Exploring Spirit Retreat Registration Peru, 5/3-5/12, 2012 Send this completed registration, signed liability form and check or money order made out to Jamie Durner to: Jamie Durner, 1320 Poplar Ridge Ct, Brookfield, WI 53045. You can also pay with a credit card but there is a 3% fee to do so. Call me @ 262-389-5835 if you would like to do this option. Name (as listed on your passport) ________________________________________________ Passport Number & Country of Issue: _______________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ Phone Numbers (home and cell) _____________________________________ Email __________________________________________________________ Assessment of health & special health needs_______________________________________________ Birth Date: _________________________________ RETREAT FEE SCHEDULE
• Due to the date, all moneys are due with registration and are non-refundable.
• Retreat fees are based on double occupancy. Traveling with single accommodations has an up-
CIRCLE YOUR SELECTIONS *prices may change based on unexpected changes in cost of tourist sites and outfitter costs.
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If you would like to share a room and would like to be matched with a roommate, circle on this area and we will do our best to find a roommate for you.
PLANNING AHEAD: A valid passport is required. Travel Insurance not required but strongly recommended.
For other details, see the attached Peru Travel Tips document.
This is a fully guided trip but all tours, yoga sessions, and hikes at the sites are optional. While this is an active trip, it is designed for the person of average health. There will, however, be some walking and travel between sites. Listen to your body and take care of yourself as appropriate.
Jamie will be flying with a group out of Chicago on Continental Airlines. Contact Jamie for flight information. All group members are expected to be in Lima by 9 pm on May 3rd at which time the tour will officially begin with transportation to our hotel. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
These paragraphs define our responsibility with respect to our retreats and contracted services. Please read carefully. Your signature below represents acceptance of the following terms and conditions.
I will not hold Jamie Durner liable for loss or damage to baggage or property or for personal injury or death resulting from acts, omissions, or negligence of any provider of services or accommodations or due to other causes beyond the control of Jamie Durner, or for loss or additional expenses or inconvenience resulting from acts of omissions of any carrier or any other supplier of services or facilities, or delays, cancellations, re-routings and any other action caused by weather, political disturbances, strikes, lockouts, riots, war, terrorist actions, or any other reason. Jamie Durner, may in agreement with our local guide Juan del Cielo, cancel or change the schedule of all or any part of any program or extension if it considers such action to be in the general interest of participants of their safety, and I waive all claims against Jamie Durner arising from such actions or decisions. All prices quoted are valid at the time of publication and every effort is made to honor the original pricing; extraordinary circumstances may warrant revisions and Jamie Durner reserves the right to revise final pricing when necessary.
I undertake the following obligations. To declare any known illnesses or pre-existing health conditions and to seek medical assurance that it is safe to partake in a journey of this nature; To sign this legal waiver prior to the commencement of services contracted; To accurately and completely furnish any personal information requested by Jamie Durner for the purposes of organizing tour services; To carefully review all information furnished about the requested journey; To properly equip myself for the journey; To respect the customs of areas visited and to refrain from antisocial conduct during the trip; To follow environmental guidelines and regulations while on the trip in accordance with direction from the guide; To always respect the rights and privacy of other participants. Jamie Durner has the right to ask a participant to leave the tour or disallow said person from attending specific segments of the tour if she deems participation to be potentially detrimental to the group or to the individual participant.
I, the undersigned, will not hold Jamie Durner responsible for any losses or expenses incurred resulting from cancellation of my trip, accident, sickness, stolen or damaged baggage, or any default of a common carrier.
Signature: ____________________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________
Travel Tips for Peru
TIME ZONE The hour in Peru is the same as Eastern Standard Time in the United States. WEATHER There are three distinct geographical regions in Peru. Generally speaking, the weather varies greatly in these regions. The three regions are the mountain highlands which include Cusco and Lake Titicaca, the coastal region which includes Lima, Nasca, and Arequipa, and the Amazon jungle. In the mountain highlands, the sun shines all year round during the morning but the temperature starts to get colder at night, usually averaging in the low forties at night and warmer during the day. The dry season, which is characterized by dry days and cold dry nights, is from mid-April to October. CURRENCY Peru’s official currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.), divided in 100 cents. There are 5,10,20 and 50 cents coins and S/. 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 banknotes. To know the current rate of exchange, visit www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtml. US dollars are welcome at most shops, restaurant and service stations at the current exchange rate. Most establishments accept the main credit cards, including Visa, Master Card, Diners and American Express. The use of traveler’s checks may be restricted. When using a credit card, make sure you are charged the right amount for your purchase. Visa is the most widely accepted card in Peru. Travellers' cheques Still the safest way to travel with large amounts of money. By far the best and most easily changed are American Express, although Thomas Cook, Citibank, and Visa are usually fairly easy to change in the major cities. To make replacement quicker in case of theft, keep a record of cheque numbers and the original bill of sale in a safe place. Even with proper records, replacement may not always be as quick as the companies promise. In Peru you will find that the exchange rate for travellers' cheques