An Idiot In Peru - A Wave Sailing Adventure

Epic trip Jase, looking forward to living vicariously through your posts

I'll be very interested to see the price breakdown - might need to add this to the bucket list.

can't wait to see the updates on this trip Jase, plenty of photos please

Planning the trip of my lifetime.

So why no previous travel for me...

Get your tissues ready for a real sad story...No not really, I just hate traveling that's it.
Maybe it stems from those childhood trips, With the Kingswood loaded to the point where I couldn't see out the windows, No air-con and mum and dad puffing away on their endless cigarettes subjecting my sister, myself and the dog to an endless gas chamber until we reach our final destination. These trips always included the usual threats of "If I have to turn around to you kids one more time I'll turn this car around and we'll go home" ...A threat I wished sometimes they would actually follow through with. Every weekend it was sport for me or my sister, I'm not the sporting type but my mother made me join everything which in the end has led me now to hating all sorts of sports but back in those days I had no choice. I said no to my mother once and got my backside kicked and was threatened with capital punishment if I ever did that again...On top of that I was grounded for a month...Lucky for me I had no spare time anyway so a grounding wasn't a big deal. Even with all that going on if we had a free weekend we'd be dragged off to some horrid country music festival to satisfy my parents hippie/country bumpkin side...To this day I still cringe when I hear country music.

What my childhood trips sounded like when discussed around the dinner table...


...And what they were really like.


So you can see I had a horrific childhood that has scarred me for life...No truthfully I had a great time as a kid but I do really think it's why I'm quite content to just stay put enjoying what's on offer in my local area. I'm definitely not afraid to fly, My uncle had his own small plane, If you were going to be scared of planes this one would do it for you...The wheel fell off on landing once but I still use to fly with him all the time and I still fly domestically quite often now. I just hate all the stuff that goes with it...Organizing stuff, Dragging bags around, Getting things sorted for foreign lands and not speaking the lingo...I struggle enough with English after a few beers...Who knows I may actually speak perfect Spanish after a dozen beers.

So what's my real problem...Just lazy and looking for any excuse to get out of it, That's all.

What's going through my head now....

So I'm now finally going to pull the trigger on that overseas vacation, If you haven't worked it out by now I absolutely hate the idea of traveling no matter how far it is. I'm just really not into it at all, I'm no tourist and cringe at the idea of having to drag my windsurfing kit from flight to flight to get to a final destination. Throw in the language barrier, Dealing with foreign currency, Strange foods and the threat of obscure diseases...I'm thinking maybe I should pick some place closer or at the very least has hire kit. With all that going through my head I figure if I survive this trip then the chances of me doing more of the same would dramatically increase, We'll have to wait and see if this changes my perspective on international travel.

Why pick Peru...


Port tack sailing is my chocolate side so that was the first thing that made this the obvious choice for me, The fact that Pacasmayo has a peeling left hand point break where you can get 10-15 turns per ride made it the perfect destination. Seeing the videos from this spot start to emerge over the past few years has really started to activate my interest is traveling outside my comfort zone to investigate some of these very special places. Though I say I'm not a tourist Peru seems colourful enough with culture and history that I may start to take a bit more of an interest in this side of traveling which has the potential to lead me on future adventures...I'm really hoping this gets me over my internal travel ban. Primarily my reason for the trip is to sail a perfect left hand point break but I'm now starting to get excited about what else I may discover in this amazing part of the world.

Pacasmayo, The conditions...



These are comments from various websites...

Pacasmayo in Northern Peru is home to the longest wave in the world, It is often referred to as the best windsurfing spots on the planet. You can find bigger waves in places like Maui and Mauritius, but in terms of reliability and perfect set up it really does not get much better. Imagine set after set after set of rolling waves and peeling for almost 1 km. You can probably do more bottom turns on a weeks holiday in Pacasmayo than you have done in your entire life. The waves there are perfectly formed but do not carry much power so super easy. This is a great location for the intermediate wave sailor to work on their techniques and gain confidence for the more challenging spots around the world but just as perfect for the pro sailor also. They say the only problem is once you have been there nothing else is as good...I may have to go back.



