San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (Sep 2010)

After crossing the entire southern Peru (by bus) and the border into Chile, we spent a day in Arica looking for a rental car to drive to San Pedro de Atacama.  It turns out that many Chilean rental cars are licensed for only one province only and not allowed to cross provincial lines.  The few which are allowed were quite expensive.  To be fair, it was a Sunday, and our options were limited to begin with.  We decided to take a bus to Calama (100 kms from San Pedro) and rent a car there.

The best place we found for car rentals was not surprisingly, the Calama airport, which was conveniently on the way to San Pedro.  All rental cars had standard transmissions, which meant my husband had to drive.  I had never learned to drive stick.  But no matter.  Renting that car was the best decision we made on this trip.  Our own car gave us the freedom to visit whichever sites we wished on our own schedule, which is invaluable with kids. 

Driving in the Atacama Desert

San Pedro de Atacama is unfortunately, a tourist trap in the middle of a gorgeous desert.  But what a very worthy tourist trap it is.  We spent two days hiking in the ruins of Pukara de Quitor, hiking in the canyons of Valley of the Moon, splashing in our private hot spring pool in Termas de Puritama, and attending a wonderful "Space Tour" where we got to look at the clear desert night sky (at 2200 meters in altitude) with butt-kicking telescopes.  All activities were very engaging for the kids.

There were a lot more things to do and see, but being on a budget, we had to pick and choose.   The kids had originally wanted to see the Tatio Geysers, but after learning that required getting up at 3 or 4 am in the bitter cold, we decided to skip it.  All in all, we were quite pleased with the activities we chose.

1.  Pukara de Quitor.   

Ruins of Pukara de Quitor, looking uphill.

Only 3 km from San Pedro, this is the ruins of a 700 year old fort built into the side of a large hill.  It was fun for the kids to climb all the way to the summit.  The park fees of $4,000 pesos ($8) a person were a bit steep for looking at a bunch of old bricks, but the view at the summit was quite spectacular. 

2.  Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna)

Hiking in the Valley of the Moon

Only 17 km from San Pedro, the Valley of the Moon park had beautiful, rust-colored canyons and singular rock formations.   

It has two hiking trails that were breathtaking as well as fun to climb.  One trail had a section that was in complete darkness, so you have to come prepared with a flashlight.  The other took us climbing rock after rock up and down and all over the place.  It was a great outdoors activity for the entire family.


At the end of the day, all the tourists converged and climbed a giant sand dune to watch a spectacular sunset.  Each site at this park was driving distance from each other.  Having our own transportation allowed us to take our time with the kids on each hiking trail and move along at our own pace.  Park fees are $2,000 pesos (US$4).

3.  Termas de Puritama

Picnic area, changing rooms, and hot pools

This was by far our favorite attraction at San Pedro.  Well actually, it is about a 45 minute drive from San Pedro (32 km uphill).

There are 8 cozy pools of hot springs, heated by volcanic activity.  If there aren't a lot of people, each party can enjoy its own private heated pool of crystal clear water.  The entrance fee are $11,000 pesos (roughly US$22) for adults, $5,000 pesos (US$10) for children.  But it's good for the whole day.  We went mid-morning and enjoyed our pool all to ourselves until 4:00 pm, complete with a picnic lunch we brought with us.  (At around 4 pm, the bugs start to come out.)

Word to the wise, bring plenty of towels and bathrobes if possible (they do not provide any).  Although the pool is warm, the wind is icy and fierce up there.  We thought we would die of cold every time we had to get out.  And bring plenty of sunblock.  At 3,500 meters in altitude, one burns much more easily than normal. 

4.  The SPACE Tour

The SPACE Tour is operated by a French amateur astronomer named Alain Maury who lives near San Pedro.  His business has an office in town (just ask around) where you can purchase tickets.  A bus takes all the participants to his lodge a few minutes away, where he gives an hour long chat about stars and star gazing.  Then the real fun begins.  Outside his lodge are about 10 large telescopes all pointed at something amazing in the night sky.  After a brief tour through all the scopes, it is free for all.  The kids had a fantastic time looking at their favorite sky objects over and over again.  The 2.5 hour tour costs $15,000 pesos (US$30.00); kids are half-price. 

5. Lodging and food

Most of the lodging in San Pedro is very expensive.  We found a very modest but nice place (El Rincon San Pedrino) on the main street (Licancabur St.) for about US$30 a night for a double bed with private bath.  You can negotiate lower prices for rooms with shared baths.  It has an enclosed parking space for private vehicles.

