imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

In that case CROP ...

Redmark

"restrictions on equipment" do tell, I'm going there myself. I'm taking 3 lenses (150mm - 600 mm Tamon, Canon 70mm -300mm and 24mm -105mm. Are you saying there is a limit and if so which Countries.
Cheers

Redmark

Great work you are doing here, ( I have booked mark your site for further reading) well done and thanks.( I got the needles cover,will look at permethrin the jungle clothes)
Cheers
Cheers

Redmark

Hi Tony, are you doing a tour, if you are you shouldn't have a problem with taking two of your lens. You mostly won't be carrying them. I arrive in Ecuador in Jul and will be away for 8 months at least .My thinking is if I like a Park, I'll stop for a while.
Be safe and I wish you well

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

RIGHT :)

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

.
Thanks Redmark. No, not a tour. My daughter was an American Field Scholarship student in Paraguay many years ago and has kept up contact with her 'family' there. She's taking her husband and 3 children (and me) over to meet them. We will stay with them for 6-7 days in San Ignacio. The rest of the trip has been planned by daughter to show us South America, ending up in Cochabamba where my daughter number 2 lives, married to a local and has an architecture business.

Ive read that South America can become an obsession once one has visited so I envy you. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and has really moved me out of my 'comfort zone'.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I forgot to mention the train as well. In the mountains horses at times when available.
Many interesting answers but I will add that theft there can be a problem unless you are in a large group and insulated. I had a thief rip my watch off. Sad for him my buddies and I caught him and worked him over then gave him to the police who continued the working over only far more severely. Worrying about lenses and changing can leave you vulnerable in some places SA is a big area. Just a good general purpose lens will serve well.
If in most of SA speaking the language, Spanish, goes a long ways. Portuguese in Brasil if that is on the list. All I can say is there are some incredible off the beaten path things to see there if you are adventurous.

Redmark

A good resource to look at is as follows :
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-south-america

One time many many years I came from New Zealand to South America and stopped at Easter Island which is well worth it as a stop over.( I stayed 10 days, walk around it camping for 4 days)
So depending what Airline you are with, I would swing this in.
That's funny, I plan to go through San Ignacio to a birding lodge.
Needless to say, you have to think security the whole time. As once said before, petty thief is not a crime, it's a national sport over there.
I guess if you are not taking photos of wildlife, the 24-70 lens would be fine.
I wish you safe travels.

Walt B

If you have a full frame get the latest Tamron 28-300. Spend a month traveling in South America and used that lens 90% of the time. If you have a crop sensor camera get the Tamron 16-300, also a great lens.
IMPORTANT: Have a good back-up camera. Could be a point and shoot with a good zoom range.

On a recent cruise, I dropped by 5D Mark III with the Tamron 28-300 and destroyed them. Fortunately I was near the end of the cruise and I had good insurance. I had a back-up camera, also a full frame, but only had a 12-24 lens. In the future, I will always have a second all purpose lens such as a 70-200 with my back-up camera.

Hope this is helpful

Walt B

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Thanks again Architect. Getting lots of good info from most of the replies.
Yes we are doing a few train sectors including the Andean Explorer, which looks fantastic.
And horses would be welcome. I have ridden for many years tho my children dont and wont, I think.

Your comments about theft are noted. Im a nine stone weakling but both my son-in-law and grandson (18yo) are both big blokes so maybe they will keep an eye on Grandad, :) hopefully.
Daughter speaks Spanish so that will help also.
Cheers

ken hubert Loc: Missouri

DON'T GO!

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Yes, the Bird Park sounds terrific. Its on our itinerary too. Apparently it and the Falls are worth viewing from both Brazil and Argentina as well.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Thanks Walt.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Thanks ken, I guess. :?

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Sounds like a great trip you have planned! You can get a fairly large pump bottle of Sawyer's Permethrin at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Permethrin-Premium-Clothing-Repellent/dp/B00CL5ZSFY/ref=sr_1_3?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1461327449&sr=1-3&keywords=permethrin

I have also seen it at Bass Pro Shops. It is one of the world's best kept secrets! Anyone living in tick country should use this regularly on their clothes (especially pants and socks) to keep ticks off.

After you apply it to clothing it will last for 3-4 weeks, even through several washes. So before I travel I lay my clothes out on some sheets, spray them until lightly damp, flip them over, and spray again. There is little odor which goes away once they dry. It is a wonderful thing to use! It will keep ticks and fleas off of your clothing and prevents mosquitoes from landing on and biting through your clothes - then you only have to worry about DEET on exposed skin. I find that many times, even in the Amazon or other areas, there won't be any mosquitoes around at all, and other times, they are thick. So having the wipes with you allows you to avoid the chemicals when you don't need them.

Be aware of the altitude of Cuzco - it sits at 11,300 feet as I recall. Many tourists and most canned tours put you in Cuzco early (the flight from Lima is early!) and expect you to function that day. Headaches and shortness of breath is common. Most of the hotels have oxygen available!