Pacasmayo is the most northerly of the handful of endless left handers in the La Libertad region. It catches loads of swell, It will always be bigger and hold much larger waves than the more famous neighboring breaks. It is also claimed that on the rare occasions that a 12ft (4m) S-SW swell can transport you on a 2.5km marathon from the tip of the point till it reaches the pier in town. Rides have been timed at 4 mins and what makes it probably the longest wave in the world. Pacasmayo starts off with a hollower, squirting section as it spins down past the point, Then mellows into a wall of varying steepness with little pockets and crumbling lip-lines, perpetually motoring northwards with symmetrical precision. A perfect day would see low tide incoming, double-overhead SSW swell and cross off winds.


South swells usually start at the end of March, August through the end of October offers medium to large wave conditions with good wind. The rest of the year still tends to have mid sized waves, providing a very consistent spot for surf activities. The wind tends to blow all year predominantly form the south offering 12-20knots in the afternoon, all the way until dark. The only exception is February, which can be very light. Pacasmayo even offers jumping conditions during the higher wind days, Most people sail at the point and in front of the El Faro Adventure Resort. Water temp is typically around 14 degrees C so 3/2 or 4/3 wetsuit is used all year. In summer (December to March), the temp can rise to 22 Degrees C, so you can use a shorty. The shore break is mellow, but there are some rocks and shells to be aware. Booties are advisable, but not required.


That gives you the run down of the basics and what has led me to the point at which I'm at now, Next I'll cover the booking of flights, Accommodation, Vaccination and the money situation and some other incidentals.

.Stay tuned.

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stehsegler said..
Not wanting to deter you from travelling, but having travelled the planet extensively I have to say the perfect windsurf spots are right here in Australia.

Ok thanks, The trip is cancelled ??

Just reading out of the brochure bro....On a serious note how did you personally find the windsurfing in Pacasmayo? I'm interested the hear the difference between the hype in brochure and reality.

Cheers J.

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jh2703 said..

Just reading out of the brochure bro....

Cheers J.

The only two places I haven't sailed yet are Peru / Chile and South Africa / Namibia... hope to get there one day.

It's snowing in Peru Atm so maybe take some skis as well

The best vid of Pacasmayo that I've ever seen, the rider, Bernd Roediger, Kevin Pritchard driving the ski, Si Crowther on the camera. "Three minutes of peace"

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siny said..
It's snowing in Peru Atm so maybe take some skis as well

Skis are so last year...

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Stuthepirate said..
That's 4 places

Depends on how granular you get I'll look at them as two places because I'd probably combine Peru / Chile and Namibia / South Africa into a single trip.

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Stuthepirate said..

I get what you're saying.
It's kinda like when i go to the toilet.
You assume that i'm going to the toilet and the bathroom as they're in the same area of the house.
I don't have to say "I'm going to the toilet then the bathroom".
And i wouldn't go to the toilet, come back, then go to the bathroom.
Though i would say "I've got to replace the light in the toilet then fix the towel rack in the bathroom.
This then gives the perception of two distinct areas with their own borders and uniqueness.
In this case i would visit the Toilet and Bathroom individually.

Except one would be in Britain the other in the US

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stehsegler said..

Stuthepirate said..
That's 4 places

Depends on how granular you get I'll look at them as two places because I'd probably combine Peru / Chile and Namibia / South Africa into a single trip.

That's 2 trips

The Final Details Before Departure.

Starting with a trip to my GP...


Firstly what I did after some searches on Google about travelling requirements was take a trip to my local GP for the necessary vaccinations, They discussed my trip in detail including what regions I was going to and what I'm likely to be doing while there. Please note the following information must be viewed as a my experience only. It is not intended, nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Special recommendations on vaccinations, antimalarial medications & targeted travel health advice should only be provided on an individual basis by your GP, Things they may take into account may include the following...

The personal health of the traveller including past medical & vaccination history.
Intended activities.
Itinerary.
Style of travel.
Type of accommodation.
Time of year.
Altitude.
Length of stay.

Potential medical issues discussed with me by my GP included the following.