Food is likewise on the pricey side.  But we found several restaurants with "menus"  (daily specials) for around US$6 a meal.  We never ventured that far, but we heard there were food stalls with meals for half that price at the end of the street at the main bus terminals.  We also learned to buy bread and lunchmeat at local stores for breakfast sandwiches, which saved a bundle.

Approximate cost of trip for a family of 2 adults and 3 kids for 2 days and 2 nights to visit 4 attractions near San Pedro de Atacama (from Calama, Chile):  $530.   Estimate of costs are all in US dollars.

(Our youngest child was usually free at attractions, and the 2 older kids were half-priced, so entrance fees usually cost the equivalent of 3 adult tickets.)

Car rental: 2 days $50 + gas $20 = $70

Lodging:  $30 x 2 rooms x 2 nights = $120

Food:  $15/person x 2 days x 5 persons =  $150

SPACE tour:  $30 x 3 = $90

Valley of the Moon Park fees:  $4 x 3 = $12

Pukara de Quitor:  $8 x 3 = $24

Termas de Puritama:  $22 x 2 adults + $10 x 2 kids = $64

Machu Picchu (Part 7): Kids

Not bad going down, but imagine climbing those steps up.

I'll let you know right up front, Machu Picchu is not a kid-friendly place.  Unless a child is very interested in archaeology, there isn't much to do but climb, climb, climb.   It is a mountaintop with steep, stone steps (photo on right).  No modern construction is allowed at the ruins, so there are no railings, no benches, and most importantly, no bathrooms.  An adult might no mind so much, but kids tend to need their bathrooms close by.

Nonetheless, the entire family can have a great time if you prepare well. Having brought my kids there twice, I would recommend the following.

1.  Bathroom.  The only bathrooms are outside the entry gate to the ruins.  They cost 1 sole per person.  A mom can go in with several kids on one ticket. Make sure they all go before going into the ruins.  Once you're at the ruins, it is about a 10-15 minute walk to go back out to the gate, if you need to use the bathroom again.  Small children might want to wear pull-ups, just in case.

2.  1:1 adult to kid ratio.  Machu Picchu is all about rigorous mountain hiking.  I strongly advise bringing one adult for every child visiting, so every child is holding the hand of an adult.  Some places are so narrow that only one person with one child can fit on the path.  An adult would be hard-pressed to guide two children on both sides.  Also, younger children would need a lot of rest.  An adult can stay with them to move at their own pace while the older kids are free to explore faster.

Inca Bridge Trail at Machu Picchu.

3.  Inca Bridge Trail (on left).  The Incans built a trail onto the side of a cliff.  The 40 minute trail (20 minutes one way)  is one of the must-see marvels of Machu Picchu, but it is precipitous.  You have to sign in a guestbook before starting the trail, so that if you fall off the cliff and don't show back up to sign out, they at least know who you were.  There is no age restrictions, but children are asked to hold hands with an adult at all times.  Once you see the trail, and the cliff, you won't need to be asked.



4.  Altitude.  At 2200 meters, Machu Picchu can be quite a strain on the young ones or those who are not in good shape.  It might be worth one's while to acclimate for 2-3 days in Cusco before attempting hiking at that altitude.

5.  Food/Drink.  You're not allowed to bring food into the ruins, but they don't check your backpack.  You should bring fruit, drinks, or other snacks for the kids.  Trust me, after climbing for a few hours, they will be hungry and thirsty.  Security might ask you to put the food away, so look for a place that is not highly trafficked to pull out your snack and drink.  Bring food that won't leave crumbs; banana is good, potato chips is bad.   For a lunch, walking all the way outside the gates to eat is a good idea.

6.  Short trip.  It is so expensive to go to Machu Picchu that it is tempting for adults to want to stay there all day to get their money's worth.  When going with kids though, they will get bored and/or tired after a few hours.  Consider only taking a short trip to MP when visiting with kids, say 4 or 5 hours instead of 10.  They'll have more fun and better memories.

7.  Playing cards or light toys.  It is a good idea to have something to play with when they are resting.

8.  Parque Urpicha in Cusco.  With the exception of Pompeii, Italy, I've found that while my kids like ancient ruins well enough, but they don't usually love them.  So it is nice to combine the trip with something they do love to do.  When in Cusco, you can take them to a park with giant slides called Parque Urpicha.  Entry fees are only 50 centimos per kid, and 1 or 2 soles per adult.  They also have manual carnival-style rides, where an adult can spin them around endlessly in helicopters and such.

Parque Urpicha.  Water slide without the water at the bottom.

