Seating, Payment, Passports

Just over 6 weeks until we leave for Peru!!!

Are you ready to drink Inca kola and eat guinea pig? (I was going to post a picture of cooked guinea pig, but it was just too gross to look at...google "guinea pig peru" and look at the pics if you want...don't say I didn't warn you.)

1. With regards to airline seating preferences, please email me saying either "no preference" or what your seating preference is (ie. aisle, window, etc.) We'll do our best to make sure couples/families are seated together. There is no guarantee that the airlines will honor the requests, but Carlos would like to make any seating requests ASAP.

2. Carlos changed one of our hotels, so our deadline for adding more people has been extended by almost 2 weeks. He got us such a great deal on this trip that we hate to cancel any of the rooms/tickets. So, if you know anyone that is interested in going with us, please let me know.

3. If you still need to pay for your trip, or the Amazon extension, please do so today if possible. Contact me if you have any questions. I started sending out emails showing your amount due. If you haven't received one, you will. If you call the the travel agency to pay, ask for Cheri.

Pan American Travel Services / Wren & Fida International
Cheri
801-364-4481

4. I'm still missing a few passport copies. If you could get them to me as soon as possible, Carlos will be very happy! If you're still waiting for your passport, please let me know when you sent your application in, so we can have an idea as to when you should get your passport. Thanks!!!

I found a website that has some interesting info on it about many of the places we will be visiting. Below are links to the main city pages, but on the top left are additional links within the city travel guide.

Lima
Cuzco/Cusco
The Sacred Valley
Iquitos
Food

Peru's Lost City of Gold

Here's an article about Peru that was in the March 2009 Conde Nast Traveler magazine:
Click Here

Luggage & Currency

I have a bit more info about luggage restrictions & currency in Peru.

In addition to a small carry-on, we can each check 2 pieces of luggage, weighing no more than 45 lbs each. Carlos said luggage weighing more than that could cost up to $4 per lb extra.
Please don't feel like you have to bring anything for the humanitarian project, but if you would like, you can. For those of you that have asked about collecting supplies for the school in Huilloq, via eagle scout projects, or other means, you could bring one suitcase for yourself, and one suitcase full of supplies/clothes for the children.
Then on the way home the 2nd suitcase can be full of souvenirs :-)

If anyone is only going to check 1 bag, and wouldn't mind letting someone else check a bag of humanitarian supplies as your 2nd bag, let me know.

As for money in Peru. Carlos said he thought $450 per couple would be more than enough for meals and tips, etc. I know I've never been there, but after reading a lot about traveling in Peru, I don't think you'd spend $450 unless you were generous with your tips and ate at nice restaurants.
Carlos said there won't be too many places where you can use a credit card, but if they do, and you trust them with that info, using a credit card will usually get you the best exchange rate. He said the best way to take money is in US dollars (no bills larger than $20) & exchange it when we get there, or most of our hotels will have an ATM machine where you can take out money in the local currency.

The exchange rate is about 3 nuevos soles to 1 dollar. Here's a little more info from enjoyperu.com
Peru's currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.). One Nuevo Sol is broken down into 100 céntimos (cents). Banknotes currently circulating include 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 Nuevos Soles, while there are coins for 1, 2 and 5 Nuevos Soles and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.
If you want more info about Nuevos Soles, check out wikipedia. There are pictures of the coins and paper notes.

I need to know by March 16th if you are going or not, so we know that the spot is yours, or that we can give the space to someone else.

To make it easy to verify exactly who is going, (if you haven't already) for each person traveling with us, please send me a copy of your passport photo page or the name on your passport if you don't have your passport yet. Receiving this info by March 16th will secure your reservation, and then any money owed will be due by March 31st.