Crossing the Border into Peru the More Complicated Way

According to the original plan, the border with Peru was an eight hour boat ride down the Napo River, which is close to where I’ve lived for the past two years. The new route was rather longer and more complicated, but no less interesting. Xavi and I decided to stop for a night and day in the pleasant southern Ecuadorian city of Loja (known for producing the country’s best musicians) to break the non-stop travelling. We found a cheap hotel next to the bus station and were told that buses going to a town called Zumba, close to the Peruvian border, left every night. An internet search for Zumba generally ended up with bikini-clad female fitness instructors so it was not much help. We got a good sleep that night, knowing that we may not be sleeping in a bed for the next couple of nights. The following day we roamed around Loja, stocking up on the final things we needed to buy before heading off towards Peru that same night. Xavi was wondering how he was going to change Euros to Peruvian Soles and that doubt was clarified randomly, passing in front of a shop selling material for clothes… that also exchanged Euros for Soles. Just as randomly, we bumped into the Argentinian female national football team, in Loja to compete in the Copa America tournament.

Puerta de la Ciudad, Loja

The bus to the town of Zumba left from Loja at 11.30pm. Xavi had a little howling toddler right behind him for the approximately six hour bus ride. I slept rather well, considering that the road was no longer asphalted very soon after leaving Loja. One major political slogan in Ecuador is: “We have roads, we have a nation!” It seems that Zumba and surrounding towns and villages are part of a lesser nation for the time being. It was a bumpy ride on a muddy road and at one point, in the midst of my nighttime slumber, I saw that the bus had to wait for about thirty minutes as an excavator dug into rocks that were blocking the road. We arrived in the little quiet town of Zumba at about 5.30am and waited in the chilly bus station until there was enough light outside to make our way to the border. Clouds were tucked into the green valleys around and beneath the town and the firsts rays of sunlight gave them a pink glow.

The bus station of Zumba at dawn

Misty dawn in Zumba

I half expected to see other foreigners at the bus station, on their way to cross the border at La Balsa. In the end, there was only one couple of Bulgarian backpackers at the station. The guy was asleep on a bench whilst the girl was busy writing away at a small laptop. That was it. Apparently, this isolated border crossing isn’t frequently used by travellers. The Bulgarian girl told us that a ‘chiva’ (a little open bus with wooden seats) was due to leave for the border at about 8am so we waited till then. By the time the chiva arrived, we were joined by a fifth foreigner – a twenty-something American guy who was hitchhiking his way to Lima.

The chiva from Zumba to the border with Peru at La Balsa

The Bulgarian couple, Tery and Ivan (both in their early 30s), turned out to be on a rather astonishing journey and put our own travel into a much lesser perspective. They had left Bulgaria about 11 months ago, hitchhiking to Italy before finding a really cheap last-minute ride on a cruise ship heading from Civitavecchia to the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. From there, it took them ages to find free rides on boats around the Caribbean until they got lucky and found a captain who took them to several islands in the region. They seemed to like Dominica best for its nature and hiking possibilities. They eventually found their way to mainland South America and hit the road. The Bulgarians never sleep in hotels and rarely catch buses (choosing to hitchhike instead) in order to keep their expenditure extremely low and be able to travel for as much as they can. They apparently boost their budget with some online writing work but need very little to keep on going, spending an average of about 60 USD per month. They almost never have to pay for accommodation or transport and eat very cheaply. This kind of travelling indeed keeps the costs low and the adventure levels high, allowing people with very little money to travel to countries they would otherwise have only seen in the dreams. Indeed, for this kind of travel, you need very little money but plenty of courage, a good physical condition and lots and lots of time (hitchhiking is a time-consuming affair).

I used to travel this way myself a few years ago, sleeping anywhere I could find – including random fields, bus stations and abandoned buildings – hitchhiking and living on bread and mustard. I then started working in human rights and realized that I didn’t want to be away from my profession for too long. Long ago, whilst crossing the Baltic Sea on a cargo ship, I had read a phrase in a book which stated that there is nothing more futile than adventure for the mere sake of it. Whilst I can think of many things more futile, since adventures make people dream and feel excited about life, I did agree that I wanted to do something more with my life than simply roam around the world aimlessly. Nevertheless, I do feel a lot of admiration (and yes, also a pang of jealously) for the Bulgarians and the crazy and free travel they were on.

