For the previous 4 months I’ve been touring by the South American nation of Peru… and alongside the way in which I’ve been recording each cent that I spend throughout my travels and sharing these bills with you on the finish of every month. Months 1-3 will be seen by visiting the hyperlinks under:
This month I spent a ton of time in Cuzco, Peru… I traveled to Machu Picchu… took a visit into the jungle and noticed a ton of superior wildlife… and traveled by way of bus to the distant cities of Ayacucho and Huancayo. The comply with is an in depth account of my spending this month. The bills right here have been listed from largest to smallest.
Jungle Lodge Tour: 702.61 PEN ($250.00 USD)
My greatest expense this month was the $250 USD that I shelled out for a 4 day – 3 night time journey within the jungles simply exterior of Puerto Maldonado, Peru. I had traveled to Puerto Maldonado hoping that I may discover the jungles by myself (with out having to pay for an costly tour information), however that merely wasn’t the case. The tour, nonetheless, was value each cent… and I had a good time exploring the jungles of Peru with my information Carlos and my two Estonian journey companions.
Lodging: 605 PEN ($215.28 USD)
The second greatest expense this month was lodging, which ought to come as no shock. I’m paying about 25 Peruvian Soles per night time. That mentioned, my most cost-effective night time of lodging this month was in Puerto Maldonado (15 Soles) and my costliest night time was additionally in Puerto Maldonado (at a distinct hostel) (30 Soles).
Meals & Drinks: 596.23 PEN ($211.08)
I ate out quite a bit this month. I in all probability ate at a restaurant of some variety at the very least as soon as each single day. And on prime of that, I’m stilling shopping for all of my water in bottles. So it’s no shock that my value for meals and drinks this month exceeded the $200 mark. I ate properly for probably the most half and I’m beginning to be taught what Peruvian meals I actually like… and which of them I don’t.
Exterior Laborious Drive: 260 PEN ($92.51 USD)
This month I had one thing horrible occur to me. The exterior laborious drive that I’ve been carrying to retailer all my journey pictures and enterprise paperwork died on me. Once I acquired to the town of Huancayo, the drive abruptly stopped working. I attempted having a few of the companies in Huancayo assist me restore the drive, however they had been unable to help me in any method. So now I’ve bought a brand new laborious drive and mailed the previous drive house in hopes that I can discover somebody within the USA who will be capable of restore the information for me. My fingers are majorly crossed. Lesson discovered: Backup your vital knowledge and retailer it in at the very least 2 or extra completely different locations!
Machu Picchu Practice Ticket: 196.73 ($70.00 USD)
Once I advised my dad that I used to be going to be touring to Machu Picchu this month, he made the final minute resolution to take a while off of labor and fly right down to Peru and meet me. So, on the 2nd of March, my dad and I traveled to Machu Picchu and explored the well-known ruins there for ourselves. However earlier than we acquired there, we needed to pay for our round-trip tickets to and from the ruins. The prepare wasn’t working all the way in which from Cuzco prefer it usually does, so we saved just a little cash and took the prepare to Aguas Calientes from the town of Ollantaytambo as an alternative. The tickets value $35 USD per path.
Buses: 186.10 PEN ($66.22 USD)
I sat on quite a lot of buses this month. I took an 18 hour bus trip from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado. Then I had a 12 hour bus trip again from Puerto Maldonado to the town of Cuzco. A couple of week later I traveled from Cuzco to Ayacucho (a 22 hour journey). And there have been a number of extra buses that took me to Huancayo and past.
Machu Picchu Entrance Ticket: 126 PEN ($44.83 USD)
The price of stepping into most Peruvian museums and wreck websites vary from completely free to fifteen PEN. Machu Picchu, nonetheless, value a mind-boggling 126 PEN. Was it value it? You’ll need to go to Machu Picchu and see for your self.
Postage: 53.60 PEN ($19.07 USD)
When my laborious drive crashed this month, I knew that I needed to mail the factor again to the USA and have it taken care of by an expert. So I mailed the laborious drive house from the town of Huancayo and it set me again 53.60 PEN. I simply hope the laborious drive makes it house in a single piece.
Combi Rides: 33.80 PEN ($12.03 USD)
For those who spend any time touring in Peru, you’re certain to journey by combi in some unspecified time in the future in time. These small vans are stuffed to the max with passengers and their belongings and are normally run brief distances between main and non-major factors. As a result of they’re jam filled with so many different folks, they’re a particularly low-cost method of touring… and that’s why I spent hours in combis this month and solely paid 33.80 PEN.
Books: 33 PEN ($11.74 USD)
4 moths into my travels and I’ve way back run out of studying materials. So this month I spent a pair {dollars} and acquired myself some English and Spanish studying books. I’m nonetheless attempting to be taught Spanish, so I purchased myself a brief guide written totally in Spanish… and likewise purchased myself a Spanish-English dictionary, so I can translate the Spanish guide into English.
