Friendly farewell drinkies...

For our friends we have a preception of our own for you!

Please come to our wedding celebration and farewell drinks

at the Nude Bar,

Australian Youth Hotel 19th December 2009

from 6pm

and remain clothed

RSVP for Machu Picchu trek ~ pronto pronto!

Machu Picchu ~ splendour awaits. As the sun rises, our eyes will reflect on the incredible, sacred city.

Adventurers, send on your exact name and passport number if you are joining us on one of our three trek options. Casey and I will be going on option one: the four day, three night trek.

We will need your information before December 19th if you'd like us to organise this through the Garden House for you.

HENS - Ideas, ideas...

Heya, this is an excerpt taken from my hens email string - if you're not on it and would like to be let me know so you can get involved!

I've had most people say they are starting their trip at the start of the hens which is roughly from the Friday 26th March - Wednesday 31st March (Check our blog here)

This gives us about 6 days to play with so I must narrow my big balloon ideas down to something more.... relaxing!

What to do...?

Here's what I suggest if we're to continue with Lima > Arequipa > Lake Titicaca > Cusco:

• If people would like to fly into Lima they meet me one or two days earlier than the 26th and we bus it to Arequipa. We meet everyone else in Arequipa (26th) if they get a connecting flight as part of their ticket or book it separately (LAN fly about $180 US one way Lima > Arequipa; $265 US return)
• We spend the weekend partying and sight seeing in Arequipa / Colca Canyon, then on Monday (29th) pack up and head to Lake Titicaca - Puno. Stay overnight?
  
• From Puno, we get a train (forums are saying around $220 US???) or a bus (Inka Express is around $50 US, with stops, food and coffee; Local bus is around $8-10 US - Thorntree Forums) up to Cusco.

Otherwise, the other option is pretty much what the boys are doing - Lima > Cusco
It would be good to do something different, but I know this is good value for everyone and there's lots to see and lots of fun to be had with you lot!! I'm sure what we plan is likely to be slightly different to them :)

• Meet in Lima 26th March and spend the weekend in the Lima surrounds - must look into in more detail.
• Head up to Cusco, by plane (today I checked Star Peru for our dates and it was $152 US return Lima - Cusco) or bus - the road between Lima and Cusco is a little scary, 20 hrs roughly $60AU - we can try and split this journey and stop on the way up the mountains; check out Thorntree
• Make it to the Festival of the Lord of Tremors in Cusco and check out the party capital of Peru whilst also visiting sites such as The Sacred Valley

This blog has a good rundown of the three places in Peru we've been talking about: Lima, Arequipa and Cusco

Also, I will definitely be starting from Lima for those already booking flights. There is currently a sale on which ends 27th November through Qantas. We have a friend you can contact Kylie from Flight Centre or let me know if you get a good quote elsewhere as we have people asking all the time :)

Still alot to discuss about post wedding, but hands up if you're interested and we'll start a separate email train for that so we can get the boys involved too. Alot of talk about heading up the North coast of Peru's beached to see places like Mancora and then onto either Ecuador or Columbia.

We are leaving iin 5 weeks peeps!!!!

Buenos Noches,

popopo

xoxo

We Love Bears!

After our wedding in May, Portia and Casey will be doing 5 weeks of volunteer work.

We have decided to invest our time in trying to save the Andean Bear. Basically it will involve setting up in a remote village in Ecuador, doing lots of hiking, tracking bears, some video work for Casey, and maybe some teaching for Po.

If anyone else has the spare time you should volunteer with us. Their website is;
http://www.andeanbear.org/index.html

We will be there from the 3rd of May to the 6th of June.



Bears are awesome.

Steve's Post Wedding Adventures In the Ol' US of A

Hey all.

One of our favourite wedding guests (Steven John Pack) will be heading to the US after the wedding and was wondering if anyone else was interested in joining him. He wants to do a driving trip that will encompass LA, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite National Park from the 17th of April to the 29th. Probably involving hiking and/or trekking.

For those of you who are not familiar with Steve he is a very responsible and respectable young man as the attached picture shows.



Please enjoy Steve responsibly.

¿Tiene usted alguna pregunta?

Or do you have any questions? We would like to answer any you may have here!

Rough itinerary and dates to aim for

For people planning to come to the hens and bucks week prior to the wedding, we'll most likely be traveling on these dates.

Hens and bucks - 26the - 31st March 2010

Cusco - 1st - 4th April 2010

We can fit 18 people in Garden house from the 2nd - 4th April and we've booked the villa out for us and us alone for three whole days!