The bendy, muddy road to the border - too close to big drops for comfort

The view along the road to the border (a part of the bendy road can be seen in the distance)

The chiva ride was a rare event for the Bulgarians. They had tried to hitch a ride from passing cars the day before - but the winding unpaved road to the border at La Balsa has little traffic and they had no luck. On the morning we met them, they had decided to spend a little on this (very cheap) chiva ride, which was a lucky happening for me since I love meeting people like Tery and Ivan – they fill me with hope that people can break from the chains of routine and really seek for true freedom. Tery told me that, a few years ago, she had already hitchhiked on her own all across Africa for about eight months. I didn’t have the opportunity to ask her much about that travel, though I really would like to know if she was crazy enough to have passed through countries in turmoil such as Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Meeting people like Tery is dangerous for me … they give me ideas! After all, the idea of crossing the Amazon by boat came from a conversation with an Ecuadorian friend, Juan Carlos, who had completed a similar journey himself. Tery writes a blog in Bulgarian – I might need to learn the language just to read it, or simply limit myself to seeing the photos… thankfully there are also some parts translated into English: http://teryrobin.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html )

The chiva ride to the border took about one and a half hours, passing along a muddy, unpaved road close to a few unnerving drops. The views are quite spectacular as the chiva descends towards the valley that acts as a border between Ecuador and Peru. A dog was rescued along the way and literally thrown onto the roof of the chiva to be taken to the closest town. He was not amused, nor did he think he needed rescuing, and spent the rest of the bumpy ride yelping from the roof. It surprises me how badly animals are treated in this part of the world, whether chickens kept in horrible small boxes, animals macheted to death for their meat, or rescued dogs thrown onto and off roofs of chivas…

This dog probabely would have prefered not to have been 'rescued'!

The border formalities were rather simple, getting an exit stamp on the Ecuadorian side of the border, crossing a bridge over the Canchis River and entering into Peru. The border officials in Peru were very friendly but one guy was concerned that I may have the Ebola virus since I had an Egyptian visa from 2009 on my passport (hence I was “coming from Africa”). The official seemed rather excited about something out of the routine along this sleepy border! After I convinced him that I was not infected with Ebola and had been living in Ecuador for the past two years, he let me through and gave me a 30 day visa. From there, we had to get to the closest town called San Ignacio with only two options available: catching a shared taxi or walk. The Bulgarians obviously decided to walk with their backpacks and all (bless them!), whilst Xavi and I caught the shared taxi which took over an hour to arrive to San Ignacio.

The valley at La Balsa, an isolated border between Ecuador and Peru

The Canchis River - dividing Ecuador and Peru at La Balsa

From San Ignacio, our long journey towards the jungle town of Yurimaguas continued as we had to catch a small van for another two hours to the city of Jaen (plus one extra hour waiting along the way as road works were being done). Jaen is located in a wonderful valley and is close to the Marañon River (which is considered as the mainstem source of the Amazon River) but the city itself does not seem to have been built with human comfort in mind. It’s a city full of main roads and hundreds of noisy moto-taxis zooming around, making it an ordeal to even cross the road due to the amount of moto-taxis rushing towards you. The fact that the main roads were all dug up made the city even less attractive than it already is, as if a huge earthquake had recently struck the city. We waited until night to catch another bus for the nine and a half hour journey to Tarapoto, located at the edge of the high plains just before the Amazon actually starts. That made it two nights in a row on buses, this time on a double-decker bus on a much better road.

Waiting for roadworks to be complete before continuing the journey to Jaen

 

Kids play along the road to Jaen

 

The valley close to Jaen

Jaen - seeming like the aftermath of an earthquake

Boy and pet waiting for a bus in Jaen

Tarapoto is a much more pleasant city that Jaen and we decided to stop there for a day and night in order to have another break from the non-stop travel. The noise from the moto-taxis is still unpleasant but not as bad as in Jaen. Xavi and I ate a delicious ceviche (a typical dish made from raw fish) in the restaurant belonging to a young Peruvian guy called Diego, who had lived in Spain for a while. We spent the afternoon enjoying a lovely conversation with Diego – about his experiences in Spain and his life in Tarapoto – and eating the ceviche he had prepared. The hotel we stayed at is very basic but is owned by a sweet and helpful man whose family lives upstairs and seems to watch television all day long. I’m surprised how cheap hotels can be in Peru, often costing little more than 10 USD for a double room. After enjoying a good sleep in a bed for the first time in three nights, we caught an early bus to Yurimaguas the following morning.

