• You must bring a valid Passport to Peru.
• You do not need to get a Visa to enter Peru in advance from most countries. Please visit the Peruvian Embassy to confirm any issues.
• Ideal age range for this group is 18-60 years old. Please email with exceptions.
• We will be a very active group with 3-4 hours walking per day and sometimes up to a 5 hour bus ride. Walking will be on trails and cobblestone streets, through crops and up steep steps of ruins. Bring great walking shoes, not hiking boots.
• Many airlines fly to Lima, Peru (LIM) – Continental via Houston and Newark; LanChile via Los Angeles, Newark and Miami; American via Dallas and Miami; Delta via Atlanta; Air Canada (and United) from Toronto. There are other combinations via Central America which might cost less.
• There are two airport taxes in Peru: domestic and international. The fee is $25 US departing from Lima internationally. Domestically the airport tax is roughly $5 US. This is US Dollars, cash.
• Do not pack valuables (cash, cameras, jewelry) in your checked luggage. All valuables should be hand carried. In Lima, your bags are X-rayed again and in the past, valuables have been stolen.
• Hostal Mami Panchita is in the San Miguel section of Lima, near the airport for easy overnight stay. If you'd like other hotel information for Lima, Miraflores or Barranco, please contact Adam. You may also contact Raymi Travels, which runs the Mami Panchita, to book internal flights in Peru. It is a very convenient way to stay a quick night in Lima and pick up an internal flight ticket at the same time!
• We will be working with many locals and indigenous Quechua-speaking people. You do not need any Spanish for this trip, though basic words are always a great way of opening doors.
• You should already be familiar with the basic technical aspects of taking a photograph. We would rate this as an amateur to pre-professional level trip. If you do not know the basics of working a manual camera, please contact Adam prior to enrolling!
• You will not need any special vaccines for this trip; however, if you have never received MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), Tetanus, Hepatitis A, B, or C, Yellow Fever and other common shots that any traveler might want, it is highly advised that you look into that before this trip. Malaria is not an issue in the parts of Peru that we will be in.
• Altitude can be a serious issue. Cusco is at 11,000 feet (3,300 meters above see level) and the locals drink tea made from the coca leaf to alleviate the build-up of pressure. This is not cocaine nor is it an altered substance or chemical; it is an herb, like chamomile. If you do not want to drink it (or chew the leaf) you do not have to and you won't offend anyone. It really does work, though. Alternatively, all pharmacies in Cusco have altitude sickness medication over the counter and is easily accessible.
• Bacteria different from ours is readily available in all tap water and most fresh fruits and vegetables. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. DO NOT EAT STREET FOOD. DO NOT EAT FRESH VEGGIES NOR FRUITS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PEELED BY YOU.
• There are plenty of opportunities to eat vegetarian if you're so inclined.
• Over the counter antibiotics and bacteria-killing drugs are available if you have not brought them from the US, in case of diarrhea or dehydration. Liquids work wonders.
• There is no terrorism in the Cusco region. The Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) and Tupac Amaru are no longer active in Peru. There is very strong military police presence in all cities and towns and most ruins.
• Weather in Cusco generally feels hotter than it is due to the altitude. At night, it is cold and often feels colder than it is. Pack accordingly with ability to use removable layers!
• You should expect to use about $35/day in odds and ends. Most everything is included (meals, transfers, tips and entry fees) but there are snacks and drinks you'll want to purchase on your own. Also, crafts and artesian opportunities abound!
• ATM's are everywhere in downtown Cusco and now in the Sacred Valley. These are the most convenient and efficient method to draw money. I do not recommend American Express for this trip, nor travelers checks. Cash is OK, but not recommended in large quantities. US Dollars are accepted at almost all places.
• Cusco is very safe with minor theft being the only real crime. Typical traveling caution is recommended: don't bring nor wear expensive jewelry, don't wave your wallet around in a market, keep your camera(s) under your arm and in front of you at all times and not loosely dangling, do not walk home drunk at night, do not take any strange pills from strangers or cute locals at the bars.
• Our primary residence is Adam's family home, Panza del Artista, overlooking the Cusco valley, just a 10 minute walk to the Plaza Central. We will be staying in doubles and maybe a few triples, all with private bathroom and potable water. Please contact Adam if you will need to make alternative arrangements or would like to inquire about a single’s supplement.
FILM:
• Everyone must bring a simple portfolio of past work. Prints or digital only and not polished prints — we'll be looking at your vision and interest, not at the print quality.
• We will also discuss ideas for individual projects that you will work on for this trip. Adam has a total familiarity with the Cusco area and the people and can help you research your project ideas, help you make contacts and offer simple, constructive solutions.
• Hand carry your film. Checked luggage is scanned and the x-rays will ruin your film. Try to get your film hand-checked at security as often as possible as the X-ray machine at the gate is far safer than the machines for checked luggage. Lead bags encourage security to use stronger X-rays. You can contact your local airport for more information.
• Students may have their C-41 film processed commercially at a local lab in Cusco. You should bring C-41 process black-and-white film, such as Ilford XP2, Kodak TCN or Kodak Portra 400BW. Ilford XP2 and Kodak TCN are better for printing BW on conventional BW paper. Kodak Portra 400BW is better for printing BW on color paper. If you want to shoot traditional B&W film, you can but you will have to process it on your own after the tour.
• 120 film can be legally opened by security so either get a waiver from Transportation Security Administration or plan on opening the foil casings. Alternatively, you can just have the 120 film X-rayed in its foil without any problems if it is rated ISO 800 or lower. I am not aware of a lab that processes 120 film in Cusco.
• All digital shooters must bring all gear necessary to complement your work – camera, laptop, batteries, cables, chords and converters (if necessary); a mini-printer could be a fun way of outputting your work not just for the class but for some gifts to the locals as well.
• You may also shoot digitally and dump your images onto a DVD to bring home. There are a lot of services which offer to dump images for you if you don’t want to bring your own laptop.
• If you have an extra camera, bring it as a back-up with a back-up lens or two in case something jams or breaks. It happened to me!
• Be sure to bring enough film. Film in Cusco is much more expensive and not as well stored.
• A camera bag back-pack is very convenient for most photographers. It is not necessary!
In an exclusive collaboration with The Photographic Center Northwest , we are laying the foundation for this premise!
