My trip to Peru... With Avalon

[franski]

Hi everyone - A while back I mentioned I would be traveling to Peru with Avalon - and some people indicated they would be interested in how the trip goes.  As I should have Internet connection until the last few days, I am going to try to post as I go along.

 

We went in a few days early and flew to Arequipa.  The plan was to spend 3 nights there and do some sightseeing before heading back up to Lima to join the tour.  Although this is not part of the tour, I am going to start there as I think I have a few insights that may be of use if you want to do this on your own.  I say that the plan was to send 3 nights as that is not what happened.  We missed our connecting flight in Miamia - and the next flight was 17 hours later.  This meant re-booking our flight to Arequipa, and missing out on 1 night we had pre-booked.  But we were able to get an early morning flight to Arequipa and so we didn't miss our walking tour the afternoon.

 

We stayed in a hotel right in the centre of town (Hotel Kitari at the Plaza de Armes) and it was wonderful.  It was so special to sit on the roof open deck while we ate breakfast.  Lots of options, attentive weight staff, and a breathtaking view of the mountains.  I couldn't ask for a better way to star the day.

 

That day we had a walking tour that included some of the colonial buildings.  Learned so much about the history of the city and that was very informative...

 

Would like to post more, but am absolutely exhausted.  So stay tuned..

 

Fran

 

 

 

 

 

[suspaul]

Thanks, waiting.......

[franski]

Well, in re-reading the 1st post, I can see how tired I was...  A number of spelling and grammar mistakes...  Will try to do better from this point on.

 

On the next day in Arequipa, we had booked a Colca Canyon tour.  The tour started at 3 am (yes, 3 AM) when they picked us up at our hotel.  We drove for about 3 hours and then stopped for breakfast which was included.  A simple but good meal - home made bread and jam, scrambled eggs, juice, tea/coffee.  I had Coca tea...  We had been informed by our tour guide that we would be hitting some elevation along the tour so felt that Coca tea might be a good plan.  Boy, am I glad I did.  

 

Turns out Arequipa is 7,500 ft above sea level - and we were heading up from there.  We made a couple of stops before we hit the Condor outlook - and waited there (along with about 100 others) to see the Condors fly.  Apparently, there is a Condor season - and this isn't it.  So - no condors.   But, the scenery is beautiful.  The weather was a bit chilly in the morning, but did warm up as the day went on.  

 

After a couple more stops, we stopped for lunch (also included...). We had a buffet that had a wonderful selection of local dishes.  The cebiche (always spelled it ceviche until I got here...) was delicious.  I had a local vegtarian soup - delicious - and had an opportunity to try alpaca.  They had alpaca ribs, and what looked like a loin in an elderberry sauce.  Both good - but the ribs were my favourite.

 

There were another couple of stops ( one to a "resort" for thermal baths - we opted not to do that) before heading back. That is when the altitude hit us.

 

At the highest point along the route, you hit just shy of 16,000 ft above sea level.  Not pleasant...  I found I noticed the pressure in my head, had some dizziness, nausea, and found it very challenging to walk any incline (the washroom was down a pathway..  Easy to go but exhausting  to go back to the bus.) Felt short of breathe with any exertion. The best way to describe it is like feeling drunk and hung over at the same time.  Once we realized we were going to hit some serious altitude, I took some Gravol (diphenhydramine) and then purchased some Coca and Honey candies.  I do believe that helped.  If I had realized the altitude we would hit, I would have planned to have some extra altitude meds.  But I survived, and didn't end up behind the bus vomiting like the tour-guide-in-training.  And, we (DH and our friends) were older than every one other than the bus driver! 

 

So, a good trip - even though we didn't see even one condor...  But, I would suggest if you do it that you plan to take some altitude meds before you go...  A long day - not back until after 5 pm...

 

Sorry - this is a longer post than intended.  I *think* I managed to reduce or eliminate any spelling mistakes...

 

More to come!

 

Fran

 

 

[franski]

On our final day in Arequipa, we had booked an afternoon flight so that we could have a relaxing morning.  We went to the Monastery of Santa Catalina...  Beautiful, very peaceful.  We were there when it opened - which was a good thing, as it was getting quite busy by the time we left.  Weather was beautiful so really enjoyed the walk from our hotel.  

 

The flight to Lima is just over an hour.  We were at the Airport quite early - which, it seems, is a good idea in Peru.  The lines to check are long and start quite a bit ahead of boarding time.  The security process is quick, however,  and a bit different.  I had to take my watch off for both in country flights - but you can take liquids through with you.  We flew Peruvian Air both times.

