Peru - Perú

Introduction The Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country located on the west coast of South America. To the west, its coasts are bathed by the Pacific Ocean. It limits to the north with Ecuador Y Colombia, east with Brazil, Y Bolivia Y chili to the south east. Peru has a variety of landscapes that impresses, going from the coastal desert, to the eastern plains of the Amazon and the high peaks of the Andes. In their lands, millenary civilizations have arisen and their interbreeding with the Spanish colonial culture is reflected in their architecture, their music, their customs and their gastronomy.

Capital lime Idiom Spanish Surface 1,285,216 km² Population 31 151 643 (July 7, 2015) Currency new Sun Time zone UTC-5 Telephone prefix 51

Regions

Context

Natural regions

Geographically, Peru is divided into 3 large areas:

• Coast: An area bathed by the Pacific Ocean with numerous desert areas, beautiful beaches and fertile valleys.
• Mountain range: Mountainous area dominated by the Andes Mountains. It reaches 6,768 m.s.n.m. at the top of the snow Huascarán.
• Jungle: Tropical vegetation zone of the Amazon River basin, which gives rise to the Amazon and is where the largest nature reserves are located.

Administrative divition

Administratively, Peru is divided into 25 regions. A region is the sector of the country's territory established by the central government where it exercises its authority through a regional president. The regions are subdivided into provinces and these in turn into districts. These are the jurisdictions with their own regional government:

• Amazon
• Ancash
• Apurimac
• Arequipa
• Ayacucho
• Cajamarca
• Callao (Constitutional province)
• Cusco
• Huancavelica
• Huanuco
• Ica
• Junin
• Freedom
• Lambayeque
• lime
• Loreto
• Mother of God
• Moquegua
• Pasco
• Piura
• Fist
• San Martin
• Tacna
• Tumbes
• Ucayali

Languages

The official languages ​​are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. Quechua is spoken mainly in the Andean area and Aymara in the south of the country (mainly in the department of Fist). There are other aboriginal languages ​​that are spoken in different parts of the country, mainly in the Amazon.

Get to know

Cities

• lime
• Arequipa
• Trujillo
• Chiclayo
• Cusco
• Cajamarca
• Piura
• Chimbote
• Iquitos
• Huaraz
• Juliaca
• Tarapoto
• Chachapoyas
• Abancay
• Pucallpa
• Tacna
• Moquegua
• Ayacucho
• Tumbes
• Jaen
• Ica
• Sullana
• Hill of Pasco
• Huancavelica
• Huanuco
• Puerto Maldonado
• Fist
• Moyobamba
• Nasca
• Huancayo

Other tourist destinations

• Macchu Picchu
• Colca Canyon
• Titicaca lake
• Amazon
• Tambopata National Reserve
• Nasca lines
• Huayllay stone forest
• Mangroves of Tumbes
• Abiseo river national park
• Pampa Galeras

Understand

The term Gringo it is very common, without offensive intent. The original meaning encompassed all white-skinned people who do not speak Spanish. Many people now use the word Gringo exclusively for Americans, or people who look like them. It is common that they are also called Gringo to people with light hair. Peruvians do not hesitate to greet foreigners with a "Hello, gringo!".

Generally, the people are very friendly, peaceful, and helpful. During a problem, you can usually count on help. But as in any circumstance, it is always good to take care of bad situations. If an argument starts, it's a good idea to stay friendly, but firm. Most of the time, you can reach an agreement that satisfies everyone.

Apart from the most exclusive tourist services in the country and those in large cities such as lime, people do not speak much English and, trying to be nice, can give bad information, or inaccurate. A translator is always good in these situations. Plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time to travel. There are several service interruptions due to protests or strikes. Air service can be affected due to the weather as in any city in the world.

To get

By plane

To Lima

The city of lime, capital of Peru, has an international airport, the w: es: Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA Code: LIM) which in turn also serves as an airport for domestic flights. It has a main track 3,507 meters long, heading 15 - 33.

