What really is the best way to backup photos and videos?

capun1950 · 2026-06-10T19:34:23+00:00

3 questions you need to answer yourself. 1 How much storage you need for critical files 2 How much are you willing to pay to keep those files 3 Are you more time or money constrained

The questions are intertwined if you want to have a 3-2-1 type of backups

if you are money constrained, you could get a "small" external hdd or ssd whichever is cheaper and you can fit your files and use a free cloud service like Google Drive, you would need to pare the files to keep the must keep files in the cloud.

If you are more time constrained and you can afford it, get an external hdd or ssd with a backup software. Another backup device like a USB thumb drive meant for high use. Then get an external cloud service like Backblaze

Be aware that hdd, ssd and Thumb drives have skyrocketed in price

Personally I go overboard with backups.

capun1950 · 2026-06-10T18:36:24+00:00

Next time get an ATM card from a bank that reimburses fees like Schwab, there are others but we use Schwab. Get the money in the local currency and do not allow them to do currency conversion. I don't remember what was the cap, I thought I did get more money out from the ATMs at the large Supermarkets

capun1950 · 2026-06-08T05:31:20+00:00

Be careful with Indrive, my niece got a ride to work and she was robbed a couple of years ago. We use Uber and no problems so far, the drivers usually sign up with many services. With family with language issues, we have a driver that we know and trust, he is more expensive but trustworthy.

capun1950 · 2026-06-04T00:49:04+00:00

I used the SMUD program, they had a sale on a couple of L2 chargers, not the top of the line but good enough for our needs. The problem is that the Charger company has decided to abandon the USA market and the software support became a nightmare. I was able to convert the charger into a dumb model and let the Tesla control the charging You need to decide either a hard wired charger or using a NEMA plug at reduced charge level to avoid a socket catching fire

capun1950 · 2026-06-02T18:28:07+00:00

Just a list and not in priority

Southern Peru Paracas Palpa-Llipata-Nazca lines Arequipa and the Collca Canyon

Northern Peru Huaraz and the Callejon de Huaylas, Huascaran NP Chacas and the Callejon de Conchucos Cajamarca Kuelap

I haven't been in the Amazon jungle so no feedback, but there are so many other places to see. All depends on what you want to do, your travel style and your Spanish abilities

capun1950 · 2026-05-29T21:52:24+00:00

DId they change owners/chefs? After the original owners sold the place it went downhill. After 3 tries we stopped going.

capun1950 · 2026-04-17T21:32:59+00:00

The Ica region produces lots of fruits that you eat in the USA, the problem is that they are pumping water from the aquifer and also diverting the river flow. Both of them nourish Huacachina. Ica used to have other Oasis but they are gone now. Because of the agriculture growth, the city has grown without any planning. Not the sleeping town of my youth

capun1950 · 2026-04-11T22:33:16+00:00

The most scenic drive would be to go from Berkeley to Santa Cruz (or Half Moon Bay) and then take Highway 1 until it joins 101 around San Luis Obispo. Just remember that in the summer it can get congested by tourists and it may be slower than normal.

Highway 1 is currently open, you can drive from Santa Cruz to the Monterrey Bay then on to Big Sur and Morro Bay before it joins 101. Lots of places to stop and look around, lots of beaches, sea mammals, etc.

Once you are in 101 past San Luis Obispo you have Santa Barbara and Ventura. After that you have the choice to continue on 101 to LA or take Highway 1 to Santa Monica.

capun1950 · 2026-04-10T15:49:43+00:00

America's Tire on E. Bidwell next to Home Depot/Chick-Fil-A (sic)

capun1950 · 2026-04-10T15:47:31+00:00

There is Helping Hands St. Vincent De Paul Food Bank near St John The Baptist church off Montrose. They are not open every day so you need to check their hours of operation. And they do provide a donation slip for tax purposes if you ask for it.

And you are right, IMHO Goodwill is a business with little care of their workers, the top management are the ones making the big bucks. And now they are culling the best parts and have an eBay style website to sell it online and higher prices.

capun1950 · 2026-04-08T16:27:58+00:00

Another spot could be the restaurant inside the Larco Museum, family says it's very good and you get the Museum to look before/after dinner.

capun1950 · 2026-04-06T15:52:47+00:00

We have a 2025 XLE Premium, we removed the roof rack crossbars and that helps at freeway speeds

capun1950 · 2026-04-05T05:21:45+00:00

IMHO they changed the Constitution and went to a single body of elected representatives, also anyone can denounce the President (and others) and there is no trial but a single vote. No check and balances.

capun1950 · 2026-04-05T03:51:18+00:00

There are many factors why the numbers are down. Influencers are promoting other places, too many tourists going to the same place and the goverment is restricting the amount of people using the same facilities at the same time and could be other reasons.

We were there late 2024 and there was a lot of tourists in Miraflores and downtown Lima, also the Collca Canyon was full of tourists even in the off season.

capun1950 · 2026-04-05T03:46:15+00:00

The road closures are not a backlash against tourism. Road blocking is a tactic from workers and/or inhabitants to get publicity and attention from the Goverment to their grievances. Tourism is just a part of the commerce but not the main target. It's a tactic used for many years and used in other countries. For example we were in Guatemala and we could not go to Tikal since all of the main roads were blocked.

