Imaginative travelers among us Baby Boomers are flocking to enjoy Peru. Adventure tours in Peru are taken in some style these days - no more of that backpacking nonsense for us!

Peru has it all. Desert, mountains, lakes, jungle and of course The Galapagos Islands. But before you imaginative travelers get too excited to book your adventure tour in Peru, here are some tips to help you enjoy Peru even more.

Learn just a few words of Spanish before you travel, it goes a long way with the locals.
 
When visiting the street markets, buy something. The locals will appreciate the trade.
 
Pack an open mind in your suitcase! Be willing to try everything especially the Chicha Morada, it's lovely!
 
Be prepared to encounter poverty and squalor but  remember your adventure tour will help some families.
 
Enjoy the opportunities available on your tour. An overnight bus trip is an experience not an inconvenience.
 
Tipping: allow US$18 per week for ordinary tips and tip your Tour leader at your own discretion.
 
Check  your vaccinations and take your preferred remedy as recurrent diarrhea can be a problem!
 
Take out comprehensive travel insurance before you travel otherwise you will have to buy it in Peru.
 
Finally,  do not leave your commonsense in the airport at baggage claims when it comes to your personal safety!

Baby Boomers...an adventure tour in Peru is a trip of a lifetime, take in as many extras as possible. The ultimate wildlife experience must be to visit of the Galapagos Islands. It's so good, so why not?

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Who ya gonna call? -

Where do you buy your cruise tickets to get the best price? Should you buy from a traditional travel agent, an online mega-seller or direct from the cruise line? Surprisingly, when it comes to the base fare, it doesn't make much difference. Price variation is more contingent on qualifying for a particular type of discount; promotional, seasonal, past passenger, military or last minute booking- than on where you buy your ticket. The real variables between booking channels are in the level of service provided during the process and perks offered. So read on to learn how to max the experience while making sure you are getting the best value.

When trying to determine actual price from the advertised price, cruise fares can be almost as maddening as airline pricing. Advertised cruise prices are often misleading and unnecessarily vague. Published prices are always per person based on double occupancy. Additional people occupying the same cabin pay less...usually a lot less. Port taxes and other fees are considerable and are the same for everybody, regardless of category and whether they are the first or fifth person in the cabin. The add-on fees and taxes when combined with the base fare have been known to add 20% to 50% to the total per person, especially on shorter, already deeply discounted cruises. Always remember to ask about price inclusive of all fees and taxes- or note the fine print if you are reading a brochure. Some cruise lines include the added fees in their advertised prices, most do not. Always ask.

How to qualify for discounts -

The most common discounts are seasonal, last minute, military, geographical, past passenger, senior citizen, positioning itineraries, promotional and distressed categories.

Seasonal - Caribbean cruises are typically discounted in the fall. Alaska cruises will be cheaper at the beginning and end of the season (May, September and October). Ditto for European and Mediterranean cruises - avoid the peak months of July and August and you'll probably snag a good deal.

Last Minute - Waiting to book can also lead to a great bargain, especially if you are prepared to depart on short notice, having no strong preferences on which ship or itinerary.

Military - Tell the agent that you won the Medal of Honor fighting alongside Sgt York at the Battle of Verdun and you might get an extra 5% to 10% off.

Geographical - Sometimes small discounts will be available because of where you live - say in Paris, Texas instead of Paris, Tennessee. (Don't ask why - it is something known only to cruise line executives.)

Past Passenger - lines will frequently offer discounts and/or perks to loyal customers -depending on the number of previous cruises with that particular cruise line.

Senior Citizen - If you are over age 55, ask if an age related discount is available.

Promotional - These kind of discounts can rear their pretty little heads for any number of reasons - again, some only known by cruise lines executives.

Positioning Cruises - These are necessary but less popular itineraries needed to get the ship from one seasonal station to another - say, from Miami to Seattle for the Alaska season. These itineraries are available mostly in the spring and fall and almost always offer deep discounts. But be forewarned - these positioning cruises involve long days at sea and fewer ports. This is especially true of trans-Atlantic positioning cruises.