Machu Picchu trek begins on 5th April and ends back in Cusco on the 8th April 2010

From here, we need suggestions on where you want to go! Case and I were thinking of going North into Ecuador and possibly Columbia for the adventurous!

Po
xx

Travel Doctor For South America

Don't forget your shots!

Travel Doctor will give you an idea...

My doc said definitely get Typhoid and Hep A shots before you travel.

Also, most of South America is known as a Yellow Fever Endemic zone. You will need to obtain your vaccine through a special vaccine clinic which will also provide you with documentation you'll need to show before proceeding into some countries.

The only other thing to consider is malaria tablets. We'll be looking into malaria detection kits instead of tables.

Ask your doctor if any are relevant to you.

Travel Insurance

We often travel with World Nomads. They have a footprints program which you can donate a little money when you buy your insurance. Check out some of their work: http://footprints.worldnomads.com/

Accommodation

Accommodation in Cusco varies depending on your needs!

Cusco:

Loki is a hostel chain where you can share your room with a group of people for as low a $8 US per bed. They also have private rooms from $27 US per room

Home Sweet Home This hostel is in both Cusco and Arequipa. The prices are quite cheap according to their website.

Casa Andina is the Hotel chain that Garden House recommended in Cusco

Arequipa:

La Posada de Cacique - a few reviews on Trip advisor for this one - looks quite nice.

How do I get to Peru?

To get to Peru you have to go through either Buenos Aires or Santiago to get to Lima (the capital) from Sydney. From Lima you will need to get a flight to Cusco. From the prices we have seen, it seems to work out cheaper if you buy the flight to Lima, rather than buying 2 seperate flights.

First areas to look into are:

STA - Pretty good quotes so far! We did business with a lovely guy by the name of Sean Morrison from Broadway Shoppingtown broadway@branch.sta.com.au or 02 9211 2563.

Flight Centre - A friend of ours is a travel agent (pretty handy huh?) Her name is Kylie Johnson and she is more than happy to help anyone out with flights for the trip. Also if there are a few of you she can organise a group discount, so if anyone is thinking of doing this, then feel free to let us know and we can put you in contact with any others who are thinking of doing the same thing! She is located in Mosman, but you can do everything by email so you don't actually have to go to the north shore at any stage if you don't want to. Her contact details are: kylie.johnson@flightcentre.com.au or 8968 8000

There are heaps of sites on the net which specialise in flights. Best Flights and travel.com.au are decent sites which we used as starting points with occasionally some good deals!

Hens and Bucks

Hola!

Case has been looking into ideas around our hens and bucks celebrations before the wedding for those who have the extra travel time!


Ideas include...

* Cusco
- This would be the easiest place to groove because everyone will be coming here anyway for the wedding.
- As it was once the heart of the Incan empire, Cusco offers plenty in the way of ruins and other sights.
- There is plenty of accomodation options.
- A lot of outdoor activites like; white water rafting, mountain biking, trekking, horse-riding, para-gliding,
- On the Monday before our wedding, Cusco has it's El Senor de los Temblores festival (The Lord of the Earthquakes).

* North Coast Peru - Mancora (Far north tip of Peru)
- A popular beach resort.
- Good surf year round
- Rent off road bikes, jet skies, surf lessons, windsurf, hot springs
- Good night life.
- The food here is mostly seafood, fresh, straight off the boat.
- Accomodation ranges from plush resorts to beachside bungalows & beachfront shacks.
- But before you get too excited, it takes something like 16 to 18 hours to get there by bus from Lima. If we take a plane and then bus or taxi it will take 4-5 hrs and cost anywhere from $100 to $400 to get there.

* Lima
- Most peeps will be heading through here to get to Cusco so it won't be out of the way.
- Being Peru's capital and biggest city, there are plenty of good restaurants, accomodation and bars.
- Lima is set on the beach, and is supposed to have good surf, although i think the water is cold. Nearby surfing hot spots have hostels near the beach.
- It is the best place for Peruvian cuisine, and also has fresh, cheap seafood.
- Para gliding, cycling, horse-riding, bull fighting, soccer.

* Huaraz & Cordilleras - Adventure capital
- Huaraz is the Andean adventure capital.
- Trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking
- Lots of bars, accommodation, good restaurants.
- Bus from Lima - 7 - 8 hours

* Arequipa - South PERU
- Flights from Lima & Cusco
- 6 hour bus to Puno / Lake Titicaca
- Peru's most stylish city; good nightlife
- Surrounded by active volcanoes, thermal springs, high altitude deserts and worlds deepest canyons
- Horse riding, climbing, mountain biking, trekking, rafting
- Return from Cusco to Arequipa $240 (LAN)


We'd appreciate any ideas to flow through here. If you're planning to come this if for you as well so let's make it FUN!

