Machu Picchu & Peru (1 Viewer)

[P. Littbarski]

Hello dere travel forum.

has anyone on thumped been to Machu Picchu or anywhere else in peru ?

We are going to peru for 3 weeks in August and even though we have loads of reading material to plan out trip with any firsthand accounts, helpful tips and all that would be great...

 

[Bag'o'cans]

Get there early before the 10'000 fat germans and americans arrive in the choo choo

 

[jane]

I haven't been to Peru, but I spent a few weeks in Bolivia a couple of years ago. Toward the end of the trip, we went up to Copacabana and the Isla del Sol, where a lot of overland travellers cross from Peru into Bolivia.

Most incredible was that walking down any street was like being forced to run some obscene souvenir gauntlet, it was more expensive than most of the other places we'd been, and there seemed to be little evidence of anything BUT tourist stuff, unlike most of the other towns -- even the popular attractions (except Uyuni, which was depressing beyond words). Obviously, tourism means you will be in tourist places, but this was just uncomfortable, like being imprisoned in a Bolivian Temple Bar times a hundred, but there was really nowhere else to go to escape it.

Thing is, while we were trying to get used to this high-octane tourism, people who had crossed over from Peru were heaving huge sighs of relief at how un-touristy it was.

So, there you go.

Apparently, the Inca Trail is horrendously dirty, too. Be prepared to become immune to the sight of pooped-on toilet roll everywere you go.

The point is, just be aware of what it'll be like, and you'll probably love it more than love itself. Don't expect 'unspoiled' wilderness, or you'll end up bummed out.

 

[#10-7]

hey,
if you have any questions ask them and i'll answer them for you. friends in work did it, and i'll pass on the info.

- tips:
you need good boots.
a good poncho.
use a compact sleeping bag so you can carry more provisions.
loads and loads of water.
altitude sickness tablets
don't go up the mountains for a few days when you arrive in peru, you have to get used to the height.
smallest rucksack you can manage.
little snacks.

 

[guy of the tiger]

Im hopefully hitting South America this summer too.
Whats the story with injections and immunisations? do you have to get malaria shots etc?

 

[P. Littbarski]

Im hopefully hitting South America this summer too.
Whats the story with injections and immunisations? do you have to get malaria shots etc?

you'll need shots for tetanus, hepatitis, rabies and typhoid. Not sure about malaria...i had to take malaria tablets when in south east asia and they were grand although I had crazy nightmares for a couple of weeks.

 

[jane]

Im hopefully hitting South America this summer too.
Whats the story with injections and immunisations? do you have to get malaria shots etc?

You only need malaria tablets if you're going into the rainforesty areas. As I'm sure you already know, they are not foolproof, and you can still end up with malaria even if you take them, so make sure you use lots and lots of insect repellent, and just don't get bitten if you can help it. Tropical Medical off Grafton St is pretty good for realistic and practical information. There's a particular type of malaria tablet that can make you go crazy. Like, make you go crazy forever, but I don't think Tropical Medical even prescribe it, so you probably don't have to worry about it.

As for altitude sickness, it is NO BLEEDIN' JOKE. I had it for most of the trip, and it really fucking sucked, and I don't know if I'd have gone at all if I knew how sick I was going to end up. I wasn't even able to enjoy a lot of it. Don't mess around with that shit. You can actually die from it. Macchu Picchu isn't as high in altitude as some of the Bolivian Andes, but it can still affect you, so make sure you've either ascended gradually or given yourself ample time to acclimate yourself.

 

[P. Littbarski]

hey,
if you have any questions ask them and i'll answer them for you. friends in work did it, and i'll pass on the info.

cheers lorcanzo...

if you could find out what the story is with cash.. as in what's the best currency to bring ? Is it the dollar ? We are only going to be in Lima for a couple of days and from then on we are going to be hiking for the most part. I don't want to be walking around with loads of cash all the time so we are trying to work out if there are decent facilities for travellers cheques, credit cards etc. that kind of thing.