Altitude sickness.
Chickenpox.
Cholera.
Dengue Fever.
Hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B.
Influenza.
Malaria.
Measles, Mumps.
Rabies Tetanus, Pertussis & Diphtheria.
Travellers' diarrhoea.
Typhoid Fever.
Yellow Fever.

The only mandatory one was Yellow Fever, This vaccination is compulsory for travellers who will be visiting Peru or other areas in South America in which there is a risk of Yellow Fever. This shot can only be issued at specific medical centres who will issue a certificate of vaccination, This certificate is required to re-enter Australia after the trip. I assume if you don't have it you'll be spending some time in quarantine .
For me personally I had 3 vaccinations all up (All of which were done at the same time), Yellow fever and 2 other multi vaccinations shots that covered all the required shots for me. I was saved from having a series of vaccinations for Hepatitis A & B as I'd already received these vaccination when I use to work for the NSW Fire Brigade, A booster for this was included in the multi vaccination shot. The cost of the shots were approximately $300 which were covered by my private medical insurance, I will get Malaria tablets before leaving just incase we venture into the jungle regions but they are not needed for Pacasmayo.


A trip to the travel agents.


I searched endlessly on-line for deals which seemed to change by the hour, Some sites looked so dodgy I decided it was best to just visit the local Flight Centre and get it over and done with. Depending on what air line you picked and how many stops were involved caused the price to vary by a several hundred dollars. The range was anywhere from $1000-$1400 return, The cheaper tickets involved restricted baggage and long stop overs with less desirable air lines. I picked the most direct Qantas/LATAM flight from Sydney ($1400), The only stop is in Santiago before the final leg to Lima and the same single stop in Santiago before returning to Sydney. The Cheaper flights had lengthy stop overs in New Zealand which I paid extra to avoid. Total flight time is just over 19 hours with the Santiago stop on the way over and just under 24 hours on the return due to a longer change over in Santiago on the return trip. I did upgrade my seats for an additional $360 to get some extra leg room on both flights, Not required but why not.

As far a luggage goes my booking includes the standard allowance, A carry on and 2 checked bags at 23kgs each. My carry on will have my camera gear/drone and laptop, I won't subject that to the care of the baggage chuckers. My checked baggage will consist of my windsurf travel bag and a split roller for my cloths. If you don't know what a split roller is, It's basically just a bag that is split in 2 halves when unzipped allowing you to pack your gear in seperate departments. This bag is over kill for me, I'd never fill it with my cloths. I plan to pack one half with my cloths then during my land based travels between Lima and Pacasmayo my carry on camera bag will get packed into the second half of the split roller for easy transport, It just means I'll only have 2 bags on wheels to drag around rather then the 3 bags I'm flying with. So this brings me to excess baggage, The camera bag and split roller will go no problem but the windsurf travel bag will get slugged with a $75 heavy bag charge due to it exceeding the allowed 23kgs but it does sneak below the maximum 32kg limit..Anything over that will incur a much larger fee or possible need to be shipped as freight. The only other issue I came across is that even though Qantas does have a windsurf kit policy you just can't send your kit under that anyway...For what ever reason they require measurements in length, width and depth. They add all these together for an over all measurement which gets rejected by their system every time as the 3 measurement can not exceed 277cm. So by the time you add the length of the board bag at 250cm, The width at 65cm and the depth of 20cm that brings it to 335cm which is a no go for their on-line system...So guess what, It's now a surf board. All they require for a surf board is length and weight, Punch in my numbers again and It's accepted no problem. Believe it or not my Simmer Style board bag actually has "SURFBOARD" printed in big letter on both side for this specific reason. After speaking with some seasoned travellers this is the done thing to get their boards on the plane. The plane and baggage are sorted and I'm ready to fly, Next stop Lima.


Upon arrival in Lima...


Ok once in Lima the next step is to get to Pacasmayo, There's 2 options for me, Fly or take the bus. Due to my plane getting into Lima at 6:40pm I've opted for the overnight coach trip, It's around 10 hours journey from Lima to Pacasmayo. Apparently if you get in early in the day the domestic flight is a good option but from what I've read there's a possible chance your gear could get delayed till the following day.

