13 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR TRIP TO PERÚ

“Peru, the richest country in the world,” and “Chaski Green tour Operator” invites you to discover that being rich isn’t about having the most; it’s about experiencing the most unforgettable moments. And these experiences begin on a trip to Perú, a place where the diversity and authenticity of the culture, nature and food hold the essence of life itself.

Perú packs a ton of diversity between its sea level elevation Pacific beaches and the 22,204 foot top of its highest mountain. Peru is like three different countries in one, so try to travel along the coast, in the highlands, and in the jungle. It’s not just the weather that changes as you move between Peru’s three major geographic regions (and the weather can change a lot, so pack for Perú with that in mind). The food, the accents, the lifestyle, the culture, even the appearance and style of dress all change as you move from the costa to the sierra to the selva. It’s one of the reasons Peru never gets boring.

There’s pisco. There’s ceviche. And, yes, there’s that famous trail. Don’t worry, we’ll get to all of those. First, some things you may not already know.

Lima is Peru’s largest city by far. It’s home to more than a quarter of Peru’s roughly 30 million people, has wonderful food, the beautiful Miraflores district (where you can drink while overlooking beaches lined with small rocks that form eye-catching patterns each time the tide rolls out) and excellent museums.

1. There’s more to Perú than Incas

Most tourists come to Perú to see Machu Picchu or other Inca ruins, with maybe a few Catholic churches thrown in for balance. This makes it easy to conclude, “There were the Incas, then the Spanish came, which brings us to where we are now.”

In fact, the Incas had a knack for taking control of long-established things and making them their own. The Incan state didn’t emerge until the 1200s. It became an empire in the 1400s, and its final sovereign emperor died in 1533, officially ending the period of constructing the buildings and roads that lure visitors to this day.

People of Perú built a civilization 5,000 years ago and the centuries that followed saw the emergence of other significant cultures, such as Caral, the Paracas, the Moche, the Chimu, Chavin, The Wari, etc.

By: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/peru-10-things-to-know/index.html

2. Access to Perú

In most cases, tourists can enter Peru with just a valid passport and a simple tourist card, known as the Tarjeta Andina de Migraciones (TAM). And even the card is being phased out in favor of a simple digital version, making the process even easier.

3. Altitude adjustment amounts to common sense

Peru is a mountainous land, and you have to handle heights if you’re going to Cuzco, Machu Picchu and other landmarks of Andean culture.

How to prepare? The easiest method is drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep and ease off the booze — just imagine how your mother would like you to conduct your life at every elevation and you’ll be fine. You can also consume stimulating coca leafs, whether in tea or by chewing them.

More info: https://chaskigreen.com/faqs/

4. Don’t Drink the Water

Don’t drink the water. Don’t. Drink. The. Water. Don’t drink the water! It won’t melt your face or anything, but the chances of getting a stomach bug or parasite or bacteria or radioactively-induced superpower are high if you drink the water in Peru. Drink beer instead.

5. Learn Some Spanish for Perú

Not many people speak English in Peru, at least not beyond the tour agencies and touristy restaurants. So do yourself a favor: Try to learn at least some basic Spanish before you travel. I know it’s boring, but it makes a world of difference once you arrive.

6. Taxi Drivers Lie

Taxi drivers always try to rip you off. OK, maybe not all of them, but most of them, especially in the bigger cities. So always haggle with taxi drivers. As a rule of thumb, if they say S/ 10, offer S/ 7. Your bargaining power typically increases with your level of spoken Spanish. And you don’t need to tip taxi drivers unless they’re particularly helpful.

7. Toilet Tactics

Carry toilet paper with you everywhere. Most public toilets in Peru don’t have toilet paper; if they do, it’s normally terrible stuff and you have to pay for it. Most public toilets also lack toilet seats, making a large wad of toilet paper even more essential.

8. Book the Inca Trail Well in Advance

Always book the Inca Trail (2 day Inca Trail only) well in advance of your travel date, with Chaski Green Tour Operator Ideally, six months ahead of time. The classic 4 Day Inca Trail Chaski Green does not offer, however we do offer the alternative treks, on the other hand, can often be purchased at the last minute (sometimes at reduced prices).

9. Vegetarian Perú

Perú can be a tough place for vegetarians, but there are more and more vegetarian and vegan restaurants opening up all the time, especially in touristy cities like Lima, Cusco and Arequipa. Look carefully and you’ll also find a few traditional Peruvian dishes that are suitable for vegetarians, so you don’t have to miss out on authentic Peruvian cuisine altogether.

10. Coca Tea Can Get You Fired

Coca tea is great stuff, but it can make you test positive for cocaine. If there’s any chance you might undergo a drug test in the weeks after returning home from Peru, it’s best to avoid coca tea and chewing coca leaves.

Coca leaves are a sacred plant in countries like Peru and Bolivia, and it’s easy to see why. Chewing coca leaves or drinking coca tea can give you an energy boost and is traditionally believed to help prevent altitude sickness. It also has a number of traditional medicinal uses, including as an anesthetic and analgesic.

If you’re traveling in Peru, you can freely try both forms of imbibing coca. It is, after all, completely legal. (Follow this link for more info about illegal and legal drugs in Peru.)

But if you might take a drug test when you get back home — as part of a job interview process or random workplace screening, for example — be careful (in the USA, 40% to 50% of all employers perform some kind of drug screening). Chewing coca leaves and drinking coca tea can both result in a positive drug test for cocaine.

Coca tea is the most common way of consuming coca, at least among tourists in Peru. It’s completely legal: many hotels freely supply coca tea bags, and trekking guides often prepare fresh coca tea by seeping the leaves in boiling water (an authentic mate de coca).

Coca tea is a mild stimulant. The alkaloids found in coca leaves are the same used to ultimately produce cocaine. But you won’t feel much from drinking one, two or even three cups of coca tea — maybe a slight buzz, but nothing more than drinking the same amount of strong coffee.

Coca tea bags can be decocainized (yes, that’s a real word), but you rarely find them in Peru or Bolivia.

“You also must not accept such an explanation related to consumption of coca teas as a basis for verifying a cocaine test result as negative. Consuming or using such a product is not a legitimate medical explanation.”

11. Expect Delays

Wherever you are in Peru, and whatever you might be doing, expect delays. Expect them, and accept them (to a certain extent). Stuff happens that you and everyone else simply can’t avoid: floods, landslides, earthquakes. Peruvians are also terrible with time i.e. they’re always late. But Peruvians are also resilient and tend to pick themselves up and get on with life, even in the face of hardship. So take the ups with the downs and try not to let delays and inefficiencies get under your skin; they’re all part of the experience. Chaski Green Philosofy is to be different and always on time.

12. Small Soles

You’re better off carrying Peruvian soles rather than using US dollars in Peru, at least on a day-to-day basis. While plenty of tour operators, hotels, restaurants, transport companies and large stores accept dollars, many places don’t. Ideally, you’ll always be carrying a few soles notes; S/ 50 notes and smaller are best, as many businesses have a perpetual change shortage. You can easily withdraw dollars and soles from ATMs in Peru.

13. Peru Is Endless

You’ll never see enough of Peru. You’ll never see it all. I’ve been traveling around Peru since 2009, and I still have a never-ending list of things I want to see and do. So don’t try and pack in too much and rush through your trip. Take some time to let Peru wash over you. Slow down. You can always come back. And you’ll probably want to.

                  By: http://www.newperuvian.com