Cambios

====Cost of Travelling in Chile and Argentina====

Chile and Argentina are not budget or low-cost travel countries. Prices are similar or even higher if compared with the US and Europe. South of Puerto Montt where the Patagonian heartland starts prices get even higher due to the costly logistics.

To cover the cost while hiking on the GPT you should have a budget of approximately 1000 US Dollars per person per month. 800 US Dollars per person per month is the bare minimum and you should not attempt this trail if you have less money available. This travel budget pays for all food, occasionally an accommodation, local transport i.e. to get to the trail and to bus to resupply towns and this budget covers entrance fees where applicable. This monthly travel budget does not include the airfare to Chile or Argentina and excludes purchasing your hiking gear.

Be a good ambassador of the hiking community and be generous where you are treated with generosity. If you get food or accommodation give what is appropriate even if they don’t ask for money. Insist if necessary! The general rule is that you ask to get the right-of-way for free but any product or service is paid fairly. Consider that the herdsmen, the indigenous Pehuenche and the settlers along the trail can’t effort to be generous trail angles. If they grant you the right-of-way you already received a gift. By paying for food and services you create a positive experience with hikers what is essential to maintain the trail open.

Since the number of hikers is quite low many locals are not aware what products and services they may offer. Therefore we often ask. If we see i.e. some tempting fruits and vegetables in the garden we ask if they sell us some. If we see chicken running around than this means that eggs might in supply. If we are really lucky and they recently slaughtered an animal than we might even buy some meet. If you don’t want to reply on your luck for meat then you may ask if they sell an entire goat or lamb. Don’t worry, you don’t need to butchered it yourself; they can do it for you. Flour to bake bread is something that most people along the trail have abundantly. Buying a kilogram or two is often possible. To not pressure a person in selling, we often ask indirectly, we ask i.e. who in the area can sell us a certain products or offers a service i.e. accommodation. This gives the asked person the possibility to say: “I do!” or to refer to someone else or to say that he does not know. Feel free to ask in this way, what really matters is that you pay what is appropriate. I will add a list with the typical price range later.

If you are in a remote place along the route and someone offers you some food or accommodation than please don't bargain for a discount if the asking price is reasonable. Take it or leave it! I experienced these locals on the trail as generous and reasonable and haggling would be in most cases rude.