Booking all day long

Cusco is a city where you can book anything you want; and today, I had a fair bit of stuff to book. In fact, I did so much shopping around and booking today, that it took up most of my first day in Cusco. I booked a river rafting trip for tomorrow. I booked a month of Spanish lessons and homestay. And I confirmed my booking for the Salkantay hike next week.

I learnt a few things about booking today:

1. Shopping around is everything. With some things, like the river rafting, 10 different places offer the same thing, at different prices. In this case, you may as well find the cheapest deal and go with it. With other things such as school and homestay, the prices and the offerings all have various minor differences, and doing your homework really does pay off.
2. Planning and booking when you get there is the way to go (in accordance with what I learned in Mexico). I realised today that I got pretty badly ripped off on the Salkantay hike, because I booked it in Lima, instead of here in Cusco.
3. Take your time, every time. Rushing things will just get you less value and less enjoyment in the long run. Don't let people push you into deals. Scope out what's on offer, and put the money down when you're ready, not before.