Joining the Club in South America

Independent adventurers heading for Peru’s Inca Trail and the mysterious mountain ruins of Machu Picchu can now find more support and information. Recently the South American Explorers Club (SAEC) opened a clubhouse in Cuzco, the gateway for the three- to five-day hike or four-hour bus/rail trip to Machu Picchu.

The new Cusco Clubhouse is located at 930 Avenida del Sol (postal address: Apartado 500, Cuzco, Peru; e-mail saec@wayna.rcp.net.pe.). Members can drop in for a cup of coffee, use the library, exchange books, read trip reports, store luggage (for up to a year) and get information and recommendations on services in the area. The SAEC reports that this is a popular spot for travelers who want to meet up with others for hikes together.

The South American Explorers Club, based in Ithaca, N.Y., has been helping independent travelers discover Latin America since 1977. It provides information for planning South American adventures and “home bases” that members can use in Lima and Cuzco, Peru, and Quito, Ecuador.

Any traveler can visit the Club’s Internet site at https://www.samexplo.org for free information, to post messages on its bulletin board and to read “Trip Reports” and “Warnings” by clubhouse staff and travelers.

A current posting tells of a traveler who received counterfeit bills from an ATM at a bank in Lima. He offers a variety of suggestions on how other travelers can avoid currency problems, including: Never change money on the street; never accept torn or taped bills; and use an ATM only during banking hours so that you can report any problem immediately.

“Trip Reports” covers travelers’ experiences, from finding good air fares and accommodation recommendations to travel conditions, hiking, mountaineering and kayaking equipment, permits, guides, volunteer opportunities and language schools. The reports are also available at the clubhouses in Peru and Ecuador.

Both members and nonmembers can order destination information packets. They average 16 to 20 pages and are continually updated.

For example, the Cuzco and Machu Picchu packet costs $4.50 for members ($6.50 nonmembers) and can be sent by mail or e-mail. Information includes weather (Peru’s rainy season stretches from November to May): “Typically, Cuzco and Machu Picchu receive heavy afternoon thundershowers throughout this period, although extended periods of drier weather can occur.” And hiking: “We recommend hiking the Inca Trail with a guide, especially if you are alone or inexperienced in backpacking. Most tour companies have their offices on the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco, and can usually be booked with as little as one-day advance notice. Low end prices are about $60, high end up to $400.”

SAEC also warns on its Internet site: “Cheaper isn’t necessarily better. . . . We don’t recommend using one of the cut-rate companies. Low overhead usually translates to bad guides, degradation of the Inca Trail, and poorly paid, often abused, porters.”

Information packets are also available for driving, bicycling and volunteer opportunities in South America.

SAEC membership is $40, or $70 per couple. Members receive a 65-page quarterly magazine, are eligible for discounted travel books and maps, and can use the three clubhouses in South America.

The Lima Clubhouse was founded in 1977 and is located at Avenida Portugal 146, Brena Casilla 3714, Lima 100, Peru; telephone/fax 011-51-14-250142, e-mail montague@amauta.rcp.net.pe. There is a small charge for members to use the e-mail services. The Quito Clubhouse is at Jorge Washington 311 y Leonidas Plaza. Mailing address: Apartado 17-21-431, Eloy Alfaro, Quito, Ecuador; tel./fax 011-593-2-225-228, e-mail explorer@saec.org.ec. This location offers all members free e-mail.

For membership information, visit the South American Explorers Club Internet site or contact them at 126 Indian Creek Road, Ithaca, NY 14850; tel. (800) 274-0568, fax (607) 277-6122, e-mail explorer@samexplo.org.

It’s worth noting that a reader who recommended SAEC found one drawback: When he arrived in Quito, he discovered the club wasn’t open on the weekend.