The airport has been recently remodeled and ranks among the best airports in South America. It is located in the constitutional province of Callao at a distance of 10 km. from the historic center of Lima.

Jorge Chávez Airport has 19 boarding gates, all of them equipped with sleeves. You can travel daily to all the countries of South America except the Guianas, various destinations in Central America and the Caribbean, to the USA and Canada. There are also flights that connect Peru with Europe on a daily basis (24 countries and 58 cities). 28 airlines provide international services and LATAM, Avianca, Peruvian Airlines, Star Peru and LC Peru offer trips within Peru. From the same airport you can travel to all the main cities in the interior, including the Cusco.

The airport has a food court, where travelers can enjoy typical Peruvian food almost like locals from well-known international chains. It also has a shopping center (Peru Plaza) with various stores where you can buy a wide variety of typical products (yarns, souvenirs, silverware). In the airport facilities you will find ATMs, Bank and Exchange House, Pharmacy and everything necessary to satisfy the needs of the traveler, as well as a Duty Free area with world-renowned stores. In total there are 63 shops that make the passage through the airport very pleasant. To travel some distances within the building, you can use the two mechanical walkways installed in its corridors. You also have the possibility of staying in a 5-star hotel (Costa del Sol Wyndham) directly connected to the terminal by a pedestrian bridge.

Various transfer services are offered from the airport to the city. There are different types of taxis, from those that offer all the guarantees of a large airport to those opportunists that, if possible, will surprise tourists in their good faith. When choosing a taxi, you have to be careful and haggle over the price.

There are also bus services to different parts of the city at lower prices. There is an unnecessary security check on passengers in transit that makes it chaotic, and makes you think about going there again. Your duty free purchases outside of Peru will almost certainly be seized at this airport.

To Cusco

Like the city of lime, the Cusco has an international airport, the Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport (IATA code: CUZ). It has a main track 3,397 meters long, heading 10 - 28.

Velasco Astete Airport is located in the Wanchaq district, within the city of Cusco itself and about 5 minutes from the main square by taxi.

This airport receives flights from the city of Peace, capital of the republic of Bolivia and some Peruvian cities, including lime, Arequipa, etc. Soon you will also receive flights from Buenos Aires, capital of the republic of Argentina.

The airport is equipped with the greatest comforts, to efficiently serve the countless tourists who visit the imperial city. At the airport there is a commercial area, as well as a large food court where you can taste all kinds of food. In the facilities there are ATMs, Exchange House, Pharmacy and a Duty Free area.

You can travel from the airport by taxi or bus to different parts of the city, but always keeping in mind that safety comes first.

Even other cities in Peru

There are other international airports in other cities of Peru as in Arequipa (Captain Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón International Airport), Trujillo (Captain FAP Carlos Martínez de Pinillos International Airport), Chiclayo (Captain FAP José Abelardo Quiñones International Airport), Cajamarca (Armando Revoredo Iglesias International Airport), Piura (Captain FAP Guillermo Concha Ibérico Airport), Iquitos (Iquitos F. Secada Vignetta), Pucallpa (Capitán FAP David Abensur Rengifo International Airport), Puerto Maldonado (Padre Aldámiz International Airport), Juliaca (Inca Manco Cápac Airport), Tacna (Coronel FAP Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa Airport) and Talara (Captain FAP Víctor Montes Arias Airport).

Boat

Several cruises are promoted from the United States, Brazil or from Europe that include important Peruvian ports such as the Callao, Iquitos or Fist.

By car

From the south you can enter from Arica in chili toward Tacna. Chilean private vehicles do not require documentation or further processing to enter Tacna. If you go further north from Tacna or it is a vehicle with a license plate from another country, a different procedure is required. Macara, Zapotillo Y Grit in Ecuador. To the east, from Assis Brazil toward Iñapari and to the southeast by Desaguadero.

