post written by Sidney and Marley:
We have recently returned from our seven day trek through Choquequiarao and machu pichu in peru. We had an amazing time, but it was important for us to recognize that we were definitely on a budget tour. For anyone considering doing a trek, here are ten simple signs that you are on a budget tour.
1. LAST MINUTE CHANGES:
-A pick up time of 5:30 am becomes 7 am
-Initial 10 km of trek becomes a 10 km taxi ride (after a suspiciously long wait at starting point)
-"family issues" cause a change of guide last minute
2. MOST COMMON WORDS FROM GUIDE ARE "SORRY SORRY"
3. MAJORITY OF TREK IS SOLO HIKING (on your "guided tour")
4. TOUR OF MAJOR ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE IS ALSO SOLO
- Helpful tip: use of imagination is key to understanding the wonders of the past
5. THE PROMISED GUIDE, HORSEMAN AND COOK ARE ALL ONE PERSON
6. SHODDY EQUIPMENT
- Moldy tent, with faulty zipper that allows bugs in (hard to complain though when your guide doesn t even have a tent)
- Kettle has no handle
- Helpful tip: bring extra repellant and Tylenol for your guide
7. "PRIVATE TOUR" OF MACHU PICHU INCLUDES TEN OTHER PEOPLE
8. JEALOUSY OF OTHER NON-BUDGET TOURS
- You find yourself gazing longingly at the non-budget tour's mysterious food tent, with cook inside
9. JEALOUSY OF SELF GUIDED TOURS
- When your dinner is 2 hours late you are jealous of the people who carried their own food and camping equipment up 2000m of elevation gain
10. YOUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON THE PITY AND GENEROSITY OF NON-BUDGET TOURS
-second night after solo hiking, instead of meeting guide at 5 pm, wyou meet only his bag, which is ominously filled with all of his warm clothing
- Other tour gives you snacks, additional layers and dinner (You finally see inside the mysterious food tent!!)
- Other tour shares their tent with you when night is setting in and your bags and guide are nowhere in sight (you now owe a life debt to your new Canadian friends). Guide arrives at 2 am
Full details on our awesome trek soon to come!!
No comments:
Post a Comment