 

On arrival in Lima, our luggage was off loaded quickly.  We had pre-booked a ride with the Airport Taxi/bus - it costs $15 USD for a round trip.  We had to get our tickets before boarding the bus -and were a bit concerned about time as we had 25 minutes before the next bus.  We stopped and asked someone holding a sign advertising the transfer company about picking up our tickets and he assured us we would make the next bus.  If we missed it, we would have to wait another hour.  This guy was amazing...  Took us to the counter, entered our passports into the computer (you need your passports for everything here,,,) then escorted us to the bus.  We would have never made it on time without him.

 

Traffic was a bit brutal (rush hours on a Friday) so the transfer took an hour and 45 minutes (about an hour longer than expected) but the bus was comfortable.  Our stop was 2 blocks from the hotel.

 

Will post more about the hotel later.

 

Fran

 

[jpalbny]

Looks like you are off to a great start, though too bad you missed part of your first day! We visited Arequipa for a day on our SA cruise in November 2017. Beautiful city and I would go back for sure. Glad to see your hotel recommendation; will mark it for future reference.

 

The monastery is really pretty. But it sounds as if you didn't get to the museum with the "ice princess" - or did you?

 

But travel in SA can be exhausting. It's not just Peru, or the altitude - your description of South American airports is spot on. We were just in Chile and Argentina a few months ago doing some independent travel and it sure is crowded! In Chile we used LATAM, and we have no status in that alliance, so the going was definitely slow. In Argentina, we used Aerolineas Argentinas (a SkyTeam partner, where we have elite status) and it really made a big difference. It seemed like very few passengers have elite status, so if you do, you're really at the head of every line.

 

The ability to carry liquids was a big plus, and one that we counted on. We went wine touring in between a few of our stops and ended up with two 6-packs of wine. We carried them on several domestic flights until we finally came home, then of course we had to pack them up for the international trip. But safer to only have to check them once.

 

Looking forward to more when you have time! If you have a chance to have anticucho de corazon (alpaca hearts on a skewer) they were my favorites. And lomo saltado, of course!

[mhb1757]

Thanks for the narrative. Looking forward to your next report. 

[franski]

Hi - sorry for the delay in posting, but it has been crazy.  I will try to get caught up a bit.

 

The hotel - Casa Andina Premium in Miraflores is located in a fairly central area - considered fairly safe to walk around the area.  Check in was quick and easy. There were instructions waiting for us from our tour director.  We decided to have dinner in the hotel as we were tired - food was good, and reasonably priced for a hotel chain.  Upon return to our room, I got a phone call from our tour director - Victor- who wanted to check in with us to see if we had any questions about the next day's activities. We were to meet in the lobby at 7 am, so it meant an early breakfast the next day.  

 

We met Victor the next morning in the lobby.  It turns out that the trip to Paracas with the flight over the Nazca Lines is considered an extension, even though it is not listed as such in any of the literature.  So, there were 10 of us for the extension, and there were another 6 (for a total of 16) joining us when we returned to Lima.

 

I will try to post again later...  Just have to get ready for dinner!  There is lots to post about the extension!

 

Fran

[franski]

Well, the trip to the Nazca Lines was not as expected or hoped for.  We left the hotel early in the morning, as it is a 2 1/2 hr drive to Pisco to board the plane.  I appreciated the good advice here about the flight being a bit rough - and got the same advice from our guide in Arequipa.  So, light breakfast - and took a Gravol (diphenhydramine) pre-flight.  We were weighed, passports checked and seats assigned.  On the way out to the plane (it is a 12 seater - and you board from the tarmac), we passed people who has got off a flight before us - they indicated it was great.

 

The pilot and co-pilot were jovial...  Laughing and generally appeared to be having a good time...  The flight time to the lines was about 35 minutes.  It was when we got to the lines that the trouble started.  I was warned about the banking and turning - but it was much more than anticipated.  Sharp banks at the same time as a downward movement. Very exaggerated movements... And most people were quite affected.  My friends were rough - she vomitted, he very nauseated.  Two other women threw up.  I was nauseated.  All of us had taken Gravol. I have to think that the degree of banking and diving was deliberate, and that it didn't need to be like that.  When I saw one of the figures, I would point my phone, hit a button and hope for the best.  I got about 4 pictures... But only from my side of the plane.  Couldn't look out the other side without increasing the nausea...  

