Peru & Galapagos Oct 3 Trip
We were just notified that there is space on this trip! I am so excited. Usually I have months in advance to research and plan everything. I have several questions that hopefully can be answered by someone that has taken this trip. I like to be prepared! (I have read Tauck's what to pack)
* Wet landing shoes - should the water shoes be sandal-like or completely closed in?
* Wet landings - do you get soaked or just wet from the knees down?
* Waterproof/underwater camera - suggestions. I'm interested in a reasonably priced camera that can be used while snorkeling. It doesn't have to have a lot of bells and whistles as this will probably be limited use.
* Bug repellant suggestion?
* Altitude Sickness Medication - what kind?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
* Wet landing shoes - should the water shoes be sandal-like or completely closed in?
* Wet landings - do you get soaked or just wet from the knees down?
* Waterproof/underwater camera - suggestions. I'm interested in a reasonably priced camera that can be used while snorkeling. It doesn't have to have a lot of bells and whistles as this will probably be limited use.
* Bug repellant suggestion?
* Altitude Sickness Medication - what kind?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Wet landings, just your lower areas will get wet unless you fall. You can wear water shoes for the landing and then change your shoes when you get out of the water if you like. Generally it's better to wear any type of shoe that protects your toes for the walking on land. There are lots of views here on the forum about whether totally enclosed or sandal type are best to cope from getting sand in your toes.
Bug repellent, anything that has deet. Be courteous to fellow travelers and don't spray it on yourself when others are near you. Keep as much of your skin covered as possilble to protect from bugs in general, thorns and the harsh sun at the Equator.
We did P&G last April.
1. Some of the wet landings have VERY deep, soft sand in the shallow water that will fill a water shoe in a heart beat- mine did. Keep that in mind. If the landing is followed by a walk, you'll want to dry your feet, get the salty, sticky sand off and from between your toes, and put on dry shoes!
2. Knees down, UNLESS . . . . . You fall over or trip.
3. First, I have been a diver for many years and have shot a lot of UW still and videos- it ain't easy to get good shots.
Read my earlier posts- unless you shoot in very shallow water (where there aren't many fish anyway) all you will get is photos of blue/green/gray looking fish instead on seeing there true bright colors! The water filters out most of the colors- more and more for every foot deeper you go. Also, many shallow spots like where we swam w/20+ green sea turtles will have significant sea surge so you and the turtles will be moving in and out 3 to 5 feet every 10 - 15 seconds which makes it hard to shoot videos/photos. If you aren't a strong, experienced snorkeler and/or U/W photog, forget the camera and just snorkel and enjoy yourself. Finally, most inexpensive U/W cameras Sony, GoPro, etc. etc. have fixed focus, very wide angle lenses so you need to get VERY close for a good pic. You might try a pole like your naturalist will use, but you'll need to practice with it because in can be hard to control and has other issues, like wobbling as you swim. Finally, your naturalists take a lot of land and u/w stills and videos. At the end of the tour they will edit all into a nice presentation that you'll see on the last night aboard. They will make a DVD and give it to your TD who will duplicate it in Guayaquil, and provide everyone a copy at the farewell dinner. They take better photos/videos than you could ever hope to. At least that is how it was on our trip.
4. Any of the usual products with DEET. Treat clothes with Permethrin. We didn't have much issue w/bugs.
5. See a doc- my wife and I took different medications both worked fine with no side-effects.
6. Read the P&G archives.
We were on the 21 March - 4 April 2017 departure. I did a LOT of agonizing and research on the weather before picking the dates- weather and temps in coastal Peru, Cuzco/Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu, Galapagos, and water temps in the Galapagos. There is a trade-off- go earlier, and more chances of rain at MP and visa versa, go later and more chances of colder water in the Galapagos and visa versa. I am very satisfied with my choice of dates! April should be fine. But weather is always weather!
Lima was fine, just a tad less than hot. For the remainder of the tour weather was excellent with minor exceptions- it rained after dinner the night we stayed at the Sol Y Luna in the Sacred Valley- despite that, the local show/after dinner entertainment on the lawn still went on. Weather at Machu Picchu can be unpredictable any time of year. We arrived at lunchtime the first day- it was beautiful for our afternoon tour of the ruins- sunny, bright blue skies, and puffy white clouds- but more cloud cover as the afternoon wore on. The next morning I got up early to enter the ruins with about 100+ 20 somethings to see the sunrise and sun beams striking the ruins- however the site was almost totally fogged in (lost in the clouds?). I decided to attempt the trek up to the sun gate- I really had to step it out because there was not a lot of time. By the time I got back down, there were a few very brief partial breaks in the fog/clouds (see photo).
