Preparations for Peru and the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu

---

Today is Sunday April 15, normally tax day in the US but we have a two day reprieve since the date falls on a weekend. Being ever at the ready my taxes are filed and painfully paid for, leaving me free to prepare for my next adventure Peru.

I will be traveling with Bob Lubell, a new friend and roommate for the trip; and Tony Barone and his wife Trish. Tony has done all the are work for my books The Enochian Dilemma and now Ghost Witch, we we have some history. Bob and I not so much. Oh well how bad can it be...we will be in Peru.

Preparations for me on these trips is very important so I want to detail some of my preparations. First, I did a deep google dive on all things Peru. I researched the climate, end of rainy season temps in the 50's to 80's; money, they use the sole and it is $1 equates to 3 soles; crime, rampant so I plan to stay with a crowd; and of course food and drink. I plan to try most everything on the food and beverage menu but I wounder if I will have the stomach for Guinea Pig. I guess we will see!

So as for planning, I am bringing 3 pairs of pants that zip off to be shorts. 3 Pairs of actual shorts, 5 short sleeve shirts, and over shirt with long sleeves, as well as a light rain suit (just in case) and hiking and relaxing shoes. As a precaution, I also have a first aid kit, appropriate antibacterial meds, prescription meds and of course a clothes line for washing clothes if necessary.

I always like to have local currency before I leave for foreign lands so I contacted TRAVELEX and changed an appropriate amount of dollars into soles. I got a real good currency exchange rate so I am basically ready to go. If I need more money I have my trusty AMEX Platinum card for large buys (I don't plan any but one never knows right.)

I also like to travel light so in this case I stuffed my gear into a 36 inch duffel bag and will use my hydration back pack as a day pack. Since the water is not safe to drink, I plan to carry my daily water, bought at the hotel, in the hydration back. I will add some crystal light for flavor and am thus prepared to be well hydrated and not have to buy expensive water on the road. I also have two Stetson brand trail hats guaranteed to keep the sun off your head and face as well as impregnated with bug repellent. Finally I have two spray bottles of sun block. At an altitude of 12,000 feet the sun can be brutal. A collapsible walking stick completes the gear.

Flight preparations were handled by Orbit 1 our tour company. We depart Detroit at 10:00 AM and arrive Miami for a short layover. We then fly direct to Lima, flight time there is 5.5 hours. Not really too bad. Lima is on the Central Time zone so I will only be 1 hour off from normal time so I guess jet lag will not be an issue.

Our itinerary is a busy one: 2 nights in Peru and we head off by air to Cuzco where we head to the town of Urubamba for another 2 nights. From here we head to Machu Picchu for a limited 5 hours on site. Machu Picchu is overrun with visitors so they limit the number of visitors daily and you are only allowed a limited time on site based on your permit. I understand that 2018 is the last year permits will be issued and the site will be closed to the general public, so we are fortunate to go now. From Machu Picchu we go back down to Cuzco for another 2 nights. On day 7 we have a long drive through the country side and are rewarded with a trip through the Andes. Unfortunately the day begins at 4:30 AM but end the day at Lake Titicaca. The lake sits 12,500 feet above sea level the highest in the world. The next 2 nights we stay in Puna where we take a tour of the Lake by boat. We visit several islands and tour historic sites. At the end of the trip we fly back to Lima for a farewell dinner as we prepare to leave Peru and return home.

So that is the game plan. I will be writing to the blog daily of possible and hope to include photographs. If you have any questions or comments be sure to send them via this blog and I will respond accordingly. Hope you enjoy the trip with me and maybe it will inspire you to travel. Hasta la vista Baby.

---