View of the outskirts of the town and mountains behind Tarapoto

The road descending towards the jungle has loads of bends and an amazing view. Thankfully, the road is now tarmacked and it takes only about three hours to reach Yurimaguas as opposed to the six it used to take in the past. However, the bends took their toll on several passengers and five of them (four children and one adult) ended up throwing up. The domino effect of one child vomiting after the other (some kind collective inspiration) was a surreal scene that would have its rightful place in some silly juvenile comedy… and was a rather stinky affair! In the end, it was all more or less worth it since I finally got back to the sticky heat of my beloved Amazon jungle after a long fragmented journey spanning over three days and three nights.

A man an horse walk along the bendy road to Yurimaguas

The breath-taking (and puke inducing) road to Yurimaguas - descending to the jungle

The Travel Actually Begins

 

I’ve been backpacking in a rather rough manner since the age of 19, more or less 17 years ago, and I generally backpack alone, meeting people and joining forces along the way. Nevertheless, for this much longer travel, with the Amazon River to be crossed, I asked some friends if they would be interested and available to join for at least part of the way. My Spanish friend, Xavi Diaz, whom I met whilst we were both living in the Mediterranean island of Malta (my father’s native country and my home for many years), told me that his work contract in Malta was about to end at more or less the same time as my contract in Lago Agrio. He was my first recruit - and a good one too since we had trekked quite a lot together in Malta and had also travelled to his hometown of Pamplona for the crazy San Fermin festivities. His girlfriend, Catia, will join us on 10^th October in Manaus, a large Brazilian city along the Amazon River. My own girlfriend, Sofia, is due to join us a couple of days later, also in Manaus. Both girlfriends could not join straight away due to pending work commitments.

Selfie taken by Xavi, with Sofia and me at Cuicocha - not far from Ibarra - before we set out on the actual travel

One element I do love about free-spirited travelling is that it is full of unexpected twists. The first one occurred straight away, requiring a very quick and painful decision to be made. I had always envisioned this travel to start from my very own (adopted) hometown of Lago Agrio. The idea was to head to the neighbouring town of El Coca, catch a boat to the Ecuadorian border town of Nueva Roccafuerte and cross over to Peru, arriving at Pantoja. From Pantoja, there is a cargo boat that sails down the Napo River every few weeks, arriving to the Amazon River and, finally, to the Peruvian city of Iquitos. I told my girlfriend, Sofia, that I’d see her in a few days in Lago Agrio, en route to El Coca, when I kissed her goodbye in the mountain town of Ibarra on 7^th September. The following day, I realized that the plan had to change since the Napo River was really low and the boat that we were planning to catch was not going to arrive in Pantoja for probably another two weeks, remain a few days in Pantoja before leaving, and then navigate slowly for several days down the river – taking longer than usual to arrive due to the low level of the river.

Boats along the shore of the Napo River in El Coca

The Napo River flowing through El Coca at dusk

Xavi and I need to get to Manaus, in Brazil by approximately 10^th October – almost a month away – giving us ample time to arrive without too much hurry, but not if we take three weeks just to get to the Amazon River itself. There must be another way, I thought to myself. Descending the Napo River isn’t the only way to get to the Amazon River without catching a plane (I am not fan of planes).

I was aware that Iquitos is also reachable through rivers in Peru itself and that it must be connected by regular boat transport to the rest of the country, given that it is the largest human settlement in the world not connected to the outside world by road. A quick search pointed to a jungle town called Yurimaguas in Peru, where almost daily cargo boats left for Iquitos, taking a few days to arrive. The question was: how to get there? Yurimaguas seemed to be quite a difficult town to reach from Ecuador – but not impossible. The new plan was to head down to the south of Ecuador, to the city of Loja, and then catch several different means of local transport that would eventually take us across the mountains, to the border with Peru and beyond. The roads in that part of the world apparently aren’t in the best of conditions and pass by rather high and steep drops.

