General Travel Tips

I've got a bad habit of flying by the seat of my pants and having full faith that everything will work out well.  It always works out in the end, but here are some things I learned along the way that would have saved me a decent bit of money or stress if I'd known them earlier:

To bring the debit card or not... outside of Uyuni, Bolivia.

Beware of credit card withdrawal fees
I thought I was being very wise at the beginning of my three-month trip by leaving my debit card at home and only taking my credit card for emergencies.  The less you have the less there is to lose or steal, right?  Yes, that's true, unless you factor in getting robbed by your credit card company (ok, I realize this is a harshly unfair statement; the fees are clearly stated in my contract).  When I ran out of the cash I had on hand, I relied on withdrawing money from ATM's.  This is a great idea if you have a debit card, because it limits the amount of cash you carry on yourself and usually there are no fees.  However, a "Cash Advance" via credit card almost always costs at least $10 (depending on the card there's also a percent of your withdrawal that can be charged).  If you withdraw money in every city, well, that adds up fast.  Bring a debit card that doesn't charge international withdrawal fees.

Charter flight in Costa Rica.

Backpackers- travel overnight
Traveling overnight is a three-pointer: you don't have to pay for a hostel, you get to where you want to go while you sleep, and you have the entire day in your next location!  I suggest packing plenty of warm clothes for overnight travel, as air conditioning on buses (and planes) often remains full blast.  Dramamine is not a bad idea, either.

I was complaining about having to find a hostel for just a few hours during a night layover in an airport when my friend Kelsey told me about http://www.sleepinginairports.net/.  Revolutionary!!  You can search on this website for specific airports and read reviews about how it was to sleep in them (and if security even let you).  Reviewers leave detailed comments about where to find internet, outlets, food, quiet hallways, comfortable benches, etc.  AMAZING!!



Check visa/entrance fees for each country
...especially if you are from the U.S.  Our country makes it super difficult for other people to enter, for better or for worse, and some countries make us traveling U.S. citizens pay for that.  In Argentina, for example, the fee is literally called a "Reciprocity Fee" (for U.S. citizens $160/ten years).  The payments can really add up, and can throw off your budget if you aren't prepared.  Also, some of these fees need to be paid BEFORE you arrive at the border (or at the airport; I missed a flight once D'OH!).  If you go via bus and haven't brought your money... best to plan ahead!

The rainy season in Aguascalientes, Peru.  Rafting was canceled.

Seasons change...
If there is a specific activity you want to do, say, hiking the Inca Trail into Macchu Pichu, be cognizant of what time of year you travel.  Rainy and dry seasons make a HUGE impact on what activities are available.  If you end up in Cusco, Peru in February and try to book the Inca Trail fuhget uhbout itttt!  It's closed.

Hiking during the rainy season is a bit different, as well... Bocas del Toro, Panama.

Stay flexible, keep your ears open
Undoubtedly, wherever you're traveling there is someone who has just been there or is also on their way.  These resources are way better (or at least an amazing supplement) to your travel guidebook.  Listen to what they did and take their recommendations.  I planned entire weeks in cities just by word-of-mouth of people I met en route, and I got to do a lot of things I probably would not have found on my own.  Thank you to all my fellow travelers!



I'd love to hear whatever gems you've come up with in your travel experiences.  There's so much that I don't know, and it sure would be nice to know in advance.  Please share!

Colombia

Currency: Peso  ($1 = about 2,000 Colombian Pesos in Feb., 2014)

Language: Spanish, I didn't meet many English-speakers

Foods to Try:

Bunuelos: Unfortunately, I didn't take a very good picture of this fried bread ball, but you will find these EVERYWHERE.  Super cheap.

Me and my bunuelo.

Fried Curry Balls: we found these at a great vegetarian place just off the plaza of San Jose church in Medellin



Fresh Fruit!  A full mango for 50 cents!  Brilliant!  You will see street vendors selling fresh, sliced fruits and fresh-blended fruit juices all over the streets.  Don't hold back.



Bandeja Paisa: a traditional dish of the Medellin valley (where they call themselves "paisas"), this dish will vanquish hunger.  Arepa (see below), fried plantain, fried egg, chicharron (fried pork rind), carne asada, chorizo... what more could you want?