Category Sale - Another frequent price promotion - a ship may be over-sold in one category and grossly under-sold in another; resulting in deep discounts on the latter.

How to get the most perks -

Many times it is as simple as asking! If you are working with a travel agent, have the TA quiz the cruise line reservations department about any and all available promotions and perks on the sailing(s) that interest you. A good, experienced agent will have a long laundry list of possible perks for which you might be qualified. Or, if booking direct with the cruise line, use what you have learned here about booking direct- but you will need to play the role of Grand Perk Inquisitor yourself.

People who are associated with a group of passengers traveling on the same sailing will automatically qualify for some combination of perks- such as category upgrades, on board spending credits, free photo, bottle of wine, private meetings, a free shore excursion, etc.

Tip - What most would-be cruisers don't know is that you only need to be associated with the group on cruise passenger list - not literally. Hence, you only need to find an agency or online consolidator that has group space reserved on cruises that match your desired dates and destination- and before you know it you're cruising in Perk City. Additionally, if the group is a theme group lead by a celebrity- you might find yourself temporarily basking in the glow and glory of one of your all time idols. Imagine the thrill of being part of the Simon Cowell School of Charm Cruise - complete with an in-the-flesh tongue lashing and public humiliation by Mr. Warm & Fuzzy himself!

Many mega-agencies will have hundreds of departures available with blocked group space into which they can slip perk hungry purchasers.

How to keep on board costs low -

Cruises were once all-inclusive - one price paid for everything. Today the cruise fare can pale in comparison to the bill you receive at the end of your cruise. There are so many extra cost options - you need to manage those activities as you go.

On board you have no need to carry cash, a credit card or even your wallet on your person - you are issued one card with a magnetic stripe that does triple duty as your room key, on board spending card and boarding pass. You can purchase anything on board with this little piece of plastic convenience in your pocket- alcohol, soft drinks, gift shop items, shore excursions, photographs, spa treatments, art work, surcharges for alternative restaurants, internet access, ship to shore phone calls- you can even buy chips for gambling in the casino.

Tip - many ships now allow real time access to your on board spending tab at any time from the closed circuit TV in your cabin- displaying a current, up-to-the-minute running total - with details for each line item. So, you can rein in spending if it appears to be getting out of hand. Plus, you can call the front desk at any time to dispute an item if you think the charge is incorrect or excessive for any reason.

Tip toe lightly through the minefield of extra costs -

Alcoholic beverages - Booze is always at extra cost with prices running about what you would expect to pay for similar service in a moderately upscale on-shore establishment.

Sodas - priced from $2 to $4 per soda depending on ship and cruise line - if you consume soda daily best bet is to buy the flat rate "unlimited sodas" option for duration of the cruise.

Wine - always at extra cost with prices running about what you would expect to pay for similar in a moderately upscale on-shore establishment - there will be some "freebies" like at the Captain's Welcome Aboard party or a complimentary bottle if it is your anniversary.

Specialty & Alternative restaurants - most have surcharges of $15 to $40 per person per reservation - the average being about $30. In our opinion the price is well worth paying for a night or two - especially if you want to experience elegant, high-end dining at a level that could easily cost $100 or more per person in a similarly upscale shore side establishment.

Internet access - Available on most ships, you can purchase a basket of minutes for a fixed price. To economize on these dearly priced minutes, read and compose email offline - then log on just for sending and receiving.

Ship to shore phone calls - forget about it! Charges run $2 to $3 PER MINUTE! Buy the Internet access plan instead - then use Skype from your laptop. Plus, your regular cell phone will work on occasion - especially if you are departing from a US port and near land. My Sprint phone usually works just fine from the deck of the ship when within 5 or 6 miles of Miami, Ft Lauderdale or any US island like St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, etc.