The decision to take this new route was made in minutes thus changing the entire initial route. I called Sofia to tell her that I won’t be seeing her for a while. She understood that there was no option but was very sad. I was sorry not to go back to Lago Agrio to see my close friends for one final time before leaving on the travel. Nevertheless, at the same time, I felt a big sigh of relief now that the timing of the travel was in our own hands and not at the whims of a boat that may or may not turn up for weeks. Nobody ever seems to know exactly when the famous cargo boat leaves from Pantoja. Waiting for a few days to a week would have been fine – after all, backpacking doesn’t need to be clockwork precise. It is a problem, though, when the waiting time could be as long as three weeks due to the low river and other factors. Crossing the Amazon by boat is just the beginning of a much longer travel. The idea is to get to Patagonia by the end of December, during the summer period in that part of the world. This meant that three or more weeks to get to Iquitos was not an option.

Realising that we had some more time on our hands due to the change of plans, Xavi and I decided to head to the Ecuadorian coastal town of Puerto Lopez for a couple of days, hoping to spot some whales in the Pacific Ocean before the season ends. Moreover, Xavi had never swum in the Pacific Ocean so we wanted to change that. It occurred to me, when jumping into the cold waves of the ocean, that I was eventually going to arrive to the opposite coast of South America a number of weeks later, probably in Guyana or Suriname, after a very long travel across the continent.

The beach of Los Frailes, near the  fishing village of Puerto Lopez on the Pacific Ocean

Whilst in Puerto Lopez, we went out on a boat one morning and were lucky to spot a couple of humpback whales out in the ocean. Apparently they migrate as far north as Ecuador and even beyond from the area around Antarctica in order to reproduce, remaining in this part of the ocean approximately between June and the end of September. After that, they start heading back down towards Antarctica, where they have access to the food they require. I always dreamt of seeing whales playing around freely in the sea, so it was a delight to follow this couple of adult whales around by boat as they swam to the surface, flapped their fins, and occasionally jumped out of the water before splashing back into the sea. I wished to keep on following this seemingly happy couple for the whole day but the boat I was on eventually headed off, leaving these delightful companions behind.

A humpback whale playfully jumping out of the ocean

A couple of adult humpback whales whom we followed around for a while

The whale's tail

We left Puerto Lopez early in the morning of 11^th September. Leaving the coastal town, I really felt that the true travel was about to begin. Puerto Lopez was more of a relaxing two-day holiday. What was to come next was a very long journey to Peru, with several means of land transport to be caught over three or four days. We caught a four hour bus ride to the busy city of Guayaquil and almost immediately took another approximately nine hour bus ride to the southern city of Loja. We had a fishy start to the travel since our backpacks were placed in the luggage compartment of the bus next to boxes of iced fish between Puerto Lopez and Guayaquil and got soaked by the stinking melted water from the boxes. Both smelling of fish, Xavi and I decided to laugh about it, wondering what else we’ll end up smelling of by the end of our travels.

Fishing boats along the shore of Puerto Lopez

The little fish market on the beach of Puerto Lopez

Fisherman's catch - a medium-sized shark lies on the beach

Preparation for the Long Travel - Part 2 (Jungle Travel and Check List)

Travelling through the jungle requires carrying some special items. First of all, it is important to protect yourself from mosquitos. Stock up on mosquito repellent, possibly also deet spray (a very strong mosquito repellent which I’m not a fan of due to its potential effect on the skin) and make sure you have a mosquito net to cover your bed or hammock. You could spray the mosquito net with deet, thus avoiding to apply it directly onto your own skin – whilst putting other milder repellent on your skin. Another suggestion I received is to consume vitamin B tablets before heading off to mosquito-infested areas, since the obnoxious little flying creatures apparently don’t like smell you emit when consuming the vitamin. I wouldn’t use the vitamin B on its own - I would rather consume it together with the other precautions. Light clothes that cover the whole body could further help keep the mosquitos from your skin. 

Finally, I’d also get a good waterproof poncho that covers your whole body since it can rain heavily in the jungle. You could also get another one to cover your backpack. A hammock (which can be bought cheaply in the location of your travel) is needed for the long boat journeys across the Amazon, where it will be the only bed you’ll have. I imagine I’ll give the hammock away once I’m out of the jungle in order to save backpack space and weight. 