Ajiaco: another tradition from the Medellin valley.  A thick soup with a whole cob of choclo corn, huge chunks of chicken, potatoes and a cream drizzle topping.  Try to find the least touristy place you can, the soup will be better.

Arepas: a cornflour flatbread, often used to make a sandwich similar to a pita pocket.  If you find a local street stand where you can see corn chunks in the dough, you've hit the jackpot.  Otherwise, I liked mine best filled with delicious meat, as the arepa itself is pretty bland.

Tamales with Hot Chocolate: weird combo, right?  But it's high popularity kind of makes sense with the savory + sweet marriage.  

Choclo (Corn with HUGE kernels): less flavorful than the small-kernel corn I'm used to in the MidWest, but it's very popular off the grill.

Rotisserie chicken: they'll even give you plastic gloves to eat with!

Guarapo: Fresh limeade sold in the streets.  Do it!  It's a bright green liquid they carry around in cups.

Coffee: It's Colombia, duh. Tinto= Black, Negro = Black with a dash of milk, Cortado = Coffee+milk

One hand of great beans and one of lower quality.

Capurgana

Lodging:
Since so many tourists enter or exit the country through this town, there are plenty of hostels.  Be warned that the electricity is very hit or miss (good luck finding ice cream!), since the paramilitary is in control of the power plant.

We stayed at the Posada del Gecko.  The Italian brothers make great pizza.

Activities:

-Hike back into Panama!  There's a beautiful jungle trail you can take from Capurgana through Sapzurro and into Miel, Panama.  The entrance to the hike in Capurgana is on a path on the other side of the soccer field (the locals will be able to tell you, it's very well-known).  Don't be worried when the locals worn you about "tigres" (tigers).  Apparently, that's what they call ocelots. 

**Bring a copy of your passport to show border patrol.  Also, alcohol apparently is much cheaper on the Panama side if you find yourself in need.  Try the Coco Loco in Miel; an aged coconut with a bit of rum mixed in its juice.  YUM!

View from the hike back toward Sapzurro.

The jungle path.

Hopping the border!

Miel, Panama.  Get the Coco Loco here!

Turbo

Getting There:

-We took a 2.5 hour speedboat ride from Capurgana to Turbo.  Suggestion: take a dramamine before this ride.

-Get in and out of this city as fast as you can!  To be truthful, I didn't give this place much of a chance, but when our boat pulled up to the dock a swarm of bus and hostel peddlers were already waiting.  I felt like I was in a shark tank.

Waiting for our boat to Turbo.

All of us packed in...for 2.5 hours.

Medellin

Getting there:
-There are buses to/from Medellin from most of the major Colombian cities.  There is also an international airport.

Lodging:
-Try to find a place near a metro stop, it will make your life much easier.  I stayed at the Yellow House hostel, which had a great location close to the metro but far from hustle and bustle.  Vincent, the frenchman owner, got up and made an included breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit, toast and juice.  Loved it!

Activities:
-Real City free walking tours: Pablo is the owner, and gives a very passionate, well-explained talk.

Pablo breaking down Colombian history.

-Weekend cable cars up over Santo Domingo to the Arvi Park market.  The weekend market is much more interesting than the 3-hour guided walk to the lagoon (I would recommend hiking on your own).

Cable cars up to Arvi and over Pablo Escobar's house.

The Arvi weekend market.  Super cool!

-Be wary during soccer games: The people of Medellin live and die by their soccer teams.  Literally.  Don't wear jerseys into the wrong neighborhood, be prepared for the Metro to shut down for the game, and keep your wits about you with the cops walking around with pellet guns.  When I was there a fan was killed the night of a game.

-Botero: the Medellin sculptor/painter who is famous for playing with proportions.  There is a plaza dedicated to him, and also a free museum.

Plaza Botero

Plaza Botero

-Street markets: You find them on almost every major street.

Medellin has come a long way since being the most dangerous city in the ENTIRE WORLD in the 1980's.  The people have definitely seen their fair share of pain and horror, but there is an unmistakable feeling of hopefulness.  Walk around and enjoy!

Plaza Botero

Plaza de la Luz

A Botero sculpture that was bombed.

So many beautiful plazas!

A sculpture made of military knives.

Coming soon: Bogota...

