Peru Amazon - Oct 2008

[barabootom]

What was the nature of your trip with the students? What was the cost of the trip? airfare,boat trips and i'm guessing guided tours of the jungle?
You can email me if needed.I so want to go to Peru and the Amazon.

Each student paid $3000. But we did a lot of fundraising. The price included everything including a bunch of plane flights, private buses, all meals and hotels, tour guides and boats. Rainforest guides usually come with the lodging in the rainforest. We used an eco lodge. If you show a little knowledge of the rainforest they'll let you go in without a guide. I went with just my wife and I during a day hike and I did get a bit disoriented. My wife was pissed at me and scared. They told me to stay to the middle of any three way path splits and to the right of any forks to get back in a few hours. A wrong turn would be 24 hours of hiking. (All night) They made a mistake and I was supposed to go right everytime. I figured it out after hiking about 30 minutes in the wrong direction on a middle path. The path was too rustic so I made the decision to return and take the cleaner path and it turned out I was right. I got lucky.

 

[barabootom]

Fanastic pictures! Thank you for sharing them. Did you try any Piranha dishes? Is Machu Picchu very expensive to visit?

We hired a private bus through a travel company in Lima. It was a bargain for our sized group. We paid about $50 each for the day including a private tour guide (meals were extra) and all transportation leaving from Cuzco, but we were a group of 23. We didn't try eating pirahna. Maybe next time.

 

[Brian S]

We paid $125 one way from Lima to Cuzco and then about the same for one way from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado. In both cases the flights are fairly short. Getting to Lima is another story. Those tickets are expensive. Our Atlanta to Lima leg was just over 6 hours of flight time. We bought our tickets almost a year ago though so who knows what the newest prices are. Definitely make it to the rainforest though. It's amazing. Actually, Peru is amazing period.

I always go out of Atlanta too! I guess you fly Delta as well. You leave in concourse E at the airport there . Did you notice that it takes about 1/2 hour less in time for the trip back? I dunno why but it does LOL. i CAN TELL YOU IT COSTS ME ABOUT $1,000 TO GO TO PERU NOW! My first trip in Feb of 2005 was only $389 round trip, my how times have changed!
I'll be going back next year sometime. My wife wants to see her family again which is ok with me. The traffic is terrible in Lima but the food is outstanding.....man I'm getting hungry just thinking about! Oh well its getting too late to eat again but I'll make up for it tomorrow

 

[barabootom]

I always go out of Atlanta too! I guess you fly Delta as well. You leave in concourse E at the airport there . Did you notice that it takes about 1/2 hour less in time for the trip back? I dunno why but it does LOL. i CAN TELL YOU IT COSTS ME ABOUT $1,000 TO GO TO PERU NOW! My first trip in Feb of 2005 was only $389 round trip, my how times have changed!
I'll be going back next year sometime. My wife wants to see her family again which is ok with me. The traffic is terrible in Lima but the food is outstanding.....man I'm getting hungry just thinking about! Oh well its getting too late to eat again but I'll make up for it tomorrow

Yes, we flew Delta to Lima and used LAN for all internal flights. Our trip back though took almost an hour longer. Our flight left Lima at 1am and we flew all night. The food is excellent. Everywhere we went we ate well and some of the buffets were outstanding. $1000 to Lima is actually not that bad these days. When I was pricing it the prices started at $1000 and went up to $1600, (from Chicago) depending on the dates. That sucks when it costs that much just to see family. I'm lucky, my wife is from Mexico City, which is still only $300 roundtrip in June. It's nice when you can stay with family and avoid hotels and taxis. I won't drive in a place like Lima. It's waaay to dangerous. I always let someone drive who's used to being cut off.

 

[Brian S]

I won't drive in a place like Lima. It's waaay to dangerous. I always let someone drive who's used to being cut off.

LOL, My father in law asked me to drive one time and I told him the only way I would drive in Lima is if I was in an Army Tank hahaha

 

[pato_chacoana]

Great pics barabotoom! I'm considering visiting Perú soon (maybe Feb 09). I want to go to Cuzco and Madre de Dios. I'm thinking only buying the plane ticket and then see how is best to get to Puerto Maldonado once in Cuzco. Do you think it's easy to get Bus tickets and camping sites without making any reservations?

Best regards,
Pato-

 

[barabootom]

Great pics barabotoom! I'm considering visiting Perú soon (maybe Feb 09). I want to go to Cuzco and Madre de Dios. I'm thinking only buying the plane ticket and then see how is best to get to Puerto Maldonado once in Cuzco. Do you think it's easy to get Bus tickets and camping sites without making any reservations?

Best regards,
Pato-

Hi Pato,
I can't wait to see your pics from Peru. I've always enjoyed your posts. I want to go to Argentina next. I don't know when but after seeing your pics I really want to go.

I think it will be easy finding bus tickets in Cuzco (tourism has been growing and services are quite good), but you'll need a lot of time going very far. Flying isn't as adventurous but it's fast. The roads around Cuzco wind around a lot. The scenery is amazing. I wanted to stop and explore every hillside we passed in our bus but had to watch them go by just dreaming about it. I asked in Cuzco and I was told the tarantulas are about 2-3 inches. I never had the chance to look for any but I imagine there are lots of different species since the habitats vary so much. It's easy to change 1000 ft in altitude in an hour and the vegetation changes quite a lot around Machu Picchu (lower than Cuzco), and I was told it's considered highland rainforest. I don't have any idea about camping. I would have been afraid to camp in Peru but everyone we met was extremely nice and very helpful. I wouldn't hesitate after traveling there. I would make reservations if I were you. We stayed in mid-priced hotels but our hotels were always completely booked.

 

[Comatose]

Really awesome pics.

 

[barabootom]

Really awesome pics.

Thanks. I appreciate it.

 

[pato_chacoana]

Well, I ended up buying plane tickets to Iquitos! So I'll start my trip from there!

Wish me luck!

Pato-

 

[olablane]

Well, I ended up buying plane tickets to Iquitos! So I'll start my trip from there!

Wish me luck!

Pato-

I am so jealous of all you world travelers!! I have way yoo much livestock to take care of and not enough of the green stuff!! Just post lots of pics when you return and Ill have to be happy!!

 

[Endagr8]

Nice pics!

 

[tryme]

It sounds like you had a real great trip, well done. Would love to do that some time! lol.

 

[barabootom]

It sounds like you had a real great trip, well done. Would love to do that some time! lol.

Thanks. Peru has a lot to see. I never get tired of exploring the rainforest. I'd recommend to anyone that you start planning some kind of trip to the tropics. Even in Peru, they're cutting the forests quickly. On the edges of the larger forests there was a lot of cutting and burning going on. I know people are trying to survive, but it hurts to see lots of burnt tree stumps. Someday soon, all that will be left will be a few parks. And when that happens, the poor will only increase in number. There's something special about being in the middle of nowhere and knowing you can hike all day and not see anyone.

 

[Tony]

My God, Nice pics!! So many of them reminded me of my trip I had to look at my pics - I thought they had been lifted!
Fantastic place isnt it?
Tony