After much reading it's quite evident that Lima can be a dangerous place and it's best to be careful, I've been advised to organise all transfers within the airport and ensure I use only official services so I don't ripped off by potential scammers. Apparently extortion and luggage theft it quite rampant across the city. I've been advised the airport is the best place to grab your phone sim (Telstra doesn't have a supporting network in Peru) and your local currency from an ATM or currency exchange. Speaking of currency they use both US and SOL (local) currency in Peru, Both are widely accepted. US dollars are generally used for high value transaction like hotel bills, I've been requested to pay in US fund for my stay. At the grocery store or restaurants you may have the option to pay in either, If you pay in US$ the change will usually be given back in SOL. Another thing to watch is the local currency, Widely counterfeited from what I've read. Also you must be aware that ripped or damaged notes will be rejected, Be sure you don't receive damaged currency in your change as you'll be stuck with it. Onto the bus, I know what your thinking...He'll be sharing bus with lamas, chickens and maybe a pig with 100 villagers hanging from the roof. No...far from it, I'v booked a ticket with Excluciva which was recommended by Jamie from El Faro. It a 2 story coach with toilets, Entertainment, Meals and wi-fi, I've booked a second story seat at a cost of $50 that reclines to 180 degrees. I should be well rested and be ready to sail when I arrive the next day.

What your thinking the bus will be like...


The bus actually looks good enough to me...





Good Morning Pacasmayo.


I'm staying at the El Faro Adventure Resort, I've spoken with the owner Jamie extensively in my lead up to now. He has been nothing short of amazing with his help and hospitality and I'v not even got there yet. It's not a 5 star resort but has all that you would need for this sort of adventure and suits my style perfectly.


At El Faro Hotel they have 25 rooms with ocean view and they listed facilities include the following:
Hot Water
Cable
WiFi
Refrigerator
New Clean Beds



Other Facilities include:
Pool Restaurant
Bar/Lounge
Ping-Pong
Foosball
kids playground
Wind and Waves

The rates listed on the website (in US$) are as follows but depending on your length of stay and negotiation skills (There's also a reduced rate for IWT competitors) a much better rate can be obtained, Breakfast is included daily.

Low season: July to December 20 - 2017
Simple $60.00
Double or Twin $100.00
Triple $130.00
Bungalow for 4 People $160.00
Bungalow for 5 People $190.00
Additional Bed $40.00


For my 5 weeks stay it's setting me back $1430US ($1803AUS) or around $46US ($58AUS) per night and that's for a private bungalow. Be aware when the IWT is on it's only available to competitors and everyone will be sharing rooms due to the limited rooms available.

As far as meals go, The breakfast is free daily and there is a restaurant with an extensive menu that looks quite appetising. In town obviously there are local restaurants to explore, Apparently I need to find a local restaurant that does awesome Mexican as it comes highly recommended.

Here's the menu from the resort restaurant.Some stuff may be lost in translation.

TACU TACUS
TACU TACU WITH LOMO SALTADO
Combination of rice and beans atamalados and gratinado, covered with the classic lomo saltado

TACU TACU WITH SEAFOOD
Combination of beans and rice banadas in seafood sauce gratin with pamesano cheese

TACU TACU WITH SABANA
Combination of rice and beans atamalado and au gratin accompanied with egg plantain and steak caught

PASTA
SPAGHETTI WITH SEAFOOD SAUCE
Spaghetti in marinara sauce to tomatada to the estragon with mixture of seafood

SPAGHETTI WITH LOMO SALTADO
Spaghetti prepared with pieces of thin spine saut?ed with marinated onion and tomato

SPAGHETTI ALA BOLONESA
Spaghetti in marinara sauce with tomatada to tarragon and beef

SPAGUETTI ALA HUANCAINA
Spaghetti prepared with chunks of thin spine in a Peruvian homemade Huancaina sauce

SPAGUETTI ALO ALFREDO
Spaghetti in white sauce accompanied with English jamon and Parmesan cheese

CHEESE
TEQUINS
Fried, cheese-filled wantan dough accompanied by their traditional guacamole sauce