is 1.5% to 2% lower than for cash - a small price to pay for the added security. Cash For smaller villages and towns, travellers' cheques may be hard to cash or the rate of exchange is ridiculously poor. For these places bring along cash US dollars. Make sure that the notes that you bring from home or accept are in excellent condition. Even the slightest rip will make exchange almost impossible. Try to get the new style dollars with watermarks and the metallic strip embedded in the note as you're less likely to end up with a counterfeit note. Direct debit cards By far the best way to withdraw money from an ATM is by using a direct-debit card such as Visa. On withdrawal, the money is immediately deducted from your bank account and no interest is charged so long as you have sufficient funds back home. The exchange rate is excellent. You may find, however, that like credit cards you may be limited to the amount that you can withdraw each day and if you sit on your card and break it you may be in big trouble! Casas de Cambio These 'exchange houses' can be found in just about any town or city on the tourist circuit. They're often open all day and late into the night, are rarely crowded and the exchange rate is nearly always better than the banks. These items are NOT included in the package price so plan accordingly: flight from the US to Lima, Peru, airport exit and entrance taxes (see below),dinners, lunches and snacks, and the tip to Juan, the guide for our entire tour. Spa services at any of the lodging facilities. Also, for the Shaman ceremony, "grandfather participates on a donation basis; please consider factoring in a donation from your heart". Optional gifts to the children of the village. DEPARTURE TAX At all airports, passengers must pay a departure tax: $30.25 for international flights and about $5.00 for domestic flights. Tax must be paid in cash before boarding. An arrival fee of $15.00 is required for passengers arriving to Peru. FOR YOUR SAFETY While touring or shopping leave your passport and the bulk of your money in the hotel’s safebox. Only take with you the money you intend to spend. Take a copy of the picture page of your passport to carry in your wallet you may need to exchange traveler’s checks or in case your passport is lost. Do not change money with street changers. HEALTH Visitors should drink only bottled water, which is widely available. Do not drink tap water, even in major hotels. Agua con gas is carbonated; agua sin gas is plain. You are safer eating fruits you can peel. Avoid eating from street vendors. Vaccinations: Routine vaccination updates are recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots such as, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc. There is no malaria in highland tourist areas (Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca). Although yellow fever is a recommended vaccination, travelers who are limiting travel to the cities of Cuzco and Machu Picchu do NOT need vaccination. Also the peak of the season is in February and March; our travel in May has a low exposure rate. ALTITUDE SICKNESS If you are planning to visit cities 8200 feet above sea level, like Cuzco (11,000 ft) or Lake Titicaca (13,000 ft), shortness of breath and heart pounding are normal, given the scarcity of oxygen. Some people may experience headache, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue and nausea. Most symptoms develop the first day at high altitude, though, occasionally, travelers have delayed reactions. The best advice is to rest on your first day in the highlands. Drink plenty of liquids, including the local remedy: mate de coca or coca - leaf tea (It’s perfectly legal). Avoid alcohol and heavy food intake. You can avoid altitude sickness taking 500 mg a day of acetazolamide (Diamox) taken 24 hours before departure and continued up to 48 hours after arrival to these cities. Acetazolamide should not be given to persons allergic to sulfa drugs. TOILETS Public toilets are rarely available except in railway stations, restaurants, bars cafes. Public restrooms are labeled WC (water closet), Damas (Ladies) and Caballeros or Hombres (Men). Toilet paper is not always provided so you should carry this item. All establishments, including the best hotels, request that travelers throw it in the wastebasket rather that the toilet, to avoid clogging. SHOPPING Peru is one of the top shopping destinations in Latin American, with some of the finest and best - priced crafts anywhere. Most shops, malls and handicrafts markets are open every day (including holidays) from 10am to 8 pm. Bargaining for prices is acceptable in most establishments. Jamie Durner PROHIBITIONS Photographing airports, military bases, the surroundings or high tension electric towers and police stations is forbidden. In some churches and museums it is forbidden to take photographs or make video recordings. Ask beforehand. INTERNET ACCESS Public internet booths or cabinas are widely available in major cities throughout Peru, but few are of the cybercafe variety. Most are simple cubicles with terminals. The average cost for 1 hour is less than $ 1. Many cabinas now feature software to make very inexpensive international phone calls via the internet. WHAT TO PACK Consider the fall-like weather of warmer days and cooler nights as you pack. There are no plans to do anything fancy but one nice outfit might be appropriate. Otherwise, plan for active days with layering. The following items are suggestions and the list isn’t meant to be comprehensive.
• Active clothes that can be layered. Wicking clothing might be helpful. • Good walking shoes. • Long underwear if you get cold at night. • Flip flops and sturdy sandals. • Rain coat, fleece and possible parka shell. • Hat, mittens (or buy wool ones there!). • Sun screen, lip balm with sunscreen, sun glasses • Day backpack. • Camera with supplies. • Journal.
Javier Aguilar, MD, Varinia Urday-Cornejo, MD, Susan Donabedian, MPH, Mary Perri, MT,Robert Tibbetts, PhD, and Marcus Zervos, MDAbstract: Staphylococcus aureus meningitis is a challenging diseaseAbbreviations: agr = accessory gene regulator, CA-MRSA =and little is known about its epidemiology. There are no establishedcommunity-associated MRSA, CNS = central nervous system,management guidelin
Ch. Himmelberger: Als Assistenzarzt im NRH, ein Zwischenbericht nach 7 Monaten Als Assistenzarzt im NRH, ein Zwischenbericht nach 7 Monatenvon Christian Himmelberger (Portrait: H. Oberli)Nach 7 Monaten als orthopädischer Assistenzarzt im National ReferralHospital (NRH) möchte ich meine Eindrücke publik machen. Das NRH befindet sich in Honiara, der Hauptstadt von Guadalcanal,welches wiederu