 

My stomach had some time to settle on the flight back to the airport.  DH was fine.  To be honest, if I knew it was going to be that rough, I may not have gone.  My friends said they definitely would have cancelled...  She one saw one line figure before she started vomitting....

 

Fran

[franski]

The rest of the extension was a night in Paracas, and a cruise to the Ballestas Islands the next day...  Both were top notch.

 

Our hotel in Paracas was amazing...  We had 2 room suites - with a patio that overlooked the water.  There was a pool, but we didn't swim.  We walked on the beach, and waded in a bit, until we noticed all of the jellyfish on the edge of the shore... Yuck!  Dinner was in the restaurant, included, and it was good.  Our tour guide wasn't staying in the same hotel, but he left his phone number in case we needed him.

 

The next day, we took an early boat ride to the islands...  Awesome!  We saw sea lions, Peruvian boobies, cormorants, a few Pelicans and even some penguins!  Weather was beautiful, and the sea was quite calm.  We did see the Candelabro on the way, which was interesting.  That part of the extension was great - but, if I was booking this trip again, I might look into how I could do the Ballestas Island cruise from Lima on my own.  Unless they could assure me that the Nazca Lines flight would be better...

 

Fran

[franski]

Hi everyone -  So sorry for the delay in posting.  A busy trip - with 4 days totally disconnected while we were on the Amazon.  We are home now - and am finally back to "normal" (whatever normal is...) so will finish up the blog. 

 

After our trip to the Ballestas Islands, we had a bus trip back to Lima.  The trip was almost 3 hours --> we stopped at a little restaurant for lunch on the way back.  Lunch was not included, but the options for the meal were good.  Victor was there to translate for us.

 

One thing we discovered about our trip is that you really do need at least a rudimentary command of Spanish to get along.  Of course, the only words I know are "Buenos Dias/Noches", "Por Favor" - and (the most important one) "Banos". We weren't worried when we discovered that English is not common in the smaller towns/villages - but were very surprised when it was difficult to find anyone (other than people in the tourist industry) able to speak English is a city the size of Lima (10 million people).

 

We were back at the Casa Andina in Miraflores for 2 nights - dinner was on our own that evening.

 

The next day, we had a tour of Lima.  We saw the old town, Lima Cathedral, the San Francisco Monastery and the catacombs.  We also visited the Larco Herrera Museum.  The museum was good - but, to be honest, I enjoyed the grounds with the lush greenery and flowers almost as much. 

 

That evening, we walked over to a local mansion - Casa Garcia Alvarado (close to Kennedy Park) for a traditional Peruvian dinner.  It is a private house - but the kitchen/courtyard can be rented for private functions.  The owner still lives on site - and joined us for dinner.  The table was set up in the courtyard - complete with white linen, silver and crystal --> just a wonderful meal. It was a lovely way to end the day.

 

Fran

[jpalbny]

Welcome Back! Have been eagerly awaiting the rest of your story.

[franski]

19 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Welcome Back! Have been eagerly awaiting the rest of your story.

 Thanks!!  Had some GI issues (will be touching a bit more on that....) - so my plans to post along the way hit a brick wall.  But - stay tuned.   Will get the story done!!

 

Fran

[franski]

Day 5 of the Avalon tour...  We flew to Cusco in the morning.  We were starting to think that we should get frequent flyer points for the Peruvian Airlines --> by the end of the trip, we had flown into Lima airport 4 times in 15 days!!  Most flights are less than an hour, and if you were to drive the same distance, it would take the better part of an entire day!!.  In Cusco, we met Harry, our local guide.  

 

Harry was with us from the time we landed in Cusco, until we left for our trip to the Amazon.  I cannot say enough about him.  Absolutely amazing --> knows his local history, and keeps it interesting.  Victor was also with us.  It is obvious that these two gentlemen have known each other for quite a while - and work very well together.  Victor took care of every little detail...  keeping track of 16 people through multiple plane trips, rail trips, bus rides etc.  Luggage taken care of - local tips handled.  We have done a number of river cruises - and have met some amazing guides/tour directors - and really feel we hit the cream of the crop with these two.

 

Upon arrival in Cusco, we took a bus ride towards the Sacred Valley.  We stopped for lunch along the way (included).  We were supposed to have a tour of Awanakancha and then head up to Pisac - but the road to Pisac was closed for repairs --> so we had a change in our itinerary.  Some of the people were looking forward to buying alpaca items in Pisac, so we went to an Alpaca outlet.  We were shown how to tell the difference between Alpaca and Baby Alpaca --> and the "fake" stuff.  Of course, you could buy.  Prices - in retrospect - were pretty good compared to what we saw later.  I didn't buy anything - although my friend bought a couple of items.