Parque Urpicha.  Hand-powered carnival rides.  Ingenious.

This concludes the Machu Picchu series.  Happy, cheap traveling!

Machu Picchu (Part 6): Food

First, before I forget, you don't tip waiters at Peruvian restaurants.  The fancier ones (American franchises like "Chilis") do expect a 10% tip.  But in regular restaurants, it is not expected. 

Peruvian restaurants (for locals) serve a daily special called the "Menu."  They make a big pot of several dishes and serve them cheap.  The "Menu" usually consists of an appetizer called "la entrada" and a main course called "el segundo" (for second course) or "plato de fondo" (main course).  They usually throw in a free drink (watered-down juice or koolaid), but they often won't serve it if you order a soda or other drink.   At nicer restaurants, the Menu will include a dessert as well.

In low rent restaurants, you have no choice regarding the Menu--you get what they made that day.  Normally though, you get to choose amongst 2 or 3 appetizers and 2-5 main courses.  The dessert, if included, is usually something cheap like "mazamorra," a fruit-flavored pudding thickened with potato flour.

On the low end, a Menu can be found for as little as three to four soles (a little over a buck).  I guarantee you it will taste like someone's leftovers from 2 days ago.  Normally, a decent Menu will cost around six to 10 soles, depending on location.  At tourist traps like Aguas Calientes (or Machu Picchu Pueblo), Menus are double, averaging 20 soles.

If you don't want the Menu, you can always order a dish cooked to order (a la carta).  Those are usually much more expensive, double or triple the Menu price.  Even at budget places, a la carta offerings start at 15 soles a plate.

A word to the wise to those who are concerned about what they feed to their kids:  ALL Peruvian restaurants load their food with MSG, known locally as "Ajinomoto" (the Japanese manufacturer of MSG).  In fact, Peruvians buy MSG by the kilos and use it liberally.  Sometimes, if the budget allows, I will order "a la carta" and ask for no salt and no "ajinomoto."

Why no salt?  All Peruvian salt is fluoridated with 2 ppm fluoride.  I'm not a big fluoride fan.  

The prices I listed for the itineraries are for Menus in local eateries.  For fancier restaurants and better quality dining, obviously, the budget has to be bigger.

Common Peruvian main dishes

Peruvians LOVE potatoes and rice, and often eat both together.   Be prepared for a generous serving of carbohydrates with relatively little meat (compared to what North Americans are accustomed to).  Here are a few dishes I would recommend trying to get a good sense of what Peruvian cuisine is like.

Ceviche
This is perhaps the national dish of Peru.  It is raw fish chunks and other seafood cooked gently in lime juice, marinated with peppers and spices, served with toasted corn kernels and boiled yam.  Absolutely delicious.

Anticucho
Beef heart kebabs served with potatoes.  (Sometimes they make it with chicken.)  Great food to go on sticks.

Seco de res / pollo / carnero

Meat (beef /chicken / lamb) stew with potatoes, carrots, and peas in green sauce (they call it "jugo") made of cilantro and spinach.  Served with rice.  Sometimes beans as well.

Estofado de res / pollo
Meat stew (beef / chicken) with potatoes, carrots, and peas in red sauce made with reddish pepper ("aji colorado," not spicy).  Served with rice.

Cau-cau
Beef tripe stew with cubed potatoes in yellow sauce made with yellow Peruvian peppers ("aji amarillo").   Served with rice.

Sopa seca con Carapulcra
Peruvian spaghetti with chicken or pork in red sauce (annatto, panca).  It is usually served with a side dish called Carapulcra, made of peanuts and dehydrated potatoes.

The list can go on, but those are quite representative of local cuisine.

Cusco

If staying in a reasonably priced place on Calle Nueva Baja near the Plaza de Armas, my favorite restaurant is on the corner of Nueva Baja and San Andres (I believe).  It is a typical "menu" restaurant (6 soles a menu) where locals eat.  But the prices are good, and the food isn't bad.

If possible, try to buy your bottled water in Cusco.  The prices for the same bottles double once you get to Machu Picchu Pueblo.

Machu Picchu Pueblo (aka Aguas Calientes)

2nd Floor of market: food stalls

Best kept secret of MPP:  Eat at the market.  Above the central market (Mercado) of MPP, is a market of food stalls where Peruvian workers eat.  They are cheap (5 soles for breakfast, 5 soles for lunch) and the service is great--even if you have to sit on stools to eat.  I tried some of the fancier restaurants, but only felt ripped off.  Plus they automatically charge a 10% gratuity.  No, thanks.