Coffee bar - Although regular coffee at meals is included in the cruise fare, you are charged extra for specialty coffees such as espressos and cappuccinos - priced at about what you would expect to pay at Starbucks.

Photos/videos - They are grossly over-priced but it's a captive audience, so they can get away with it. Even so, you might want to go ahead and buy one or two. My spouse and I always like to get a classy shot of us all dressed up in our matching pink satin bib overalls on formal night.

Shore Excursions - another huge profit center and usually way over-priced - but there's good news; there are now highly reputable and reliable third party options that can save you a ton of money. Shoretrips.com is a good example.

Art Auctions - Usually held on days at sea to insure a captive audience, these events are intentionally set in a high trafficked public place to guarantee that innocent victims strolling by will be sucked in by the slick, silver-tongued Art Auction barker. You are cautioned to hold your hand firmly over your pocketbook when in proximity, as well as averting your eyes, humming loudly to yourself to drown out the beguiling sales pitch. It is our personal theory that these Pimped Up Picasso Pushers may be a contributing factor in the recent rash of suicides by jumping overboard. But, that's just us.

On Board Shopping - What started out years ago to be just a storage closet with a Dutch door - only open for business for an hour or two each day - primarily for elderly passengers to stock up on essentials such as Denture Cream and Preparation H (sold separately so as not to be confused) has now morphed into mega-malls to rival those of a small city. And, the deals have gotten better and better - with volume has come lower prices - sometimes even lower than shore side because of the lack of taxes.

Tip: Merchandise often goes on sale during port visits - if local authorities allow the shops to stay open while in port - as well as on the last day of the cruise. If you can wait to buy that tacky tank top that says "I went down on the Titanic", you might save a few bucks.

Gratuities - This is another aspect of cruising that has changed drastically over the years - from no tipping, period...to no tipping required...to "you'd better tip if you ever want to see your luggage again"...to prepaid tips. On cruises today you can expect to tip - but our preference is to maintain control over who and how much. So we stick with the old fashioned method. Pretending to be Congressional lobbyists, we go around the ship on the last night passing out envelopes stuffed with cash. However, if you are into convenience - go the prepaid route. You can always give a little extra on the side at the end of the cruise.

Gambling - There is a reason why the English blackjack dealers refer to customers in the casino as "punters". For that same reason, our advice is to STAY OUT!...especially if you are easily mesmerized by loud noises, flashing lights and shiny objects going around in circles (NASCAR fans...are you paying attention?)

Tip: Occasionally people just have to test Lady Luck. If this is the case, set aside a fixed amount of money - an amount that you can afford to lose - and when that is gone, casually sip the last of your drink - but NEVER eat the ice; nervous, out-of-control ice eaters have been known to snow in their pants - then slowly but humbly stagger away from the table with downcast eyes, pockets turned inside out. Your dog will still love you.

How to earn a free cruise -

It is a well known secret that cruise lines offer a "TC" - or Tour Conductor berth - to travel agencies booking groups. With most cruise lines the ratio is one free for every fifteen full fare paying passengers traveling on the same cruise. The sixteenth person pays only the taxes and fees. (Note that only the first two people occupying a cabin are credited towards the TC- third and fourth people sharing a cabin at a discount rate don't count- so you can't stack-the-deck by cramming five people into each of three cabins.)

Tip - There several ways to leverage this offer - and most travel agencies will work with you on this. Give the credit away to a fellow cruiser; use it to defer your own cost of cruising; tell your travel agent that you want the credit to be an overall discount for the group- or, like a bankrupt CEO bailed out by tax payer money - skip the cruise, pocket the credit as a cash bonus and retire to your deluxe double-wide on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

Pros & cons of booking direct with the cruise line -

Pros - If you know exactly which line you want to take, the cruise line should be able to answer all your questions in great detail and will take your booking direct. You can access a cruise line's online booking engine 24/7 and not have to wait for the travel agency to open for business.