 

Next we went to Chinchero - to a women's weaving co-operative.  They showed us how they spin the wool, dye it - and weave it.  We were offered Coca tea when we arrived (I always took Coca tea when offered) - and then (of course) an opportunity to shop.  I did buy a table runner, and a couple of small change purses as gifts.  Prices for the weaving not cheap - but, I do sew/quilt so appreciate the work in the items.  Again, when I was able to compare what I bought with items I saw later in the week, my items were of a higher quality - and the price was the same (or better) than in other areas.  I didn't have a lot of cash with me - and they did take credit cards - although I had to pay a bit more to use it.   But, that was really all I ended up buying on the trip - and I know I would have been mad at myself if I hadn't bought anything there.

 

That night we stayed in another Casa Andina Hotel in the Sacred Valley.  Dinner was included...  Driving into the area, it looks quite bleak and sparse - and then, out of nowhere, this wonderful resort hotel appears.  Checking into hotels was always easy - Victor was there to co-ordinate and ensure a smooth check in.

 

Fran

[TravelerThom]

Thanks for the trip report. Brings back lots of memories of several trips through Peru. Sorry your Nazca Lines trip was so rough. In November 2000 I had come in DIY from Bolivia crossing Titicaca in a Bolivian Navy vessel, stopped at the floating islands before spending a week in the Cuzco area, on by gravel roads to the Colca Canyon (President Fujimori asked for asylum in Japan while I was in the canyon, and I did have condors sail about 6 feet over my head), then Arequipa and on up the coast to Nazca where I had a very smooth flight over the Lines in a 4 seater, then the Ballestas Islands and on into Lima. Lots of wonderful sights and surprisingly easy to do with my pidgin Spanish. I did the Amazon on one of my other trips to Lima. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[franski]

Day 6 -- We had a tour of Ollantaytambo in the morning - including the ruins/Inca fortress.  We visited a native Incan home - the woman who owns it can trace her heritage back to the Incas.   Sun was shining - a beautiful day.  We then boarded the train to Aguas Calientes (aka Machu Picchu Pueblo/Machu Picchu Village).  It was a Vistadome rail car - lots of windows, comfy seats.  We were served a light lunch and beverages on board...  When we got to the village, we went right to the bus and up to Machu Picchu.  We had lunch at the buffet in the hotel at the top. 

 

We were asked to only bring a back pack or small bag - the rest of our luggage was sent to our hotel in Cusco.  Our back packs were sent on to the hotel in Aguas Calientes.  Luckily most of us brought rain gear... as the heavens opened while we were eating.

 

The rain settled a bit before we started on our trek.  I have one picture taken in front of one of the walkways.  And, the mist/rain cleared for a nano-second... just long enough to get a picture to prove I was there. Then, the wheels fell off the wagon...

 

I developed a very sudden GI upset.  Had to leave the tour and hit the bathroom.  And, did not recover enough to rejoin the group.  Victor left the group with me - and went with me to the washrooms... Waited for me to see if I needed anything.  Negotiated with the person at the gate to allow me to re-enter if I wanted to.  But - all I wanted to do was head to the hotel. Victor offered to take me down to the hotel - but I assured him that I could make it on my own.  He went with me to the bus - and talked the bus driver into letting me off in front of the hotel.  And - when I went into the hotel to check in - it was obvious that Victor had called ahead to let them know I was coming.  Certainly not the trip I had envisioned to Machu Picchu - but, I did make it there. 

 

The group had an option to return again the next morning - and (if weather permitted) do the hike up to the Sun Gate.  I felt better - but didn't want to risk another trip up to the site. I slept in - had a relaxing breakfast. The mountain was covered in mist - but, the group that went back up said the rain stopped when they entered, and did not start again until they were ready to leave.  And, they made it to the Sun Gate.  I was disappointed that I didn't get a chance to do the hike - but, still had the trip to the Amazon to look forward to - and wanted to make sure that I was feeling better before I got there!!

 

Fran

[franski]

Day 7 - We checked out of the hotel, and took the train back to Ollantaytambo…  Again, on the Vistadome train.  We had a fun "creature" entertain us, as well as a fashion show on board.  We had beverages, and a "snack" on our way down.

