Everyone who knows me, knows that my passion in Peru is Machu Picchu. I have probably spent more time there over the past five years than anyone except those who work there. I am constanetly researching, exploring, and studying the site and the surrounding National Sanctuary of which it is only one very small part. In this podcast I try to explain why it would be a shame to go all the way to visit the site only to spend just a couple of hours walking through quickly because you'll miss so much!

There's not much in the show notes this week, but at the bottom of the page there is a place to express your comments which are really appreciated. You can reach the Show Notes page here: Podcast Episode 17 - Why You Should Spend More Time at Machu Picchu.

While Cusco ands Machu Picchu are the most popular places to visit in Peru, the Amazon Rainforest is easily the second most famous place. Many people are uncertain about choosing between the country's two most popular places -- Iquitos in the northern rainforest and Puerto Maldonado in the southeastern jungle.  Because I know both of the regions extremely well, I thought it would be a good topic to discuss the difference between the two -- and there are some major difference -- that should be taken into consideration when deciding where to go. You can read a little more and get some more background information including some video links here in the Show Notes: Podcast Episode 16 - Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado: Which Jungle in Peru?

Everyone who knows me knows that Machu Picchu is my passion. They also know that I have an obsession with truthfulness about the site and can't stand the massive amounts of misinformation shared -- even more so when it's done deliberately to make someone more money. In this episode I talk about a few facts about Machu Picchu that most people don't know. I found it difficult to go with only five, but that leaves many more "facts" to be shared in future episodes. I also talk about some news including the current social and political situation in Peru as well as news on train travel between Cusco and Puno. In the Show Notes I added some links to the best YouTube videos if you want to learn more about Machu Picchu from reputable sources.

Anyone concerned about coming to Peru after seeing all the negative news this year should know that right now things are as close to normal across almost all of the country as it has been since before the COVID pandemic over three years ago. In this episode I talk about what has happened, the current situation, and also answer a few questions relating to visiting Machu Picchu.

You can read the show notes which includes some important links here: Episode 14 - Why Now is (Almost) the Perfect Time to Visit Peru.

As someone who flies more than just about any other traveler in Peru, in this episode I talk about frequent flyer benefits no matter what airline you use, transportation, the best seats to reserve, how I get the best airfare deals, airport security, luggage, the reality of some airport terminals, transportation from and to the airport, and a lot more. You can get links to all the airlines who fly domestically on the Show Notes page here: Podcast Episode 13 - Domestic Air Travel in Peru - Everything You Need to Know

It's hard to describe how deeply I love the rainforest, but in this episode I give it a try by talking about experiences with animals and how I dealt with my own personal deep phobia. You can read the Show Notes here and see a few of my favorite wildlife photos from the jungle: Episode 12 - Why I Love the Rainforest (Part 1) - Animals.

In this episode I talk a little more about visiting Machu Picchu including recommendations on how to get there and using guides. Show Notes are available at Some Thoughts on Visiting Machu Picchu.

I spent a couple of days in Arequipa focusing on photographing and finally visited the Monatserio Santa Catalina as well as the lesser known Convento la Recoleta. Both. while completely different, turned out to be two of the most interesting places i've ever visited in Peru. Santa Catalina, in particular, might be the most photogenic place I've ever visited in years of travel across the country. I also talk briefly about some issues I had with the hotel I'd used once before, Bella AQP. I was quite disappointed with the level of service by some of the staff, though others did their best to make up for it. You can check out the Show Notes for this episode here: Monasteries and Convents in Arequipa

Last week I took a short trip to the small town of Abancay about five hours from Cusco by bus. While it really wasn't long enough to do much exploring in the town itself., this episode focuses on information about the bus ride that might be useful to anyone thinking about traveling across the country in this slower and far cheaper mode of transportation. I also talk about a development with the availability of tickets for Machu Picchu as well as a brief update on COVID in Peru. You can read the show notes here: Episode 9 - Abancay and the South Central Andes by Bus.

In this episode I talk about noise, traffic, and how Peruvians approach time -- all things that visitors commonly have a bit of uncertainty in dealing with as they are frequently quit a bit different from what visitors are used to in their home countries. You can check out the show notes here: Episode 8 - Peruvian Cultural Differences (Part 2)