Cons -The cruise line is going to offer the same price as travel agents - you won't save any money on the fare. However, they are not going to tell you about any other cruise line that might match your needs - or have lower prices for the same itinerary. If you register on many of the cruise lines own sites for information, the lines will contact you often. One can receive weekly phone calls and emails for months or years!

Once you've talked with a travel agency, you need to let the agency handle the cruise booking details, follow up questions, etc. (although other cruise related add-ons such as airfare, hotels, car rental, travel insurance, shore excursions, etc. can still be handled on your own - or online if you are a "do-it-yourselfer" and wish to avoid agency service fees.)

If the cruise line knows that you have already reserved space through an agency they are not likely to provide further information. In such case, when called directly, the cruise line will stonewall - relentlessly referring you back to your travel agent for any more details.

Now you are ready to cruise - to max the experience while controlling the costs. But there's more. Coming soon - articles on getting the best airfare; the best stateroom, maximizing shipboard experiences such as dining, activities, entertainment, as well as how to get the best deal on travel insurance (hint: it is usually NOT the coverage offered by the cruise line).

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As you read this book you will have to suspend the disbelief you feel when confronted with my assertions that for at least 5000 years man has been in close contact all over the world. If you have read my other books you will know I have made the case better than any and that there are lots of good scholars who agree with me.

Puma Puncu and Lake Titicaca may provide the proof as a recent research team finally checks out the spires of ancient buildings that fishermen have tied their boats to for millennia. Here high in the Andes we know there were astronomers who also were in Central America where the Earth Energy Grid allowed something fantastic to dovetail with other places including Giza. The Cosmic energy and earth energy in concert with their soulful energy was able to build psycho-spiritual attunements that have only recently been sublimated by most nations or our leaders. Yet these leaders are members of cults or Christian Mystery Schools like the Rosicrucians who use this occult knowledge against us.

I think there is a great chance that it was well understood 15,000 years ago by Andean astronomers who were Kelts and later became Chachapoyas and leaders of the Incas in a time when much of the real knowledge had diminished. High above the clouds they could see the Milky Way formation that looks like a serpent without the glass lenses that they got from the slow moving lava flows and that have been found at La Venta in Mexico and in modern day Ecuador by archaeologists. Quetzalcoatl, Kukulcan, Viracocha, Xolotl and others are the 'travelers' who I think I have proven are Druids through many sources in other books. Here is a little of the Theosophist viewpoint on the serpent or Dragon wisdom that led Central America and included people boarding their kid's heads to look like serpents.

"We read in The Secret Doctrine that fohat, divine messenger, intelligent cosmic electricity, who at the Divine Word proceeds forth to create worlds and the beings thereon, moves in a serpentine course, generates spirals; and this spiral plan of evolution is imitated throughout nature, from the nebulae to the spiral growth of plants. The serpent means divine wisdom, creative intelligence; and Masters of Wisdom are called serpents -- which gives a new meaning to the injunction "Be ye wise as Serpents." Hermes or Mercury carries the caduceus, a wand with two serpents entwined on a staff; the Chinese made the serpent the emblem of their emperors; the Druids called themselves snakes; serpent-emblems called Dracontia once covered the globe and are still found; Quetzalcohuatl was the snake-deity of the ancient Mexicans; dragons are found throughout ancient symbology with the same sense. But we also hear of evil serpents. The Gnostics spoke of an Agathodaimon and a Kakodaimon, or a good and an evil divinity, represented as serpents; Hercules slays Python; Apollo at birth overcomes a serpent, but does it by means of another serpent -- the higher wisdom in man overcoming the lower. The two nodes of the moon, Rahu and Ketu, are called the Dragon's head and tail. So the serpent can represent the duality of human nature -- which is but a copy of the duality in cosmos. A dual geometry may be based on the right and left helical curves. There is the serpent of spirit and the serpent of matter, the heavenly wisdom from above and the earthly wisdom from below, of which Paul speaks so often." (1)