Hello and welcome to our blog!

We're hoping you use it for any questions you may have around our wedding and trip.

Any questions or ideas, please POST AWAY!

invitation

Machu Picchu - Initial information

In the days following the wedding we will be walking the Machu Picchu trail would love to do this with our wedding party. This is a 4-day hike but for those looking for a more relaxing adventure, it is also possible to catch a train there on a 1 or 2 day trip.

Option one - the trek:

The current prices for the Inca trail - 4 days, 3 nights in groups of maximum 8 people return in a back-packer train is $US509; OR return in Vistadome $US528.

At the moment the program is a s follows:

DAY 1 Cusco / Km 82 / Koriwuarachina

At proper time, depart by bus to the km 82 since here we will start the Inka Trail. In the afternoon visit the ruins of Llaqtapata, the Wayllabamba and Llulluchayoc. Camping – Altitude approx (3,200 meters) Lunch and dinner

DAY 2 Llulluchayoc / Warmiwañuska / Runkurakay

A couple of hours take us to Warmiwañuska pass (4,200) first the trail descends to the Pacaymayo River and then climbs slowly past Runkurakay. Camping – Altitude approx (3,700 meters) Breakfast, lunch and dinner

DAY 3 Runkurakay / Sayacmarka / Wiñay Wayna

Beginning the hike at Runkurakay and over to Sayacmarca ruins. After continuing along the buttress and passing Puyupatamarca. Continue the hike to Wiñay Wayna. Camping – Altitude approx (2,700 meters) Breakfast, lunch and dinner

DAY 4 Wiñay Wayna / Inti Punku / Machu Picchu

Early in the morning beginning of the hike and continue to Inti Punku the way of the Incas used to come, watching the magnificent citadel of Machu Picchu. A fascinating tour of temples, houses, terraces for growing crops and even gardens. Return to Cusco by train (backpacker or Vistadome coach).

THE PROGRAM INCLUDES:

- A guide expert of the road and of the customs that he/she will be able to him in contact with the environment.
- Eat hot during the tours
- Carps bipersonals, besides carp bathroom and carp cooks
- Tables
- Chairs
- Personal of kitchen
- Personal of support (carriers)
- Entrance fees Inca Trail & Machupicchu
- Transfer Station Peru rail / hotel the day of their return (it transports tourist)
- Transfer person that will be in charge of the passengers
- First-aid kit of first aids
- Oxygen
- Daffor
- Matra
- Train Machu Picchu / Cusco (backpacker o Vistadome coach)

WE RECOMMEND TO CARRY:

- Sleeping bag - Rain poncho
- Sunglasses
- Light hat or visor
- Sun blocking lotion
- Light hiking shoes or sneakers
- Cotton long sleeved shirts and t-shirts
- Wool socks
- Water bottles or canteens
- Flashlight with spare batteries
- Photographic camera
- Personal medication

THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES:

Option 2:

2 days 1 night return in Backpacker train is US $349.00 and in Vistadome is US $368.00 they all include: English speaking guide, porters, lunch the first day, entrance to the citadel, bus and train tickets it doesn’t include Hotel but you have to spend the night in Aguas Calientes to visit the citadel the next morning.

Option 3:

The day trip to Machu Picchu is US$269.00 and includes Guide, return tickets on Vistadome train, entrance to the citadel and return bus to Aguas Calientes.

These prices will probably increase if Peru Rail or the INC changes their rates, but that we can’t know till early 2010.

(as written by Ceci)

Family "Preception" Picnic

A "Preception"? What IS a preception? As we are to be wed in Peru we've kept a date for a reception to be enjoyed with family prior to our wedding - hence the Preception!

Please save Saturday the 12th December 2010 for a pre-christmas Hilton-Rudd-Johnson-Dingle-Abrahams-Demagante rendezvous shananigan on the Central Coast!!

It will be held at Bush St Reserve at Norah Head from 12 pm onwards.

It is easiest to take the Budgewoi exit and head South from Budgewoi along the Central Coast Highway. OR if you're coming from Mum and Dad Rudd's at Wamberal, head North on the Central Coast highway. Google Map This is a very casual event so bring your swimmers for the rock pool and some drinks for the party!

All food will be provided by Lynn & Paul, Peter & Emily and Casey & I

Wedding Details

Please join on April 3 2010 at

The Garden House

Los Alamos B-6

Larapa Grande

Cusco

PERU