Weather in the Galapagos was perfect- a bit warm on one or two of the walks especially when walking across the lava flows- safari wear was definitely the order of the day- lightweight, high SPF, breathable, and a hat. We had a brief very light rain shower during one of the panga rides. It lasted only about 5 min. and was almost over before it started. We just got a little damp- it was warm enough that we dried out quickly. Water temps were cool to be sure, but just fine with the shorty wet suits supplied. I wore a thin, full length "skin suit" I brought on the trip. According to our naturalists, the currents change regularly and can cause some areas to be quite chilly- we lucked out and did not experience that. The later in the season you go the more chance the cold Humbolt Current will affect water temps.
When the going gets tough the tough go shopping- my wife and two friends headed to the INKA Market in Lima. Blue skies, great weather.
Same day- nice afternoon breezes made for great tandem parasailing above the cliffs at the Lima waterfront:
First afternoon at Machu Picchu. The ruins and Huayna Picchu peak in the background.
I made it to the Sun Gate- not an easy climb. Warm enough with the exertion that I zipped off the bottoms of my safari pants. Fogged in, couldn't see more than a 100 yds or so.
After hiking down from the Sun Gate I probably waited 15 - 20 min. or more to get this "BEST" shot of the ruins. Actually, I think the photo came out kinda neat:
Dennis, one of the naturalists on the Isabela II:
I don't stay at the surface when I snorkel- the deeper you go the cooler it gets.
Internet connectivity wasn't the best on this trip, so never got around to posting review. Typically, if I don't do it before we get home, it doesn't get done : (
There are not too many additional things to see in Lima- the gold museum (there may be two, both private- I believe most gold items on display are not real, just facsimiles); Huaca Pucllana, an old (clay and adobe?) pre-Inca pyramid and ruin right in town (need reservations); walk the cliff-top promenade stop at Larco Mar cliff-side mall; Pachamac ruins just south of the city, etc. It is a city, not a bad city, but traffic is terrible. I would just Google "top things to do in Lima" Some visitors to the forums have suggested a land (6+ hrs+ from Lima!?!?) or air (250 mi. /2 hr. one way) tour of the Nazca lines- we never considered it- too far, only truly visible from the air, not worth the expense, recently vandalized by a large truck.
Hi! Having just returned from the July 2018 trip, I have a few insights:
• I used old sneakers for the wet landings and left them on board at the end of the trip (the boats have a bin for items travelers want to leave behind); however, more often than not, it was just as easy (and safe and comfortable) to take shoes off and go barefoot, then put socks/shoes back on. The zodiac drivers and guides will endeavor to make it as dry as possible and you can time your getting off/getting back on to coincide with the lowest water levels. When I got wet, it was mostly from the knees down (some splashes above the knee, but not "soaked").
• I wore bug-repellant clothing instead of taking bug repellant, because I don't like spraying chemicals all over myself and the "organic" options don't seem to work very well. InsectShield is the technology and the brand has its own line of clothing, and, though its relatively inexpensive, it seems to be geared more toward construction workers (heavy-duty). This site is good for basics like socks, bandanas, etc. Outdoor/travel/adventure retailers like Royal Robbins, Ex Officio, Orvis and REI sell items with InsectShield that are lighter-weight (and also offer sun protection, wicking, quick-dry and other features), fit better and (IMO) are more stylish. I wear my bug-repellant clothing all the time, not just on trips.
• Check with your doc for altitude sickness medicine to make sure it doesn't conflict with anything else you are taking.
A couple of other suggestions:
• Tauck suggests bringing a water bottle. This is a waste of luggage space! During the land portion, Tauck provides copious amounts of water bottles and the ship gives you a reusable bottle (since plastic bottles aren't allowed on the islands).
• Sun protection is a must this close to the equator, even on cool or overcast days. A hat with large brim and/or neckflap will be very useful; a chin strap will help keep it on during windy boat rides, etc.
• The boat sells simple point-and-shoot underwater cameras. However, on our trip the naturalists/guides used their very wonderful equipment to take pix (above and under water) and gave us a disc with a slide show. It was fantastic, and much better than any of our amateur efforts. I don't know whether this happens with every tour (my impression is it is).
Have fun!