Peru

Currency: Nuevo Soles  ($1 = about 2.9 NS in Feb., 2014)

Language: Spanish, lots of Quechua

Foods to Try:
-Cuy (Guinea Pig, tastes gamey like duck).  Beware, it's expensive.

In he goes!

It was tough eating such a recognizable character.

-Rocoto Relleno (a fried bell pepper stuffed with meat, cheese and veggies NOM NOM!!

Rocoto Relleno with yucca chips and salad :)

-Tuna fruit (in the same family or the same thing as prickly pear, I believe).  Mildly sweet when red, more bitter when green.

You can buy them already-peeled from street vendors.

-Coca Tea is supposed to help a lot of altitude sickness (it is completely different than cocaine, which results after a thorough chemical process of the plant).

You can find both dried leaves or tea packets of coca.

-Street food is super cheap (think $0.30 sandwiches) and you get to try the truly local cuisine that the working class digs into.

Avocado, tomato and onion sandwiches!!

"Cuban" rice: egg, rice and plantain.  Simple as that.

Cusco
**Definitely be aware of rainy season (November~April)  vs. dry season (May~October)

Getting there- from the airport:
The taxis waiting inside the airport are much more expensive (but still relatively cheap) than the ones you can hail down outside on the street.  This is because only licensed taxis drivers can enter the airport, and their prices are higher due to fees they pay to remain certified.  I ended up getting a licensed driver from the airport to the center of Cusco (near Plaza de Armas) for 12 Nuevo Soles (about $4).  Apparently you can get a taxi for at least half the price outside the airport, but it's a gamble (...for $2).

Activities:
You can sign up for most excursions whenever you arrive at your hotel/hostel, although during the dry season it's a good idea to book in advance.

Free Salsa Lessons!  There are free dance classes offered every week at various locations.  Most hostels can tell you where, and many provide their own.

I heard rave reviews from everyone who had done the Sacred Valley tour.  Sadly, I didn't have time to experience it myself.

Shopping: Walk through the markets near the central Plaza de Armas to find myriad alpaca products, jewelry and other souvenirs.  The woven bags are my favorite.  Don't be afraid; they expect you to bargain.

Selling tuna fruit.

Street markets abound!

Young entrepreneur.

Machu Picchu (More details below in the Aguas Calientes section): Upon arrival in Cusco, I booked a two-day trip through my hostel (Pariwana) for the following day.  $212 covered car transportation to and from the train station, roundtrip train tickets between Cusco and Aguas Calientes, one night at Super Tramp hostel in Aguas Calientes, park entrance and a scheduled tour guide at the site.  You need to book your $10 entrance to Wayna Picchu (a climb that allows you to overlook Machu Picchu) in advance, as well.  There are two time slots to enter Wayna Picchu in order to control traffic on the stairs (there are A LOT of them): 7:00 AM or 10:00 AM.  If you travel during the rainy season, I highly recommend taking the 10:00 AM time slot; you can enter Machu Picchu earlier, have your guided tour and walk around.  The fog is so thick in the mornings during the rainy season that I couldn't see anything from Wayna Picchu until about 9:30, when the fog finally started burning off.  My friends who were in the 10:00 AM time slot said they could see perfectly.

Just chillin' at Machu Picchu.

Lodging:
Cusco is bursting with hotels and hostels with varying prices and degrees of comfort.  I stayed at Hostel Pariwana for just over $10/night.  This hostel is a well-oiled machine.  They have large dormitories with 16 beds and many smaller rooms that host different quantities.  The internet worked great, there was a nice lounge area in the central courtyard, a decent breakfast in the morning, coca tea all day, luggage storage, etc.  Make no mistake, this is a party hostel.  They host an event each night of the week, from salsa dancing to trivia night.  These events are canceled during the rainy season, though.  :(

The rain was pouring...

...the waters raged...

...and it appears I went a little crazy.

Aguas Calientes
Even if you don't book a planned trip through a tour company, I recommend spending a night in Aguas Calientes so that you can get an early crack at Machu Picchu the following morning.  Unless, of course, you're taking the Inca Trail in, and in that case- go you!
**WARNING: everything is over-priced in Aguas Calientes.  Save souvenir shopping for elsewhere, and think about bringing some snacks along from Cusco.