There are many books that Adrian Gilbert, Robert Bauval, Robert Schoch and others have done which show the correspondences between Egyptian and Mayan prophecy. I regard a lot of this as mere rationalization of Armageddon type fear-mongering and 'miss'-story. Inevitably they draw alien influences into the game and often they see it going from Egypt to the Sarmoung Brotherhood rather than having an earth-based prior culture in places such as archaeology does now prove. I have documented these things in books starting with Diverse Druids. The chances of my work getting a real publisher are minimal as a result. Archaeologists do not integrate all the discoveries throughout the world and the media in the US refuses to report on finds such as Yonaguni or tell us why Kennewick Man's site was destroyed. I know 60 Minutes asked that pointed question but I have yet to find an answer as to who did this or allowed it to happen the day before Congressional Bills were set to take effect.

The correspondences of the Mayan calendar with Egypt are real in some ways and I do not throw away the information provided. I do however look for the science to explain these things rather than take the easy answer which fits a paradigm that has fed excrement to us about Elohim or other alien influences for the last five thousand years.

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Forty miles northwest of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, and a city on most Peru travel itineraries, you'll find another town worth visiting: Ollantaytambo. One of the exciting aspects of Ollanataytambo, is its layout, which, constructed by the Inca's, is one of the few surviving towns that has retained its original Inca design. There are four parallel streets intersected by seven cross-streets. At the center of the grid, you'll find a large plaza. And from the plaza you can see huge terraces cut into the hillside beside the town.

Ollantaytambo, is a quaint town with cobblestone streets and typical Spanish roof tiling that adds to its charm. It is often called a 'living Inca city' because of its uniqueness of having added modern amenities to its ancient structure as opposed to replacing it.

Getting to Ollantaytambo from Cusco or Aguas Calientes, below Machu Picchu, is fairly easy, though depending upon how you would like to go, depends upon how easy it is. Taking a bus will take the longest and you may have change in Urubamba, though it will definitely be your cheapest option. If you take a smaller mini-bus you can probably get one direct from Cusco's Terminal Santiago and generally there will be buses going all morning. When the driver has sold all his seats determines when he will leave. So if you don't want to wait around it is probably best to go in the morning.

If you would like to take a train, the journey is fairly simple as all trains between Cusco and Machu Picchu stop at Ollantaytambo. To avoid all the complications and hastles of organizing, we recommend signing up on a tour. A well-organized simple tour that visits all the sites of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu as well as Cusco, will simplify the planning tremendously. Here is a good example of a tour that will visit the highlights of the reason and of course a lot of things are flexible and can be catered to your needs.

You'll have a transfer from the Cusco airport to your comfortable hotel. There will be a half-day city tour of Cusco that day. The second day you will visit the Sacred Valley of the Inca on a full day tour, including the beautiful and culturally exciting town of Ollantaytambo. On the third day you will take the train either from Cusco or from Ollantaytambo (depending on where you chose to stay) to Aguas Calientes, below Machu Picchu. Here again, you can decide whether you would like to spend a night in Aguas Calientes or at the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu. You can see Machu Picchu and then take an afternoon train back to Cusco or Ollantaytambo or you can spend the night and perhaps another day at the ancient citadel. It's all up to you.

With easy comfortable transfers taking you to and from airports and train stations you'll avoid hassles of taxi drivers who don't know where they are going and who are probably overcharging you. At sites you'll avoid waiting in lines for tickets, because you will already have them in your hand. One thing is sure, when booking your tour, request an extra day in the Sacred Valley, perhaps at a comfortable Ollantaytambo hotel. There is plenty to offer there and you wouldn't want to fly through and miss it.

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There are many unique things to do in Puno Peru. It was an important place for the Incas, and officially founded in 1668 by a Spanish viceroy. It is known as the folkloric capitol of Peru, hosting several festivals throughout the year. Most visitors to Puno are there to see Lake Titicaca which crosses the Peru-Bolivia border.