 

The train ride takes about 90 minutes, and then we were another 90 minutes to get to our hotel in Cusco.  And, what a delight  the hotel was.  We were right in the downtown area - a reasonable walk from the main square.  Again, Avalon had arranged for a top-notch hotel - part museum, part 5-star hotel.  A centre courtyard had local women selling handicrafts - complete with a baby alpaca wandering around!! The breakfast buffet was awesome.

 

We toured Sacsayhuaman... then a visit to the Santa Domingo Monastery and the Cusco Cathedral.  We had free time in the afternoon, and walked with Victor back to the Plaza de Armas to have lunch at a local restaurant.  Ordered soup - as we had a dinner included that evening...  Once again, food was lost in translation.  I figured a fish/trout soup would be light.  The soup was thick - almost like a stew - couldn't finish it all.  

 

Dinner was at a museum that night.   Beautiful setting - had fish... one of the best meals I had.  For the meals, you would get a "menu" earlier in the day - pick a starter/main/dessert.  It was always interesting...  Never quite sure what we would get!!  But, the food was good.  Quite rich - helpings large.   We had a 2nd night at the hotel in Cusco before flying to Lima and then on to Iquitos....  

 

Fran

[jpalbny]

So sorry to hear that you had GI issues during the MP segment! Glad it didn't last long and you got to see at least a little of the site. Probably smart to rest up the next morning though that would have killed me to miss it.

 

Where did you stay in Cusco? The description of your hotel with the large central courtyard sounds like The Belmond Monasterio, but probably other hotels in Cusco fit that description.

 

And the museum restaurant - was that the MAP Cafe in the Museum of Precolumbian Art? We ate there on our 2011 trip and really liked it. Peruvian cuisine does stick to your ribs, doesn't it? 

 

Eagerly anticipating your Amazon portion of the trip report, as that is one part of Peru that we haven't visited. We keep looking at this but haven't had a chance to make it happen yet. Did you post pictures anywhere?

[franski]

On ‎4‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 7:36 PM, jpalbny said:

Where did you stay in Cusco? The description of your hotel with the large central courtyard sounds like The Belmond Monasterio, but probably other hotels in Cusco fit that description.

 

And the museum restaurant - was that the MAP Cafe in the Museum of Precolumbian Art? We ate there on our 2011 trip and really liked it. Peruvian cuisine does stick to your ribs, doesn't it? 

 

Eagerly anticipating your Amazon portion of the trip report, as that is one part of Peru that we haven't visited. We keep looking at this but haven't had a chance to make it happen yet. Did you post pictures anywhere?

We stayed at the Palacio del Inka in Cusco...  very impressive.   And, yes - we did eat at the MAP Café in the Museum of PreColumbian Art.

 

I will post more about the Amazon shortly.  Pictures are just posted on my Facebook page.  I am one of those "old" people (according to my kids) who just takes pics with my "old" cellphone.  Take a lot of ribbing about my Blackberry - but the pictures are pretty good.  If you e-mail me I can give you my full name and you can ask to be my friend 🙂 and see the pics there.  (franski@rogers.com)  Don't want to mention the entire name here - not sure if giving you that and directing you to Facebook is against the rules!!

 

Fran

[franski]

Day 9 - mostly a travel day... We flew from Cusco to Lima and then on to Iquitos.  There are (apparently) some direct flights from Cusco to Iquitos - but we didn't get one of those.  It may be because they weren't offered  that day - or because the timing didn't work with the Delfin group.

 

We arrived in Iquitos just after lunch.  We were met at the airport by reps from the cruise line.  They counted and tagged all the luggage before we left the airport.  We had our own small bus (the rest of the guests were on another bus) - and were given a bag lunch plus water when we boarded.  We had a tour of Iquitos - went to the downtown area - before heading to Nantes to board the boat.  It is about 90 minutes from the airport to the boarding spot - but had another 25 minutes or so added as our tour to the downtown area was away from the boat.   We had one of the naturalists from the boat (Jorge) with us on the bus - and he explained what we were seeing, and was able to answer questions. 

 

Nantes is a small town - but does have some amenities.  I am guessing that tourism here (like much of Peru) is the biggest source of income.  There is a little hut on the side of the river - you have to fill out your paperwork before boarding the skiff to travel to the boat (about 50 yards away...).  