At the market stalls, a cup of delicious hot coffee is included in the 5 sol breakfasts.  And refills are only 1 sol each.  Contrast that with 20 sol breakfasts where they charge 3 sols for each refill.  No, thanks.

While I am talking about the market, it is a good place to shop for the ingredients of your picnic lunch.

When going up to Machu Picchu, either take a picnic lunch, or plan to return for lunch.  On top of the mountain, there are only two restaurants.  The first is a US$35 buffet at Sanctuary Lodge, and the other is a hamburger booth that sells burgers and sandwiches for 15 to 20 soles.  Now you're not allowed to eat at the ruins, so when you picnic, you need to come out of the park to eat.  But there are benches near the hamburger joint.  It is also a convenient time for a bathroom break.

Arequipa

Arequipa has a fairly large well-to-do population and a lot of fancy eateries.  They also have to-die-for anticuchos.  You can find Menu restaurants and Anticucherias all over the place.

But when I was last in Arequipa, I discovered my favorite restaurant in all of Peru.  It is called "Picanteria El Misti."  I forget the address, but all taxis know where it is.  The food is expensive (24 to 50 soles a plate), but the portions are humongous.  I kid you not.  Hu-mon-gous.   Order one dish for 2 or 3 people--or 4 people.   Or be prepared to eat the leftovers for days.  But gosh darn it, the food is like heaven, so I didn't mind eating leftovers for days.

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I know budget dining is not for everyone.  But it is more than possible to spend only 20 soles ($7.5) a day per person on food, even while eating out three meals a day.  Peru is one of the countries where food is exceptionally cheap compared to that in western countries.

Machu Picchu (Part 5): Lodging

Lodging

First, a note on hotel lingo in Peru.

Simple = 1 twin size bed
Doble = 2 twin size beds
Matrimonial = 1 double size bed
Triple = 3 twins or 1 double + 1 twin


1. Lima

Assuming that you are already in Lima before the MP trip, I have not included costs and lodging in Lima as part of the tip.  Touring Lima itself will be a separate post.

However, here are three lodging options I have tried in Lima.  They all have good hot water and take credit cards.
a.  Golden Tower Hotel and Suites.  In a safe area of Lima, near many shopping opportunities and restaurants.  A matrimonial costs S/. 90.00 a night.  Because of the location, this is my favorite place to stay in Lima.
b.  El Principe.  Near the airport.  That area is seen as in a slightly more dangerous area of town, but we never had trouble.  A matrimonial costs about S/. 80.00 a night.  The list price on their website is $45, but you can negotiate that.
c.  Inkari Suites.  In a safe, middle to upper class neighborhood in Lima, near a couple of restaurants but no shopping.  A matrimonial costs S/. 150.00 a night, but their double size beds are usually queen-sized.  This is the most luxurious hotel I've used, with a jacuzzi tub in every room--and the best bang for the buck I have found in Lima.   I believe that some of my money was stolen when I put it in the room's safe.  They have since had a complete staff turnover, so I have stayed there since with no problems.  (I won't use room safes anymore though.)

There are plenty of budget hotels in Lima that charge S/. 40.00 - 60.00 a night that are pleasant and safe.  I stay at the pricier ones because whenever I go to Lima, I have certain errands to run.  I pay a premium for location.

2.  Cusco

With 1.5 million tourists passing through in 2010, Cusco has a large variety of hotels to suit all budgets.   Budget hostels ("hostal") usually run around S/. 60 - 75 a night for a matrimonial (double bed).

a.  Hostal Imperial II, on Calle Nueva Baja 474 (clever.ken@hotmail.com, Phone:  51-84-631619, no website).  This is my favorite place to stay in Cusco.  It is centrally located at walking distance near the train station and the central market, as well as the Plaza de Armas (central town square).

b.  Hostal Quipu, on Calle Fierro 495.  Very similar to Hostal Imperial II, but a little farther up a hilly street.  It's a good place to stay, but at 3,400 meters in altitude, hilly streets can take their toll on you. 

3.  Machu Picchu Pueblo

The municipality of Machu Picchu has a fairly comprehensive list of lodging options.  Again, prices range from S/. 40.00 a night at budget hostels to hundreds of dollars at luxury hotels.  Most of the budget hostels are within a block or two from the Plaza de Armas.  This is good, because the other hotels may be more luxurious, but the walk is all uphill from the Plaza.  Believe me, the average middle-aged parent with kids would want to keep the mountain climbing to a minimum.