SEAFOOD TEQUENOS
Dough of wantan fried and stuffed with saut?ed seafood accompanied by his golf sauce

ENROLLED
SPRING Stuffed tantan mass of meat and saut?ed Chinese vegetables served with classic oriental sauce

HOT INPUTS
FISH CRACKLINGS
Fish pieces of breaded and fried fresh fish accompanied with fried yucca and tartara sauce

CHICHARRON DE MARISCOS
Mixture of flaked and fried seafood and fish accompanied by yucca and tartara sauce

CHICHARRON OF CHICKEN
Breaded and fried chicken pieces accompanied by fried yucca and tartara sauce or golf

MIXED JELLY LANGOSTINO AL AJILLO
Prawns in butter sauce flavoured with yellow aji accompanied by fried yucca

BROCHETAS DE LOMO
Tasty pieces of loin with strips of onions and peppers garnished with potatoes stuffed with cheese

COLD INPUTS
CEVICHE
Marinated fish dice with lemon juice and its touch of aji norteno with sweet potatoes and corn Fish Sole Dish Fish Sole

CEVICHE MIXTO
Dice of fish and shellfish mixture marinated in lemon juice garnished with sweet potatoes, corn and chilli Mixed Mixed with sole Mixed Source Mixed with sole

TIRADITO TO FARO
Fine slices of fish marinated in lemon juice and fine olive oil and a touch of garlic Sole fish

TIRADITO AL AJI YARILLO
Fine slices of fresh fish banado with a soft yellow aji cream garnished with corn and sweet potatoes Sole fish

TIRADITO TO TWO AJIES
Fine slices of fresh fish banado in two cream of rocoto and yellow aji accompanied with corn and Sweet potato sole

OLIVE OIL
Slices of octopus baked in a delicious black olive cream, accompanied with biscuits

LANGOSTINO
FILLED CAUSE
Thin yellow potato dough flavoured with yellow aji and lemon juice stuffed with fresh prawns and fresh avocado slices with golf sauce

COCKTAIL OF LANGOSTINO
Fresh prawns accompanied with strokes of avocado baked in a delicious golf sauce

FISH AND SHELLFISH ALO MACHO FISH
Grilled fish fillet covered with a classic garnish of seafood accompanied by rice Sole

CROPPING GARLIC FISH
Golden fish fillet in butter topped with crispy garlic scales, accompanied by fried yucca Sole

SWETY FISH
Marinated fish fillet in juicy, tomato onion, yellow pepper accompanied by steamed cassava Sole

ALA MENIERE FISH
Grilled fish fillet baked in butter sauce, lemon, English sauce and capers with potatoes Sole with garlic and rice Sole

BREADED FISH
Breaded fish fillet with fries and rice Sole

ALA CHORRILLANA FISH
Fillet of fried fish garnished with marinated tomatoes, chives, yellow aji, onion, garlic, saut?ed with rice and fried yucca Sole

RICE WITH SEAFOODS FARO
Grated norteno rice prepared with fresh fish and seafood according to the recipe of the house

RICE WITH SEAFOOD
Traditional dish made of norteno rice grated with fresh seafood according to the recipe of the house

CHAUFA RICE WITH SEAFOOD
Grated norteno rice prepared in the oriental style with mixed seafood

MEATS
LOMO IN PEPPER SAUCE
Grilled tenderloin steak grilled with a pepper sauce with rice and golden potatoes

LOMO SALTADO
Traditional Peruvian dish made with pieces of loin saut?ed in juicy marinated tomato and onion accompanied by French fries and rice

LOMO TO THE TWO AJIES Fillet of thin loin grilled with an exquisite cream of rocoto and yellow aji, accompanied by golden potatoes and rice

LOMO ALA IRON WITH SALAD
Grilled tenderloin steak with a fresh salad or French fries

BIRDS FARMHOUSE CHICKEN
Fillet of chicken breast stuffed with spinach and shrimp washed with a delicious curry sauce accompanied by golden potatoes and rice

CHICKEN MILANEZA
Selected breaded chicken breast, served with crispy potato chips and rice