DVDs: 29 PEN ($10.32 USD)
4 months is a very long time to journey… and since I’ve my laptop computer with me and I’m spending quite a lot of time by myself, I bought a variety of DVDs this month to entertain me when I’ve nothing else to do. Lots of the DVDs right here in Peru are available in English (or in Spanish with English subtitles), so for only a couple bucks I’m able to buy some low-cost leisure for myself that makes me really feel like I’m again house.
Taxis: 24 PEN ($8.54 USD)
Buses, combis and taxis. They’re the three commonest methods of getting about in Peru. Taxis, after all, are the most costly, so I usually try to keep away from them once I can. However generally there isn’t a getting round it. This month I spent lower than $10 USD on taxis.
Headphones: 20 PEN ($7.12 USD)
I had a set of Apple headphones initially of this journey, however they began to make all types of unusual noises, so I spent $7 USD and acquired a pair of top-of-the-line headphones from a road vendor in Cuzco, Peru.
Butterfly Farm: 20 PEN ($7.12 USD)
In Puerto Maldonado I took a combi to the town’s small butterfly farm and paid 20 Soles for entrance to the small resort. The lodge the place the butterflies are saved is kind of lovely, however 20 Soles is method an excessive amount of cash to pay for this small attraction.
Toiletries: 19 PEN ($6.76 USD)
Bathroom paper, cleaning soap, mosquito spray, and different such objects. Not a lot to say about this.
Music CDs: 14.5 PEN ($5.16 USD)
I’m listening to quite a lot of music on this journey… and the locals I sit subsequent to on the buses have a tendency to present me quite a lot of suggestions on the music I must be listening to. So I spent simply over $5.00 USD this month and acquired myself greater than 14 new music CDs. In the USA it could be tough to buy even a single CD for that little cash!
Umbrella: 10 PEN ($3.56 USD)
It’s wet season right here in Peru… and it’s been raining quite a bit. Sadly, all this rain we’ve been getting has put my rain jacket to a serious take a look at. And what I discovered this month is that my rain jacket isn’t in any respect rainproof. When it rains, my jacket will get moist and doesn’t wick away the rainwater in any respect. I thought-about buying a brand new rain jacket in Cuzco and spending $100 or extra {dollars} on the factor, however in the long run, I made a decision to buy an affordable umbrella and cross my fingers that it’s going to final me by the remainder of my journey.
Motorbike Rental: 5 PEN ($1.78 USD)
For those who ever get the possibility to journey to Puerto Maldonado, Peru, you’ll uncover that the town is roofed in bikes. Virtually everybody within the metropolis drives a bike or motortaxi. And since the town has so many bikes, it comes as no shock that there are a selection of companies renting out motorbikes (to locals and vacationers alike). I rented one in every of these small motorbikes (for simply an hour) and rode it across the loopy streets of Puerto Mal. It was enjoyable, scary, and cheap.
Boat: 3 PEN ($1.07 USD)
About two-thirds of the way in which by my bus journey from Cuzco to Ayacucho, everybody was ushered out of the bus and advised that we had been going to have to leap in a small boat and float throughout a river to the opposite facet the place one other bus was ready for us. Solely in Peru! The boats had been fabricated from wooden and actually sinking as all of us jumped in, however they acquired us to the opposite facet of the river… and the brief journey value a measly 3 PEN.
Puerto Maldonado Tower Entry: 2 PEN ($0.71 USD)
In Puerto Maldonado I paid 2 Soles to climb to the highest of the tall obelisk that stands within the middle of the town. From the highest of the tower I may see the town under and the jungles within the distance. Positively well worth the value of entrance!
Web: 2 PEN ($0.71 USD)
I’m carrying my very own laptop computer laptop and USB Web stick, so more often than not I don’t have to make use of an Web cafe so as to entry the Internet. However generally, when I’m simply strolling round city or in an excessive rush, I’ll dish out a Sole or two to examine my e mail and do some fast analysis on the Web.
Bathroom: 0.50 PEN ($0.18 USD)
Lastly, I paid half a Sole this month so as to go to the lavatory. I hate paying cash simply to make use of a grimy rest room, however that’s the way in which it really works in lots of components of the world – together with Peru. I used to be in a position to keep away from the general public bogs for probably the most half this month, however I did need to make one fast pit cease… and it set me again $0.18 cents.
TOTAL: 2942.07 PEN ($1,046.83 USD)
Ultimately, this was my second costliest month in Peru. Machu Picchu, the jungle tour, and a brand new exterior laborious drive actually contributed to my excessive spending this month. However even supposing this month was my 2nd costliest month in Peru, it must be famous that what I spent this month remains to be far lower than what it takes for me to reside at house in the USA.
4 months in Peru and I’m averaging $908 USD monthly. Not unhealthy, if I do say so myself!
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