The Top 5 Things to Do In Puno Peru Are:

1) Lake Titicaca: One Day

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,500 feet above sea level. Inca myth states that the first Inca, Mano Capac, rose from its waters. The Lake is notable for its floating islands, called Uros, that are artificially made from floating reeds. A one day tour of the lake will also pay brief visits to the natural islands of Taquile and Amantani.

2) Lake Titicaca: Two Days

A two day tour of Lake Titicaca includes a visit to the Uros people, walks through Taquile Island and a night's stay with a local family on Amantani Island. This island is populated with Quechua speakers and is host to two mountain peaks with ruins on top.

3) The Yavari Viceroy Steam Ship

This ship was taken to Lake Titicaca in 2,766 pieces. Construction began by the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd in London in 1861 and ended in 1870. The ship was restored in the 1990s and now hosts a museum.

4) Silliustani

Sillustani is a pre-Incan burial ground near Lake Umayo. The tombs were built by the Colla people before Inca conquest. They are built as large, stone towers and were intended to emphasize the connection between life and death.

5) Market

Puno's main market has a very large variety of handicrafts, cloths, food and items you would never even think about. Some of the handicrafts come from Bolivia, and most get distributed throughout various parts of Peru. The market is a good place to buy quality items at discounted prices.

Puno has a fusion of Catholic and Andean beliefs which have created an aura of folkloric mystery that should be on any traveler's itinerary when visiting Peru.

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South America's primary mountain range, the Andes, attains one of its widest points in Bolivia. Here the Andes are divided into two subranges, Cordillera Oriental and Cordillera Occidental. Peaks in these areas are in excess of 20,000 feet. Between these subranges lies the Altiplano which contains the highest navigable lake on earth. Lake Titicaca, which also lies in Peru, is 12,507 feet above sea level.

Also in the Altiplano is one of Bolivia's capitals, La Paz. At 11,700 feet it is one of the highest cities in the world. This region is home to one of the centers of Inca civilization and pre--Inca cultures.

Lake Titicaca is what helps make the Altiplano livable. This body of water is large enough to temper the coldness in its vicinity. Grains have been raised for centuries on the surrounding arable land up to the amazing elevation of 12,800 feet. The area supports a major group of subsistence farmers to this day.

Bolivia has had a troubled history. Aside from numerous internal struggles, the country first lost its access to the Pacific Ocean in a conflict with Chile. It then lost its northern territory of Acre to Brazil in a dispute involving the rubber industry in the Amazon Basin. On top of all that, Bolivia was forced to give up 55,000 square miles of southeastern Gran Chaco territory to Paraguay. Bolivia has reactivated its claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, to secure sovereign maritime access for Bolivian natural gas.

Modern Bolivia is the product of European domination, however that influence has not affected some of the Amerindian population clusters. But these indigenous Bolivians still lost their land as did their Peruvian and Ecuadorian counterparts. However, what made the richer Europeans in Bolivia wealthy was not land but minerals.

The city of Potosi in the Cordillera Oriental became well--known for the huge silver deposits in its surroundings. Zinc, copper, and other ores were found there. Bolivia's tin deposits provided a large portion of the country's export income throughout most of the twentieth century. But in the 1980's, tin reserves declined and that along with weak world prices reached the point where Bolivia's antiquated mining methods forced the industry to all but shut down.

Oil and gas are now accounting for an increasing portion of foreign revenues. Bolivia exports much of it gas to Argentina and Brazil. In return, Brazil is commtted to assisting the development of the corridor between Santa Cruz and Corumba, Brazil, in the southeastern lowlands. It is here that commercial agriculture--especially soybeans--is on the rise.

Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, resolving disputes with coca growers over Bolivia's counterdrug efforts, and waging an anticorruption campaign. The country does have its problems, but it also has its optimism.

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