 

[P. Littbarski]

You only need malaria tablets if you're going into the rainforesty areas. As I'm sure you already know, they are not foolproof, and you can still end up with malaria even if you take them, so make sure you use lots and lots of insect repellent, and just don't get bitten if you can help it. Tropical Medical off Grafton St is pretty good for realistic and practical information. There's a particular type of malaria tablet that can make you go crazy. Like, make you go crazy forever, but I don't think Tropical Medical even prescribe it, so you probably don't have to worry about it.

As for altitude sickness, it is NO BLEEDIN' JOKE. I had it for most of the trip, and it really fucking sucked, and I don't know if I'd have gone at all if I knew how sick I was going to end up. I wasn't even able to enjoy a lot of it. Don't mess around with that shit. You can actually die from it. Macchu Picchu isn't as high in altitude as some of the Bolivian Andes, but it can still affect you, so make sure you've either ascended gradually or given yourself ample time to acclimate yourself.

I've done a bit of hiking and climbing at higher than normal altitudes and (luckily) havent had any signs of it yet. We are going to acclimatise for a few days to see how we all get on.

Whats the story with dengue in Peru/South America.

 

[hugh]

There's a particular type of malaria tablet that can make you go crazy. Like, make you go crazy forever, but I don't think Tropical Medical even prescribe it, so you probably don't have to worry about it.

Yeah that's Larium. It contains a drug called Mefloquine. The reason it is used is because many strains of malaria have developed immunity to the cloroquine (I think?) based Malaria drugs. Particularly in some parts of SE Asia and Africa. It does have some pretty weird side effects for some people and there have been rare cases of people going nutso for good. However, one of the side-effects of the strain of malaria that it combats is death so that's not too good either.

Malaria tablets are great. There's two types. One doesn't work and the other can make you go crazy. It's your choice!

Anyway, I took Larium and it it didn't do me any harm. Did have some mad dreams though. And Jane, the Tropcial Med Centre prescribed it to me ..... but then this was years ago so maybe they've stopped.

 

[Bag'o'cans]

All the info on immunization click on the map wherever you're going http://www.who.int/ith/preface.html

 

[jane]

I've done a bit of hiking and climbing at higher than normal altitudes and (luckily) havent had any signs of it yet. We are going to acclimatise for a few days to see how we all get on.

Whats the story with dengue in Peru/South America.

Yeah, it's weird how it affects people differently. I got it really badly, but the person I travelled with had no trouble at all. I don't know what the story is with dengue fever, but if you plan to stay at higher altitudes for most of the trip, you really have nothing to worry about.

 

[#10-7]

money matters:
bring about 500 dollars for lima.
once there change it for Peruvian Sols.
you'll get the best rate that way.
Everything there is mentally cheap, especially outside the city. only trust the places in either of the Lima squares, north square and south square.

um.. and the only malaria medicine you can trust is something called Malorone.
you take one once a day instead doing the whole five month thing.

you also have to get an application to do the peruvian trail, about a month before. this is essential, they won't let you go otherwise. (unless you're going on a package thing, when they should sort it for you, but check it out.)

you also must go to the tropical medical bureau off grafton street. you get all the shots there, and afterwards you receive a certificate, which you attach to your passport.

 

[Lili Marlene]

has this gotten any better or would you still die the moment you set foot there?

 

[Gabbo]

has this gotten any better or would you still die the moment you set foot there?

are you going? i'm heading in september. heard you have to book it a fair bit in advance.

 

[Lili Marlene]

I don't know, depends how my question is answered

i'm making some long term plans at the moment

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

just get as many vaccinations and drugs as you can afford and take them all the first day

 

[plug]

go. it'll be amazing. what could possibly be holding you back?

 

[Lili Marlene]

what could possibly be holding you back?

I guess the going insane

 

[plug]

I dunno... staying in ireland could drive you insane too!