My trip to Peru turned into a lesson in trust.
Before leaving Vancouver with a girlfriend, I was warned repeatedly to watch out for scams and pickpockets. We had our must-see list - Machu Picchu, Uros Island in Lake Titicaca - but no set itinerary. After all, do-it-yourself travel is the best way to save money and find adventure.
Four connecting flights and 22 hours later, we arrived at our small, homely hotel in Cuzco, a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley (or Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain range. We were greeted by the manager with a cup of warm coca tea and were introduced to Frances, a local travel agent in her late 20s.
"Where do you go in Peru?" she asked.
We told her our rough route and that we were open to suggestions. Frances drew up a plan, complete with day tours, train tickets and hotel rooms. The cost: $500.
Tired and woozy from Cuzco's high altitude, we took the deal. Frances produced a hand-written receipt for us, listing the train tickets, day tours and hotels. We gave her $500 in cash. Yes, cash.
We were not dealing with a big tour company with a refund policy and detailed terms and conditions. There were no brochures, no registration forms, no guarantees - only a smile and a cellphone number.
"So you will bring the tickets and vouchers to the hotel?" we asked.
"I promise," said Frances.
Had we just been scammed? The tickets for the next day's city tour arrived that evening. So far so good. However, the next day we were leaving the hotel to go to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. We expected the tickets to be at the front desk the night before, but there was nothing. We checked back two hours later, still nothing.
Nervous, we called Frances. She calmly answered, "I'll be at the hotel in the morning to take you to the Sacred Valley tour meet-up point."
The next morning we were eagerly waiting for Frances to arrive. She bounced into the hotel with our ticket vouchers in hand. Well, not all the tickets. She still owed us the remaining leg of our tour - the bus ticket to Puno, the Lake Titicaca tour and the hotel vouchers. She omitted bringing just enough to make me worry about the last half of our trip.
We returned to Cuzco after admiring Inca ruins for two days. Again, we expected the tour vouchers to be at the hotel front desk that evening. But there was nothing - no messages, no tickets. So, even though she had not failed us so far, we anxiously called Frances again.
She simply stated that she would meet us at the hotel at 7 a.m. the next morning. And promptly at 7 a.m., she picked us up in her car with her husband and baby in tow to take us to the bus station.
I had wanted to organize the trip myself to hunt for the best deals. Organizing it myself also meant I had control. During the trip, I kept wondering if the hotel would honour our vouchers and if the train would accept our reservations.
Not only were the vouchers accepted, but a guide was waiting for us at every bus and train station to transport us to our hotel. Our trip was hassle-free, really, except for the anxieties I created for myself. Frances gave us everything promised on that precious handwritten receipt.
In the end, having a local travel agent plan the trip for me was the best possible deal. Thanks to connections with local tourism operators, Frances saved us both time and money.
It would have been an even better deal if I had learned to trust her from the beginning.
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