The Peru Channel

Another incident -- this time involving a death and dozens of injuries -- sees Machu Picchu close out a tumultuous year with it's international reputation quickly eroding as the facets of the tourist industry let greed and incompetence slowly makes Machu Picchu no longer the fabulous place to visit that it once was. Show Notes (I'll be adding updates here.)

Friday morning Peru woke up to its 7th President in the last 9 years with only two actualluy being elected. In this episode I'll explain what has happened and what you can might expect in the coming days, week, and months. When more comes out -- and this is a very fluid situation at the moment -- you can check out the link on the Show Notes page to learn more.

No matter how amazing Machu Picchu is, once again incompetence is making it look like a bad choice of places to visit. The possibility of a strike stopping transportation for yourists up and down the mountain in a few days is of great concern as walking is not recommended except for the very strong. In this short, last minute episode, I talk about what's happening there as of today, September 10, and give some background on why it has gotten this bad so quickly. I'll add anything new on The Peru Channel's "News" page with a link in the Show Notes. Hopefully this will all work itself out quickly, but there seems to be so much ill will and, with a LOT of money involved, it's very possible that things will get worse before they get better.

This episode took a long time to prepare as I simply have a LOT of adventures to tell you -- things like dealing with miners and loggers in the rainforest, searching for wild (and even sometimes dangerous) animals, and so much more. It was a lot of fun to prepare, but keeping things fairly organized and trying hard to avoid my tendency to ramble in my storytelling -- epecially when given the backstory and background information -- is hard for me! Yoiu can found some more information in the Show Notes including a link to some of my relevant YouTube videos (or just look for The Peru Channel on Youtube). They're not going to be picked by Netflix, but I think they're still a lot of fun to watch and show what it's REALLY like exploring here as opposed to the fake "adventures" shared by professional influencer on social media.

There's a lot going on Peru as the tourist season really gets underway. The new Lima airport is set to open ina few days and problems with tourism continues to plague the industry based on crime and questionable tourism companies. You can read more about this week's episode with some useful links for travelers at the Show Notes page here: Podcast Episode 34 – Lima Airport to Finally Open and Tourist Terror on the Amazon.

Tourism in Peru has some very real issues. While it's a magical place to visit, there are things that you should know about that might make your trip better and maybe even save your life. Show Notes: Podcast Episode 32 - The Dark Side of Tourism in Peru

This is the second part in the series about Machu Picchu in which I talk about more about getting there, the best time of the year to visit and even the best time of the day, plus some assorted tips including my two favorite restaurants where the food is plentiful and cheap, and finally what to do if tickets are sold out because you DO have an option. You can find the Show Notes here at Podcast Episode 30 - Questions About Visiting Machu Picchu (Part 2). ---------- You can always follow me on Instagram: (@ThePeruChannel) and YouTube (The Peru Channel) or join our Facebook group (Explore Peru).

In this epsiode I talk about a variety of topics that come up often for people considering Peru including tipping, money, all things money, weather and what clothes to wear, electricty concerns for electronics, and restrooms! You can leave any comments or questions on the Show Notes page here: Podcast Episode 28 - Questions About Visiting Peru (Part 1) .

Safety, getting around, and general experiencing travel -- lots of people tell you all kind of tips about visiting a place -- some good, some bad, some relevant, and some not... I wanted to discuss a few things that always seem to come up when people come to my city that might make your visit a little more enjoyable. There are, of course, lots more to talk about, but they will have to wait until another episode.) Cusco is a one-of-a-kind place to visit and I hope that everyone can get a taste of what I'm lucky enough to experience every day. There aren't many Show Notes this time, but you can visit them here: Some Tips for Visiting Cusco (From Someone Who Lives Here)

I'm lucky to have been able to travel many places in Peru by just about every means possible from airplanes to buses to cars and even to boats along the Amazon. In this episode I talk about how it's not as challenging or confusing as you might think and how it's possible to go anywhere you want easily and cheaply in Peru using public transportation. You can check out the Show Notes here - Podcast Episode 24: Traveling Peru by Road and River - where you can find all the links tralked about in the episode as well as leave a written and even a voice message! Please follow or subscribe to this podcast to be notified when the next episode is available. Thanks for listening.

Peru has been a political volatile country for a long time, but recently things have been even more uncertain and undercurrents of social unrest and disenfranchisement are rising again. As new and potentially even bigger protests are planned for this coming week during Peru's Fiestas Patrias celebrations of the country's independence, I thought it would important to discuss the underlying tensions behind these protests and explain a little of how they have actually been going on for centuries. Should things develop as I expect this week, besides News updates on the News page of ThePeruChannel.com, I'll also be doing regular updates on my long neglected Twiiter account, @ThePeruChannel. You can find more information here in the Show Notes: Podcast Episode 22 - Understanding the Current Social Protests in Peru.

My three favorite cities in Peru plus some important news about Machu Pichu and the serious health crisis that is affecting hundreds of thousands and will likely continue to do so well into next year. This episode could have been a LOT longer, but I had to keep telling myself to only summarize why I love these cities. (I guess I can talk about each in more detail in the future episodes, right?) You can check out the show notes here: Podcast Episode 20: My Three Favorite Cities in Peru.

My two biggest passions are Machu Picchu and the rainforest. When they come together as they did last week, it's a story I have to share! You can read the Show Notes here: Podcast Episode 18 - Finding Inca Ruins in the Rainforest.