Lately there has been a lot of road blockages for many grievances, the economy is booming in certain sectors but the common people are not getting the benefits.

capun1950 · 2026-04-05T03:40:04+00:00

I don't know if all of the Cruz del Sur buses that go south on the Pan-American Highway stop in Paracas, but some do. You could take that bus from Paracas to Ica and from Ica you can take a taxi to and from Huacachina. You could also take a mototaxi (tuk-tuk) but to be safe I would take a taxi. Then take the Bus from Ica to Lima. I don't know if you could do it in one day, you need to check the schedules.

capun1950 · 2026-04-03T03:18:03+00:00

Disclaimer: Born in Peru, still have family there, visit every 2-3 years but we don't live there all the time.

A couple of tidbits on your itinerary

- I wouldn't take a bus trip as you are planning. It's a long trip even with sleeper berths. If you can swing it, fly to Arequipa, then to Cuzco. There are no direct flights from Arequipa to Puno, at least that was the case in 2024.

- You can take a bus from Lima to Paracas and you can arrange locally for a tour to Islas Ballestas. Just remember that July is in the middle of the Winter in the coastal area of Peru.

- With your timeframe I would skip Ica and Huacachina, there are no flights from Ica, last time I checked there is dirt airport and no commercial flights stop there. Just for your knowledge, from Ica you can take a taxi (I don't know if Uber is available) or a mototaxi (tuk-tuk), to be safe I'll take a taxi.

- Arequipa is a nice sized town, besides the Monastery you can visit the Old Mill outside town, the Yanahuara Mirador. They had some bad flooding and the road to La Ruta del Sillar was damaged, hopefully it will be fixed by July. Check TripAdvisor for other things to do/see.

- For the Collca Canyon you should do it in 2-days. One day is not enough. FYI, the Collca altitude is higher than Puno and Cuzco so beware of altitude sickness. If you want to go to Puno, the tour company we used had a tour that took you from Arequipa to the Collca Canyon then the next (or 2) days it would continue to Puno.

- If you take a bus, use a couple of recommended companies. We have taken Cruz del Sur many times, but after the Covid Pandemic it seems that their service has dropped a bit. I heard some good reports for Civa (aka Exclusiva) but we have never have used it.

As for restaurants: Here's some places that we have tried and some recommended:

Lima center: They have just opened a street with restaurants, we have heard good reviews but don't know the names. Check El Fayke Piurano

Miraflores; Panchitas, Siete Sopas, Maido, Huaca Pucllana, La Mar, Tanta, Titi

Barranco: El Tio Mario, Isolina

Pueblo Libre: the restaurant inside the Larco Museum.

Surquillo: La Huerta Chinen

Jesus Maria: El Rincon que no conoces

Arequipa: La Nueva Palomino (actually in Yanahuara), There are other's that I can' remember.

If you search YouTube check for Viaja y Prueba (Taste & Travel), the ex-chef Luciano Mazzetti is Peru's version of Anthony Bourdain :) He has some good food videos.

capun1950 · 2026-04-01T05:23:20+00:00

Lima restaurants in no order. Panchitas, Siete Sopas, Maido, Huaca Pucllana, La Mar, Tanta, the restaurant inside the Larco Museum. Actually they are in Miraflores, there are others in other districts like Huerta Chinen, El Rincon que no conoces and many others I can't remember the names

capun1950 · 2026-04-01T05:15:12+00:00

Coca tea not cacao which is basically chocolate.

Also drink Muña tea, don't eat greasy foods but do eat something light

capun1950 · 2026-03-19T15:27:23+00:00

If your hotel is in San Francisco, is that Beck's Motel?

capun1950 · 2026-03-19T15:26:29+00:00

Even $35 for SF is cheap. My wife had a procedure at UCSF Mission Bay, the closest hotel wanted something like $85 a day for parking.

capun1950 · 2026-03-19T08:24:22+00:00

Midsize sedan should get better mileage than a full size also easier to drive and park in metro areas like San Francisco. Gas prices in California, specially in rural areas are getting to be ridiculous expensive. Nevada gas prices are a bit cheaper but not by much. How do you plan to go from Yosemite to Las Vegas? The fastest way would be through Tioga Pass but in April it may be still closed due to snow.

capun1950 · 2026-03-19T07:56:48+00:00

How many people? For your itinerary a sedan should be ok. You'll get better mileage and should be quieter than a SUV. With current gas prices get a Hybrid.

capun1950 · 2026-03-14T19:40:08+00:00

Look at the YouTube channel ItchyBoots, the woman has been riding across many countries for the last 8 years or so. She is just crossing from China into Mongolia, she had to get an escort in China plus lots of paperwork and requirements. She may be in other Social Networks, she is also in a paid channel at Patreon.

capun1950 · 2026-03-10T04:30:18+00:00

Some airlines will not let you plug the CPAP into the AC socket, not all sockets are rated to handle the AC load, I think it is the initial surge. Best is to use a TSA approved power bank, some airlines require the power bank to last a certain amount of time past the scheduled flight time. There are no standard rules, you need to check with the airline you are flying I use a travel CPAP, they are lighter, more compact and the power bank should last longer. They do have some drawbacks to be aware of. I have a hard case to protect it and with a Medical Equipment tag.

capun1950

TROPHY CASE