I might get a heart attack. I remind myself I am not young anymore so I must take it slow. Either way, I'll do the best I can.... there's no turning back..... I am going!!!!
Update
I only spent a total of $3000 including shopping. I bought alpaca sweaters and shawls for me and my mother, and handmade hats and mittens. My friend went back to Canada after the Inca Trail so she ended up with the same expense while I continued on for another week to Puno and Lake Titikaka.
This is my modified backpacking travel gearing for more comfort. We used a taxi to the hotels and bus stations. We signed up for local tours. We went to fancy restaurants and tried some local food too which is so good just the same. My friend picked up my food tab for the two weeks. What she pays for a meal in Toronto paid for both of us including our pisco sour drinks or beers. It is also a treat for my effort, she said, for taking care of our itinerary and logistics. So I managed to take on local tours without breaking my budget. I bought duty-free treats for my son using my leftover peso.
My essentials are my breathable hiking boots, merino wool socks, and undies, my lightweight Gore-Tex jacket, lightweight down jacket, six sets of clothes and sports bras, ponchos, headlamps, battery chargers, and sleepwear. I am leaving my fleece only because I have no room in my carry-on. I am determined to travel light, one of my criteria for travelling now.
Challenge: can I really live in six sets of clothes for 25 days? Maybe? ....maybe even less ... I still have two days to decide what to take out. My toiletries and makeup are down to two small kits. The hardest decision is leaving my DSLR camera... I keep packing it and taking it off... bearing in mind that the porter will only carry 6 kg of our personal luggage on the trail and that includes the sleeping bags and mat that we rented.
I am excited and anxious at the same time!!!!! I am going to tackle the Inca Trail up in the Andes going to Machu Picchu. It is crazy as it sounds crazy..... I am crazy... !!!!
Budget
I saved US$4,000 to do this trip. This is my set budget for longer trips now. However Peru is cheaper and with this amount, I was able to buy new hiking boots, hiking outfits and paid for vaccine shots. My friend and I split on hotel accommodation. She said she'll pay for my food since I did all the work. Her budget is $6000.
From our budget minus the things I already mentioned above, we were able to do:
* Lima - hired a personal guide
* Buggy tour and sandboarding in Huacachina Sand Dunes Oasis
* Helicopter Ride to see the Nazca Line in Nazca
* Spent two days in Arequipa and took day tours
* Acclimatised for four days in Cusco before the trek
* Cusco City Tour and the Sacred Valley tour
* Four Days trek of Inca Trail (organized group tour only and it's the highlight of our trip)
* Three days for Puno and Lake Titikaka
* then back to Cusco then Lima then Canada
I had a year of serious research and preparation. I did all the planning including booking transportation and hotels. It is my first time to go to South America and my first time trekking. For training, my friend and I went hiking for every possible chance we have. She started training at the gym in January and kept motivating me every day to exercise. I am still working full time so I would stop at the gym before or after work and spend an hour doing a combination of treadmill and stair-master. It is when we are four months away from our trip that I started slow jogging alternating with brisk walking. I am weak to go full throttle. Every time my heart starts pounding hard, I fear I might get a heart attack. I remind myself I am not young anymore so I must take it slow. Either way, I'll do the best I can.... there's no turning back..... I am going!!!!
Update
I only spent a total of $3000 including shopping. I bought alpaca sweaters and shawls for me and my mother, and handmade hats and mittens. My friend went back to Canada after the Inca Trail so she ended up with the same expense while I continued on for another week to Puno and Lake Titikaka.
This is my modified backpacking travel gearing for more comfort. We used a taxi to the hotels and bus stations. We signed up for local tours. We went to fancy restaurants and tried some local food too which is so good just the same. My friend picked up my food tab for the two weeks. What she pays for a meal in Toronto paid for both of us including our pisco sour drinks or beers. It is also a treat for my effort, she said, for taking care of our itinerary and logistics. So I managed to take on local tours without breaking my budget. I bought duty-free treats for my son using my leftover peso.
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