Wooden housing in the Amazon jungle

My travel partner, Xavi, bought most of what he will need from Decathlon in Spain. I jokingly tell him he should have got a sponsorship from them since he’s like a walking Decathlon advert! Nevertheless, I’m sure there are other places you can get what you need from. I managed to gather my basic belongings for this travel in Ecuador itself, where I currently live.

To put the whole preparation description into a more practical format, here is my check list of things to take with me or prepare for the travel:

1. Vaccines: check which vaccines you need for the areas you'll be visiting several weeks before leaving and make sure you take them in good time before starting your travel;
2. Your passport (valid for more than the extent of your travel) – check about entry visas in the countries you will visit;
3. Two credit cards and enough cash (hidden in different locations so as not to lose everything if you are ever robbed);
4. A money belt to keep some of your cash hidden under your clothes;
5. Basic medicines for any possible problems you may face along the way – cater for diarrhea, headaches, fever, bad stomachs (probiotics such as lactobacillus can be taken before leaving and during your travel to reduce stomach problems) and anything else you may suffer from on your travel. If travelling to a malaria-affected location such as the Amazon jungle, it would be wise to at least carry malaria prophylaxis. Consult with a doctor about actually taking them throughout your travel or not. I chose not to but I’ve been living in the Amazon for a while.
6. Water purifying tablets may be very handy if you have no access to clean bottled water. Remember that dirty water is one of your most dangerous enemies. I cannot stress how much care you need to take with water in areas where water is contaminated by parasites or man-made pollution such as petrol (sadly, there are a number of leaks from petrol exploitation in the Amazon jungle – a topic I hope to cover in a further blog);
7. Clothes: I packed enough underwear for a week (including some vests for the cold), three t-shirts, one casual shirt and one jumper. Also, a pair of jeans or comfortable trousers, a pair of tracksuit trousers, a pair of shorts and swimming trunks. A jacket is also a must for the cold season – this will be tied to my backpack when I’m not using it;
8. Shoes: A good pair of trekking shoes / boots (waterproof and comfortable) which will be on my feet most of the time and a pair of sandals / flip-flops for the beach (seawater could destroy your good walking shoes);
9. A hat that can protect your head and neck from the sun;
10. Suncream;
11. A large overall waterproof poncho to cover yourself in torrential rain;
12. A small towel;
13. Toiletries placed in a plastic bag, including a soap in a closed soap dish;
14. A sleeping bag (since I'll be travelling through cold and hot weather, I got mine to keep me warm in coldish weather – but not extremely cold weather);
15. A waterproof two-person tent made for cold and rough weather (which I expect to face in Patagonia);
16. A mosquito net (preferably treated with permethrin);
17. Mosquito repellent (both mild creams and deet spray) – you could also consume vitamin B pills as an added precaution;
18. A hammock for the Amazon boat trips – which you can buy from the jungle towns themselves, and ropes with which to tie the hammock up on either side;
19. A torch (preferably a head torch);
20. A mobile phone (including the charger and a plug-adapter);
21. A camera and accessories;
22. A book or kindle and accessories;
23. Cutlery, especially a knife (or a multipurpose knife) for eating in the rough – a tin-opener would help too. Some people who camp for a long time also take basic cooking apparatus;
24. Garbage bags and a stack of other plastic bags;
25. A good backpack that will not be overstuffed with my belongings (I would also suggest a good waterproof cover for the backpack)
26. A small bag that will be used for day excursions.

Finally, remember to share your travel route with friends or family back home, in case anything happens to you. They deserve to know where you are and this could actually save your life (remember the misfortunate and careless protagonist of the movie 127 Hours…).

I think that’s it for the preparation… everything else I don’t have and may need, I’ll buy along the way. I hope this proves to be useful for travellers wondering what to take on an Amazon or a larger South American expedition. If you’re reading this blog with this aim in mind, best of luck and enjoy what will surely be an amazing adventure!

Preparation for the Long Travel - Part 1 (General Preparations)

No matter how many travels I’ve done, it’s always a bit of a rude awakening when a new one begins. Nothing seems to prepare you physically and mentally like the travel itself. I’ve never travelled for as long as I’m planning to be on the road this time. The idea is to backpack across South America for about six or seven months, crossing several countries during this time. Living abroad for long stretches at a time (the last being two years in the Amazon jungle itself) is not the same thing. Whilst living abroad, you have a base where to leave your belongings, you make a new circle of trustworthy friends and you also have the time to find your bearings and understand what is safe and what you should avoid. When on the road, you are almost constantly plunged into a new context with all your belongings on your back. You need to think quickly and watch your back. 

