Destination Machu Pichu

Recently  took a break from the daily grind and went for a backpacking trip to Machu Pichu. 

Although the trip was fantabulous, there were those few oddments I wish someone had told me before  I went for the trip. Jotting them here lest others may find it useful. 

Classic Inca Trail hike to Machu Pichu:

Esther & Jacob and Peter West Carey have put up excellent blogs on what to pack for the hike and have a most comprehensive packing list. 

The one thing I missed was a thin scarf to protect against the dust (I went in the dry season) and the one lifesaver was my faithful hot water bag for the cold in the night.

Special shout out to Llamapath  who took us on the Inca trail. Our experience with them couldn't have been better. 

Altitude Sickness:

Bought some preventive meds from a local store in cusco. Coco tea and candies also helped (I think).  Did spend a few days in Cusco before going for the hike. The real eyeopener was when people way fitter than I was were being affected a lot more. 

Lan Airlines:

For flying in and out of Cusco, it's better to take LAN Airlines  (I learned this the hard way). LAN are the only guys that can land in the fog (apparently they are the only ones with the necessary radar to do that).It's worth shelling out those extra bucks for LAN unless you would prefer to spend your day at the airport waiting for the fog to clear. 

Shopping in Cusco:

And now for the shopaholics like me, Cusco had some really cozy markets and we pretty much did all our shopping there. Unfortunately  we didn't plan any time for Agua Caliente (where you take the train to and from Machu Pichu). The markets there seemed prettier and of better quality. 

Hope that helps and you have a great Machu Pichu experience like I did! 

5 lessons I learned as a woman engineer

Everyone writes their own notes for dos and don'ts consolidated from their experiences. These are just some of mine I have learned over the years.

- Ask for the incentives you believe you deserve
Ask for what you want. There are no mind readers here. Your manager is a person whose job is        to get results from you. Ensuring you get what you deserve is your job, not his. If you don't
       speak up, he'll neither know nor care. There are no repercussions if your manager doesn't agree
       with you. Doesn't harm anything, neither you nor your relationship with your manager.

- Speak up against what you believe is a sexist remark.
You don't have to put up with it. It's your right to expect equal treatment. If your manager
       expresses concerns over your quitting your position post-marriage, stop him right there. If your
       co-worker says you should dress up to brighten up the office environment, speak up and object.
       Same goes for being told you  are too dressed up to be a developer.

- Raise questions during discussions
Don't be shy if you think something isn't right during a technical discussion. Remember, you
        were asked to join the conversation because someone in the room thought you had
        something to contribute. The higher up people are in the food chain, the further they are from
        ground reality and more the reason they need to hear from you if something in the design isn't
        right. Raising/Asking questions isn't a good/nice to have quality. It is a core requirement if you
        want your end product to be good.

- Don't force yourself to fit into any stereotype
        While this holds true for everyone in every walk of life, as a software developer, you can be                interested in shoes, clothes and all kinds of bling and still be respected for your technical                  know-how.You don't have to show up in worn-out jeans and talk shop all the time to be a 'true'            developer. Guys never worry about being perceived as anything based on what they wear/talk.          You don't have to either.

- Don't get too emotional about anything. And don't over-analyze things either.
You love your job, that's great. But not at the cost of your growth. Don't get into the 'Mother
        Teresa syndrome' and get things done even when they aren't your responsibility. And if you do,
        make sure people know about it and give you credit for it. It is not belittling yourself to talk
        about your accomplishments. You don't have to boast, but make sure you do get the credit you
        should. If you don't, someone else will (even inadvertently). And stop finding hidden messages
        in everything that is said. Most of the times things are simply what they are and nothing else. If
        someone wants to tell you something, it is their responsibility to convey it as clearly and
concisely as possible and they will.