Explore Machu Picchu with Fast Fred and learn smore frugal travel tips along the way. Most tourists visit Machu Picchu during the southern hemisphere winter which is also the dry season. This also aligns with summer vacation time for those in the northern hemisphere. However as a river guide in Tennessee visiting in late June or July was out of the question. So this visit took place in December and the local rivers were raging. The weather gods smiled and the views were there ...learn more
Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti. Not only that Ollantaytambo still operates and lives as an Incan town. To visit is to experience living history. In many ways Ollantaytambo's terraces are more impressive than those of Machu Picchu; many of the terraces are still in use by the descendants of those who built them ...learn more
How to enjoy the popular tourist route in Peru on a budget. Better still how to have a more authentic experience. How to avoid being gringo-ed or scalped by tourist agencies. Follow along and get the low down about catching buses and buying your own tickets for the best sites. How to half you costs a Nazca Lines and book a flight to see the Nazca Lines. How to see Machu Picchu on a bargain and get a better experience with a guide to boot. Learn about other options nearby Cusco like Urubamba. Find the best craft beer Peru has to offer up at far less the cost in Lima ...learn more
The National Police Day in Cusco Peru was exciting to say the least with fireworks and some unplanned pyrotechnics too! Fortunately there were no injuries. The special operations units are chilling to say the least. There is no wonder the indigenous people staged marches during the week before and after this day. As they suffered the impact of these units during the conflict with Shining Path ...learn more
Complete breakdown of Southern Peru travel expenses. Visit the best places on a frugal budget.
Most people fly into Lima's international airport to begin their visits to Peru. Barranco is one of the nicer parts of Lima with middle and high income residents, nice parks, street art, restaurants, cafes, and bars. Additionally there are two really nice micro breweries to visit. The Bridge of Sighs (Puente de los Suspiros) is very popular and crosses above the Bajada de Baños, a stone walkway that runs down to the Pacific through Lima's bohemian district ...learn more
Danza de los negritos has a long history in Peru. In colonial times, the bosses gave freedom to slaves from December 24 to January 6. Those days, were used by slaves to celebrate Christmas, visiting the births that wore in the homes of the wealthiest families. From the Decree promulgated by Ramón Castilla on the freedom of blacks on December 13, 1854, the brotherhoods made their appearance in the streets, visiting not only the births but also the churches, where they danced and drank. The owners of the births in reward invited them huarapo, shacta, years later the locro. This was done in the following years and in this way the dance and Dance of the Negritos were institutionalized ...learn more
These frugal stays were overall very nice. All of my stays were in private rooms with private bathrooms. Some stay even included breakfast. Video lodging reviews of all my stays during Peru Trip 2021-2022. It would be possible to stay in hostel dormitories for even less. However due to covid concerns and basic security I spent a little more. I still managed to spend less than a total of $1050 on lodging during my 90 day visit to southern Peru. I even visited Machu Picchu during this adventure. I think lodging for less than $350/month is not a bad deal especially while travelling to new places and moving about with a relatively open itinerary ...learn more
There is more to see than just the Nazca Lines. When you visit learn about the culture and how people survived such a hostile environment and how their descendants still survive. Take this seek peak while you plan your trip to see the Geoglyphs, Cantalloc Aqueducts, and Cahuachi Pyramids. And learn some traveling tips for Nazca Peru ...learn more