Remember Porters When Hiking Machu Picchu
From Emily Doyle, a reader: I just had a read through your very informative article concerning the Inca Trail. I was just wondering whether you thought it would be worth adding a few warnings to the piece? The plight of the Inca Trail porters is now a well known human rights issue and it is very important to have tourists' awareness raised as to how to trek responsibly.

Many of the porters suffer from malnutrition, very poor wages and a life expectancy of 37. Although government regulations have been slowly introduced to regulate the weight they carry, they have only begun to feel the effects this year. It is very important to investigate the tour agency you use—often you hear good things by word of mouth. I used SAS travel in Cusco, having been recommended by a friend, and they turned out to be the most ethical of all local tour operators. You can also visit www.tourismconcern.org.uk.

From Amy Loftsgordon, writer of the article: Yes, historically porters have been treated poorly by some of the trekking companies. Fortunately, new regulations are being implemented to attempt to rectify human rights violations. For example, as of 2001, only licensed operators are permitted to operate tours along the trail. A maximum of 20 kg. has also been placed on the loads that porters can carry, and all porters now have to have their packs weighed by government officials before starting the trek.

Additionally, travelers can ensure that porters receive a fair wage by giving them decent tips for the amount of work done. Moreover, it is imperative to investigate the tour agency you use and talk to other travelers about their experiences to determine those trekking companies which are ethical in regards to their treatment of porters.

Go Sister Cities
Living in Phoenix and don’t speak a word of Japanese? Then teaching in Himeji, Japan may be your ticket out. The Phoenix Sister Cities Commission in cooperation with the city of Himeji is seeking English teachers for the school year of September 2004 to August 2005. No teaching certification is required. To request an application, call Sara Elgin at (602) 534-3751 or e-mail her at sara.elgin@phoenix.gov. For more information, please see www.phoenixsistercities.org. Deadline: February 27, 2004.

123 Chile
If you’re on your way to Chile and you need a cheap place to stay, check out the newly-launched 123 Chile website at www.123chileonline.com. The search engine is quick and you can easily book your first night’s stay online. Maybe next time you get on the plane to Chile, you’ll actually know where you’re going to sleep that night.

 

Airhitch
Hitch-hiking of the sky, Airhitch allows the traveler with flexible dates to get on a flight close to their final destination at a fraction of the cost. Set up by student travelers in the late sixties to help themselves and their fellow students get back and forth across the Atlantic between the US and Europe during university vacation, the company takes advantage of last-minute empty seats and offers one-way US/Europe fares starting at $165 from the East Coast.

It’s great if you live near a major air hub, not so good if you live in the Midwest or a smaller US city—as one of the staffers found when he was trying to get to Phoenix from Paris. The company also has Airhitch-Hawaii, Sunhitch for Mexico/US flights, and Target Flights for those who are willing to pay for more certainty. www.airhitch.org.

L’Arche: Volunteer Opportunities Throughout the World
Meaning, “The Ark,” in French, L’arche is an organization that creates caring home communities for developmentally-disabled adults. Although concentrated in France, there are L’Arche homes throughout the world. One former volunteer, Steve Duncan, started his stint in northern France after rolling into a small town by bicycle looking for a place to stay. Although he’d never planned to do anything like L’Arche, his time cooking with (not for), working with, and spending time with the residents and other volunteers was the best-spent in his life. www.larche.org.

One Meal in Bangkok
The best advice comes from travelers, right? Well, if you ever find yourself suffering from food poisoning in Bangkok, follow the advice of Josh Krist (InsideOut Travel’s publisher) and walk to Lumpoo Polyclinic at 58 Th Samsen. A friendly English-speaking doctor will examine you and give you medicine for approximately $8 and you’ll quickly forget that not-so-fresh pad thai shrimp from that restaurant near Khao-san road. You can reach the clinic at 02281-2922. Here’s another tip for you, when you walk in, don’t look at the posters on the walls.

Become a Star in India
Bollywood fans, here’s your chance to show India what you’ve got. Kaleidoscope Entertainment, a Mumbai-based production company is looking for people from Feb. to April 2004, to work as extras on the film “The Rising” set in 1857 with an all-star Indian and British cast that will be internationally released.

All expenses are paid—that includes travel, accommodation, meals and pocket money (500 INR per day). Must be between 18 and 50 years old. If interested, please send a recent photograph and your resume to Nizwar Karanj, the casting director, at
nizwar@kaleido-scope.com.

Click here for a newspaper article on the movie.