By bus

• From Argentina - There are buses that leave for lime.
• From Chile - To travel from chili you can take a bus that takes you to Arica to cross to Tacna and then from Tacna take a bus to travel to the rest of Peru. You can also travel directly from Santiago in Cruz del Sur.
• From Ecuador - From the city of Guayaquil or from Quito you can locate international lines that go up to lime, but these usually take longer than making connections due to the route they make through Tumbes, giving more turns than normal. If you are in the mountains of Ecuador like Quito for example, you can go to Cuenca, Loja and go to Piura. If you are in Guayaquil, you can go to Zapotillo and cross the border to Sullana.
• From Colombia - You can travel from Bogota Y Cali until lime or Trujillo by bus, but, as with Ecuador, it tends to make more turns than normal.
• From Bolivia - You can enter from Peace until Juliaca I to Cusco.
• From Brazil - You can enter through Iñapari. There are direct buses (Movil Tours) that cover the route Rio de Janeiro - São Paulo - Rio Branco - Puerto Maldonado - Cusco - Lima.

Travel

In taxi

It is necessary to take into account that:

• A large percentage of taxis are not associated with companies or agencies. They are cheaper but THEY ARE NOT TOTALLY SAFE. In recent years, UBER has been used in Lima and other cities in Peru, a service that is considered much more reliable than traditional taxis.
• Taxis sometimes drive badly and very fast, you have to fasten your seat belt.
• Taxis in Peru do not use a meter, which makes the cost of taxis cheaper than in countries where the meter is used.
• The cost of the journey is established before making the journey, NEVER AFTER.
• It is not customary to tip.
• Taxi agencies are safe, but excessively more expensive, especially with tourists. Check the yellow pages [1], the guide, hotel receptionist, etc. by agencies.

By plane

The main companies that make internal flights are LATAM, Avianca, LC Peru and the Irish Peruvian Airlines. If you get to lime you can find daily flights with frequencies all day to the cities of Cusco (IATA code: CUZ), Juliaca (IATA code: JUL) and Arequipa (IATA code: AQP).

By bus

First of all, we must clearly differentiate that there are two types of buses: official and informal.

• Official bus companies have their own terminals, present vehicles in good condition, and offer better quality trips. Safety is a matter of little concern when traveling by bus but it is better to be careful. It is legal norm to request a document from each passenger when boarding the bus, and the company must take note of the name and document number. Likewise, all passengers can be filmed as a preventive and security measure. The prices of the official buses are higher than the informal ones, but it is justified for various reasons, mainly security and tranquility. Additionally, there is a national and international passenger terminal called "Plaza Norte".

• Informal bus companies have joint terminals in lime and informality is the main characteristic of this service. The schedules are not safe, the vehicles can be even reformed trucks and do not comply with the technical standards of the Ministry of Transport and can stop an infinite number of times on the route to load or unload passengers. The prices are very tempting, but economics do not always justify traveling in such risky conditions. Most bus traffic accidents correspond to informal companies, which usually do not have any type of insurance that covers the passenger.

Public transport

In Lima

Public transportation is one of the most chaotic problems in the country. Recently created in Lima are complementary corridors (SIT). One of them circulates through Javier Prado, Sánchez Carrión and La Marina avenues. Another of them circulates through the avenues Alcázar, Tacna, Garcilaso de la Vega, Arequipa, Óvalo de Miraflores, Larco, Armendáriz, Plaza Butters. They are identified by the initials SIT (Integrated Transportation System) that they carry on the walls, or by being lead buses "Municipality of Lima" with a colored stripe below.

Public transport coasters and buses are usually made up of the driver, the collector and the passengers, however many buses usually have what is known as a "Driver-Collector", which must be paid upon entry, in these cases It is advisable to have the ticket at hand, since getting the money usually takes time and people sometimes go up in quantity.

In provinces

Outside of Lima, there are no integrated transportation systems. The system is mostly old buses and combis, although in some cities you can see coasters and modern CNG buses.