Unfortunately, I have given the hostel business cards I collected at MPP away to other travelers.  This was before I knew I was going to have a travel blog.  In low season, it wouldn't be hard to simply show up, ask around, and find something between S/. 40.00 and S/. 70.00 a night. 

This year, we stayed at Hostal Angies which was very nice--until we left.  Some of us left with fleas, while others were ok.  So, not every room was visited by their pet dog.  But also, not recommended.

Machu Picchu (Part 4): Transportation

Now that you have an overview of the costs and itinerary, let's look at the nuts and bolts of planning the trip.  Today, we'll talk about transportation and altitude sickness.

Transportation

Peru, of course, is in the Andes mountain range.  Going from Lima to Cusco requires a climb from sea level to 3,400 meters (11,155 feet).  The drastic altitude change combined with sharply winding roads curving around the mountains can make the bus experience extremely nauseating.   If you are sensitive to either motion sickness or altitude sickness, you might want to strongly consider flying instead of taking a bus.  There is nothing more miserable than being stuck on a bus for 22 hours vomiting every half hour.  Having said that, I have only vomited on one bus trip to Cusco (out of three), despite being somewhat motion sensitive--so the nausea is not a sure thing.

1.  Bus.  There are two main routes from Lima to Cusco. 

a.  The direct route (21-22 hours) goes through a town called Abancay.  The first route is very winding and is much more likely to cause nausea and motion sickness. 

b.  The other route is to take a bus to Arequipa first (16 hours), then take another bus to Cusco (12 hours).  Although the Arequipa route is longer, it breaks the trip up into two more manageable pieces and is a lot smoother. 

The prices and schedule I quoted was for the busline Flores Hnos (short for Hermanos).  They aren't the most luxurious company in the world, but they are cheap.  Pros:  Comfortable leather seats in their double decker Super Dorado service (first floor only) and price.  Cons:  Onboard bathroom is not cleaned during the 22 hour drive, which means it gets pretty rank after the 6th hour or so.  I just hold it until we make pit stops.

In case that doesn't sound appealing to you, here are links to other bus services.  I've never tried them.
Cruz del Sur   Lima - Cusco = S/. 172.00
Tepsa  Lima - Cusco = S/. 115.00
Civa  Lima - Cusco = S/. 140.00


2.  Plane.  

Lan has several flights daily from Lima to Cusco.  The flights last only 1 hour and 15-25 minutes.  The prices is usually around US$ 250 one way, US$ 500 roundtrip.  If you can afford it, this is the way to go.  The rest of us take buses.

3.  Colectivo

Shared taxis called "colectivos" are everywhere.  They have set routes like a bus, but are cars or vans so they carry far fewer passengers and make fewer stops.  The colectivo is the cheapest and fastest way to go from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (S/. 10.00 per passenger for 1.5 hour ride).

The colectivos to Ollantaytambo can be found in Cusco at a terminal called Los Pavitos.  

4.  Train:  Peru Rail

There is only one way in to Machu Picchu and one way out:  by train.  From Cusco, the train to MP costs US$ 60.00 one way (cheapest fare called "Expedition").  From Ollantaytambo (a stop midway), the train to MP costs US$ 33.00.   By getting to Ollantaytambo for only $4.00 in a colectivo, instead of $27.00 on a train, you save $23.00 per person.  That may not be much, but if you're traveling in a big group, it does add up.

It is highly recommended that you make reservations online, especially if you are traveling in a large group or during the high season.  They require that you scan and email your credit card (front and back), along with scans of your passports.  Then they email you a PDF with the tickets you can print out.

If you are Peruvian, you can purchase a train ticket in the local cars for S/. 10.00 one way, upon presentation of the Peruvian ID car (DNI).  The local cars have less legroom and do not serve refreshments.  The tourist cars range from the Expedition prices ($33.00 one way) to the Hiram Bingham cars ($375 one way).

5.  Taxis

Peruvian taxis do not have meters.  The driver negotiates a fare with you based on number of passengers, weight of luggage, and destination.  When you agree to the fare he offered and get into the taxi, you are expected to pay once you arrive at the destination.

Taxis in Peru LOVE to overcharge foreign tourists.  To get an idea of a fair rate to your destination, ask a nearby vendor how much taxis usually charge to your destination.  Then refuse to pay more than that when looking for a taxi.  If they won't take you for the local, customary fare, go to the next taxi.  Try at least three taxis before you give up. 

In Cusco, a taxi from the bus station (or airport) to the colectivo station should not charge more than S/.5.00.  Most other destinations in town are charged the standard S/. 3.50 fare.

More info:

Andean travel web:  transport information in Peru