Like birds about to be set free

Pre-travel preparation is essential – especially when crossing a complex area such as a jungle. The following is a very practical description of my preparation for this upcoming travel. It may not be of any worth for non-backpackers but may be an interesting read anyway.

When travelling to potentially complicated areas, it is vital to see in good time what vaccines you need and read a bit about the possible risks in the area you are heading to. In the jungle, one main risk is disease – generally brought about by mosquitos. There is enough general knowledge online to be able to stock up with the right items. Also, make sure that you have a passport that will be valid for the length of your travel and that you check about visa requirements for the countries you plan to visit.  Whilst I really believe in flexibility when travelling, it is a good idea to have a basic idea of your travel route and then adapt it as you go along. For a long travel across South America, I’d really strongly suggest at least a basic knowledge of Spanish for the travel to be truly worthwhile. Otherwise, how will you communicate with the locals (the main point of interest for most travels)? My thoughts about backpacking preparation below are based on conversations with other travellers and a bit of research. I suggest reading more than one source of advice before leaving, in order to be more exhaustive in your own research. 

As with any longish travel, it is important to have good equipment such as a comfortable backpack, a sleeping bag - if you plan on sleeping in the rough (always check the average temperatures of your chosen destinations during the time of year you’ll visiting to make sure the sleeping bag is not going to be too warm or, worse, not warm enough). I’m always very minimalistic with clothes – I doubt I’ll be having tea with the Queen of England along the way of any of my travels. You can rather cheaply wash clothes along the way so don’t worry about too many changes of clothes. Just make sure you’re prepared for all potential temperatures you’ll be facing. 

Crossing South America means that you’ll be facing very cold weather when climbing to very high altitudes (at times, over 4000m above sea level) in the Andes or when going south to Patagonia – and that you’ll also travel through the extreme heat of the jungle and some other areas at sea level depending on the season. This implies carrying a bit more clothes than usual, but still the bare minimum according to your needs. Whatever you take will be carried on your own back for a very long time, so it is essential to strike a balance between having the clothes you want and as little weight as possible to carry. I tend to take some cutlery for eating in the rough (you can buy these kind of items at an adventure or army surplus shop) and possibly also a compass if I’ll be trekking in the wild without a guide (not recommendable in a number of locations – watch the very good movie 127 Hours as a reminder that no traveller is a super-hero). 

Climbing the Ruku Pichincha near Quito, at
4,698 metres (15,413 ft) above sea level - it's very cold up there

Good tough walking shoes are essential since you’ll be walking a lot, whether trekking or exploring towns and cities. For the jungle, I recommend that they’re waterproof.  If you buy new shoes, use them as much as possible before setting off on your travel. There is nothing worse than getting blisters on your feet when facing very long walks. Good socks are also important to avoid this problem. If you’re planning on camping, then a tent is an important but rather bulky necessity (especially if you’re going to camp in cold weather, otherwise a light tent will be enough). Access to money is another essential need to keep in mind. I’d recommend a mixture of cash and (if possible) two different credit cards, kept in different places in case something gets robbed - at least you’ll have a backup and will not remain penniless. Cameras, batteries, chargers and other such accessories will most likely join you on the travel (make sure you have a plug-adapter with you).

A young Kiwcha boy walks through the torrential rail of the Ecuadorian Amazon - here it is both wet and hot

When planning your travel, prepare the essentials and anything else you may need along the way. Nevertheless, keep in mind that you can buy many basic things during the travel itself, so leaving your toothbrush at home will not mean that you’ll have dirty teeth and stinky breath for the length of your travel! I find a stack of garbage bags and other plastic bags to be very useful. Here I place items I don’t want to wet, or others that I don’t want to dirty anything else with such as a bottle of shampoo that may leak or dirty clothes. The garbage bags are also handy to cover your backpack when it rains. 

Finally, there is no better company than a good book for those long travels by road or river. Books take space and are heavy, whilst an electronic device such as a Kindle is light and can contain several books but its battery may run out and leave you bookless. The choice is yours when packing – with every item you consider taking, analyse the pros and cons (weight and space required are always essential considerations).