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PERU TRAVEL
PLANNER
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Travel on foot
Even if you've no intention of doing any serious hiking ,
there's a good deal of walking involved in checking out many of the most
enjoyable Peruvian attractions. Climbing from Cusco up to the fortress of
Sacsayhuaman, for example, or wandering around at Machu Picchu, involves more
than an average Sunday afternoon stroll. Bearing in mind the rugged terrain
throughout Peru, the absolute minimum footwear is a strong pair of running
shoes. Much better is a pair of hiking boots with good ankle support.
Hiking - whether in the desert, mountains or jungle - can be an enormously
rewarding experience, but you should go properly equipped and bear in mind a few
of the potential hazards . Never stray too far without food and water, something
warm and something waterproof to wear. The weather is renowned for its dramatic
changeability, especially in the mountains , where there is always the
additional danger of soroche (altitude sickness). In the jungle the biggest
danger is getting lost. If this happens, the best thing to do is follow a water
course down to the main stream, and stick to this until you reach a settlement
or get picked up by a passing canoe. If you get caught out in the forest at
night, build a leafy shelter and make a fire or try sleeping in a tree.
In the mountains it's often a good idea to hire a pack animal to carry your
gear. Llamas can only carry about 25-30kg and move slowly, a burro (donkey)
carries around 80kg, and a mule - the most common and best pack animal - will
shift 150kg with relative ease. Mules can be hired from upwards of $5 a day, and
they normally come with an arriero, a muleteer who'll double as a guide. It is
also possible to hire mules or horses for riding but this costs a little more.
With a guide and beast of burden it's quite simple to reach even the most remote
valleys, ruins and mountain passes, travelling in much the same way as Pizarro
and his men over four hundred years ago.
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