 

Our boat (the Delfin III)had 22 cabins - 11 on each passenger deck.  I have included the  link to the website - it has picture of the boat. 

https://www.rainforestcruises.com/delfin-iii-amazon-cruise

 We had a cabin on the lower level - the bed faces the large window. As with all the hotel rooms in Peru , there was bottled water in the bathroom - but, on the boat, it was in a carafe that was filled as needed.  You are given a metal re-usable water bottle when you board the bus - filled with cold water. That is yours to keep.  They have filling stations on the lower and middle deck - and you are encouraged to fill and use this bottle.  They try very hard to reduce their use of plastic - as it is a huge concern with the local wildlife.  

 

Breakfast is a buffet - lunch and dinner are set menus.  If you have any food restrictions, it is noted - and your meal is prepared and served separately.  My DH has an issues with red & yellow peppers, so his meals were slightly different.  As we were travelling as a group of 17 (16 plus Victor) there were 3 tables for 6 reserved - so we all ate as a group.  Also, any time we went out on the skiff, we went as one group.   There is a fairly open bar on board --> local beer, Pisco sours, pop, coffee (including cappuccinos and/or lattes) were available and free at all times.  I did want a G&T (a bit of a tradition with our travel friends) and bought two... NOT cheap. But, the tradition has been kept alive....

 

Fran 

[franski]

Day 10 - the Amazon!!

 

First off , although it is listed as a 3 night/4 day tour, you are really only on the river 2 full days.  We got on board (day 1) just before dinner - and left (day 4) just after breakfast.  If someone was choosing to do this tour on their own, I would suggest booking the 5 day tour. But - the trip was awesome.

 

The 1st night - after dinner - we did an evening walk in the rain forest.  We wore rubber boots (provided) and rain ponchos (also provided..).  We didn't see a lot - but it was amazing to stop - turn off our flashlights and just be surrounded by the sounds of the rain forest.  We did see a cane toad - and some very busy leaf-carrying ants.  But, other than that - it was just an experience to trek in the forest.

 

We were up early on our 1st full day.  We had a skiff ride at 6 am --> things were just waking up.  We saw a sloth hanging from a branch, and a number of monkeys running and jumping - and ++ birds.  We also saw some pink dolphins breaching along the shore. Sun was shining - just beautiful!!  Back to the boat for breakfast at 7:30.  We went back out at 8:30... and got to swim in the river.  Just awesome!!  A dolphin breached about 20 feet ahead of me!!  We could use pool noodles - and I was glad I had one.  There is a current there (we were swimming where 2 rivers meet) so it was nice to be able to swim lazily and not worry about the current.  They finally made me get out of the water about 40 minutes later...  They provided towels to dry off - and, on the way back, brought out a cooler so we could have something to drink.  There was the usual water, and pop - but, they also offered Cusquenas (local beer) --> opted for the beer... It may only have been 10:30 am in Peru, but it was 5 o'clock somewhere!  Sun, rainforest and beer - while cruising the Amazon on the skiff.  Life is good!!  🙂 

 

Fran

[franski]

Day 10 continued - There was an option to kayak (2 person) later than morning, but opted to sit and look at the scenery.  Had a coffee... relaxed in the upper outdoor lounge.  We took another rain forest walk in the afternoon.  Again, not a lot of wildlife.  We were there as the wet season was ending - so many animals moved further inland to dryer land.  But - I loved spending time on the skiff and sailing in areas that wouldn't be available by boat later in the season.  And, I loved being out on the boat. 

 

After dinner, there was an optional trip to meet a local Shaman.  One of the naturalists went with us to translate. We met her in a local thatched hut area... lots of bugs out - but there were smudge pots around the periphery, so I didn't get any bites. 

 

It is suggested to have a bug repellant with DEET.  I went to our local Sail store, and found a product that is a lotion.  No smell, not greasy.  I was able to make sure all open areas were covered when we were in the rainforest.  Our friends had a spray - Muskol…  Not only was it greasy (when they sprayed it, they left a film behind...) - it didn't work as well as our lotion.   They eventually switched and started using our repellent, but they already had some bites.  I managed to come away from the Amazon bite-free....

 

We had gone to a travel doctor before we left for Peru.  He prescribed anti-malarials for us to take while on the Amazon.  After the issue I had with the GI upset, I re-read the information sheet for the anti-malarials.  GI upset is a common side effect.  I discussed the risk of malaria with Victor - and had reviewed the information on the Delfin III website that indicated the risk of malaria in the area where we would be travelling was low - and decided not to take the meds.   Figured if I caught malaria, I would have the meds to treat it (same to treat as to prevent!!). 

 

We were in bed early that night... a busy day --> with an early wake-up call planned for the next morning!!

 

Fran