Getting there:
Train is the easiest/only way (besides hiking) to get to Aguas Calientes.  You will have to get transportation to the train station from Cusco.  The transportation options are well-described here.  Or, you can choose the easy (and probably more expensive) route and book all transportation in a package through a tour company.  The train will drop you off right in the center of Aguas Calientes.

Great views from the train, too!

Activities:
Thermal Pools: The town is named for its natural thermal waters.  You can take a short hike from the town center and pay 10 NS (~$3.50) to enter the thermal water pools.  To be honest, I was underwhelmed by this experience.  The pools look like shallow swimming pools, certainly not a natural setting, and the water was not steaming hot.  People will tell you to go early in the day to avoid the green build-up in the water after others have been in it all day.  I went in the evening and wasn't too grossed out; it was like any slightly sulfur-smelling thermal water would be.  You could hang out and order drinks from the fine young server running to and from the bar, but be prepared to pay big.

The namesake thermal pools of Aguas Calientes.

Machu Picchu: Buses from Aguas Calientes up to the top of the site usually start at 6:00 AM, but that time can change drastically depending on rainfall.  This gives hikers a chance to make it up before many other tourists arrive.  For those looking to climb by foot, I recommend leaving Aguas Calientes by 5:00 AM to catch the sunrise at the top.  For an average pace, I think the climb from bottom to top would take somewhere around 1 hour 20 minutes.  My zealous climbing partner counted each of our steps: 1,970.  Your legs will definitely burn, but it will be over sooner than you think.
**Bring your passport- they'll stamp it at the park entrance!

Early morning fog.

The start of the climb.

We made it!!

Wayna Picchu: ~1,300 steps (I didn't have my counting partner) above Machu Picchu, Wayna Picchu offers a beautiful view of the ruins in their entirety.  It costs $10 to book a time slot, and should be done in advance (online or through an agency in the area).  Again, I recommend doing the later time slot during the rainy season due to early morning fog.  Be prepared for the steps to be steep, narrow and uneven.  At the end you have to climb through a tunnel in the rocks, so claustrophobes beware.

The tunnel before the peak.  Suck it in!

The best view I got of Machu Picchu.

Altitude: 2,693 meters

Did I mention there are steps?

Lodging:
Similar to Cusco, there are a ton of places to choose from here.  I stayed at Super Tramp hostel.  It was clean, quiet and the staff was very friendly.  It also has a beautiful restaurant in the front that offers the best burgers in the area (I am very confident saying this).  Get the Italian or Mexican burgers!  They cost 20 NS (~$6.25).

A quiet (in February), clean place to sleep.

The Mexican burger at SuperTramp restaurant.

Puno and Lake Titicaca
Getting there:
If you're coming from Cusco, I recommend taking the ~8-hour bus during the day; the landscape is GORGEOUS!  I experienced at least 15 different local food vendors hopping on the bus or selling through the windows during the drive, selling items from Rocoto Relleno to sacks of fried cheese with potatoes. It was entertaining, and the affordable treats were a welcome presence.

Activities:

If you arrive around the second week of February, you'll probably get to experience the Candelaria Festival: six days filled with a carnival-like parade honoring Puno's patron saint.  If this is the case, BOOK YOUR LODGING IN ADVANCE!  I had no idea I was arriving during the party, and had to scour the city to find a room.  People come from all over Peru to take part in the parade.  

The Candelaria parade.

Lake Titicaca: there are several companies that will take you on excursions to the islands on Lake Titicaca.  I chose Edgar Adventures on the recommendation of a friend, and took a two-day trip to see three different islands.  We stopped by the Uros floating islands, stayed overnight in the home of locals on Amantani island, went on a beautiful hike, then finished up learning about headdresses signifying marital status on Taquile island.  WARNING: the islands are extremely touristy, and the locals are trying to make a living.  You will constantly be asked to donate money or to pay for every little thing that you do.  That being said, the overnight stay allowed a neat opportunity to experience island daily life and to try on the local attire ourselves.  

Cute little girl!  Asking for $$

Island explanation.

Typical boat ride! Of course for $$

Our evening hike on Amantani.

Amantani host mom cooking dinner.

My host parents.

My "sisters" and I fitting in.

I haven't had a chance to experience any other parts of Peru yet.  If you have suggestions, please share!

#Peru #Cusco #Aguascalientes #Machupicchu #Waynapicchu #Puno #Laketiticaca