SALTED CHICKEN
Traditional Peruvian dish made with chunks of chicken in a juicy marinated tomato and onion accompanied by French fries and rice

CHAUFA CHICKEN RICE
Oriental rice grilled and prepared in the oriental style with chicken pieces

CHICKEN CHICKEN ALA PLANCHA
Grilled chicken breast fillet with fresh salad or French fries

SOUPS
CHICKEN DIET
Consume prepared chicken style lighthouse

SOUP CRIOLLA
Beef broth cut into pieces with potatoes, milk and noodles with poached egg




So everything looks set...Ill give you a full rundown on the accommodation, Drink and the food situation when I arrive but it all looks sweet.

So for those that are interested in costs so far here's a quick tally to date...

Vaccinations $300
Return Flights $1400
Seat upgrade $360
Heavy Bag $75
Bus Ticket $50
Accomidation $1800

So that's a total of $3985 to get to Pacasmayo Peru, basically $114 per day. The mini bar bill could work out more expensive...Just kidding...Or maybe not.

I've included a list of some average cost for basic items and services within Peru just incase your interested in the cost of living all in $AUS. I'm not sure how much I will spend on day to day expenses but I'm sure it couldn't be more then $20-$30 bringing the total cost of the trip to around to approximately $134-$144 per day. I'll give you an idea of day to day expenses when I actually get there.

General cost of living in Peru...

Restaurants
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 3.89 A$
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course 23.34 A$
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) 5.84 A$
Domestic Beer (0.5 litre draught) 2.33 A$
Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle) 3.11 A$
Cappuccino (regular) 3.01 A$
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle) 0.87 A$
Water (0.33 litre bottle) 0.53 A$

Markets
Milk (regular), (1 litre) 1.56 A$
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 2.11 A$
Rice (white), (1kg) 1.30 A$
Eggs (12) 2.03 A$
Local Cheese (1kg) 8.18 A$
Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) 6.26 A$
Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) 9.35 A$
Apples (1kg) 1.83 A$
Banana (1kg) 1.20 A$
Oranges (1kg) 1.28 A$
Tomato (1kg) 1.32 A$
Potato (1kg) 0.96 A$
Onion (1kg) 0.97 A$
Lettuce (1 head) 0.77 A$
Water (1.5 litre bottle) 0.96 A$
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 9.53 A$
Domestic Beer (0.5 litre bottle) 1.71 A$
Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle) 2.62 A$
Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro) 3.31 A$

Transportation
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 0.58 A$
Monthly Pass (Regular Price) 38.90 A$
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 1.95 A$
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) 1.94 A$
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 9.73 A$
Gasoline (1 liter) 1.37 A$
1.13-1.56 Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW (Or Equivalent New Car) 19,451.08 A$
Toyota Corolla 1.6l 97kW (Or Equivalent New Car) 24,726.59 A$

Utilities (Monthly)
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment 59.48 A$
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) 0.17 A$
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 55.79 A$

Sports And Leisure
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult 59.16 A$
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) 13.49 A$
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat 6.42 A$

Childcare
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Private, Monthly for 1 Child 212.99 A$
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child 10,542.49 A$

Clothing And Shoes
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) 58.01 A$
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) 55.34 A$
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 95.96 A$
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes 88.79 A$

Rent Per Month
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 580.82 A$
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 380.84 A$
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 1,077.33 A$
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 713.51 A$

Buy Apartment Price
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre 2,437.76 A$
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 1,594.64 A$

Salaries And Financing
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 541.14 A$
Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly 10.86


I think that's all the basics and upfront costs, Next post I'll cover my choice of kit and how to squeeze the most out of a baggage allowance.Then it's time to fly.

f**k you're organised. I used to live in the UK - 6 years in total - and when I moved back to aus I sold everything except windsurfing gear and went via Oman. I had 5 weeks there with nothing but a 4Wd booked and slept in a tent on the beach. best trip of my life and best most constant conditions I've ever experienced
Don't over plan, just go with the flow man

It's actually guinea pig.
Yummy!

Exactly the same colours as the pet guinea pig I had when I was 5, it was called Malcolm