Interprovincial transport

Remember: When choosing to travel by interprovincial bus, it is preferable to pay a little more and gain peace of mind and security.

Here you can find prices and schedules of some bus companies: Busportal [2]

By car

Driving a vehicle in Peru is a unique experience, and difficult to compare.

Be careful with those who drive buses, coasters, combis or other public transport vehicles, as they have a reputation for being irresponsible when driving. In Lima the traffic is chaotic, be very careful with transport companies known as "Oriones", "Nueva América" ​​or "chosicanos". In most other cities of Peru the traffic situation is opposite to that of Lima.

By train

There is a tourist train service from Lima to the center of the country, in the Central Andean Railway, the highest in the world, an experience like no other that must be contracted in advance.

Learn

Peruvian Spanish, particularly on the coast, is clearer than the Spanish of Spain itself and the Spanish of other Latin American countries, especially the Spanish of Mexico, Colombia and Chile. Generally people do not tend to speak that fast, although they very deliberately use jargon. In general, Peru is a good and cheap place to embark on Spanish courses (once you are there).

Commerce

Money exchange

The most practical way to change to nuevos soles is to go to banks or exchange houses, the latter usually have a more favorable exchange rate than banks and hotels. It should be changed where it is done at the best price. It is better not to do it on the street (except if it is someone you trust), since there are many fakes. In addition, a mark is usually put on the bills that are delivered, which gives a certain guarantee that the bills are legal.

Because there are many counterfeits, you must first learn to recognize counterfeit and legal bills. You can ask someone you trust to know how to recognize it by touch, with watermarks, etc. It is normal that the bills are verified in front of the cashier to check them, also the dollars or euros are verified in a meticulous way. You must also verify the dollars or euros that can be delivered as a return when paying with a high-value ticket.

Products

There are countless very good products that the traveler can take from Peru. The handicrafts that are of very good quality and at reasonable prices stand out.

Also they fabrics and yarn Peruvians are worthy of being acquired since they are of very good quality, warm and you can get them for very good prices. What has to do with alpaca yarns stands out.

In the Amazon area there are some wood carvers that delight connoisseurs and can be a good alternative when choosing gifts for family and friends.

There are many good places, but we highlight that in the Miraflores area (Lima), on Avda. Petit Thouars, between Avda. Ricardo Palma and Avda. Angamos Oeste (about 5 blocks approximately), there is a large concentration of artisans. There are very fine shops where you can pay even with a credit card or foreign currency and there are also simple stalls of the same artisans where you will find very good alternatives at cheaper prices. The Indian market It is a place that you must visit when shopping.

Go ahead, and in the spirit to get discounts on the real prices since they will always ask for more than the real value. If you don't haggle, you will be paying 15-25% more than the actual value.

To eat

Peruvians have an immense variety of foods and they have a lot to do with the three great regions of the country (Costa, Sierra and Selva).

Among the typical meals of the coast are those based on fish or shellfish such as ceviche, the Tiradito, the rice with seafood, chicken chili, the causefill (characterized by its great variety of fillings: crab pulp, tuna, chicken, vegetables, etc.). There are also dishes where the main ingredient is meats such as lomo saltado, the poor steak, the grilled chicken or the Barbecue. In the typical foods of the Sierra we can find dishes based on potatoes and other tubers, with meat such as Alpaca, or small rodents called Cuyes, the stuffed hot pepper (Arequipa); the Pachamanca (Sierra Central) exquisite meat baked underground, among others. The typical food of the jungle includes many dishes with banana or plantain, river fish, among others.

In some places the food can be spicy, not in all, but you have to be careful especially if you are not used to it.

The food in general is quite good, without great displays of sauces and almost always accompanied with rice. Peruvian sweets and desserts are also recommended, among which are the alfajor (dough shaped like two discs, sprinkled with powdered sugar and stuffed), arroz con leche (rice bathed in milk), arroz zambito (similar to rice pudding). , only that honey from chancaca is added), chunqueque (nougat of Piuran origin), strained beans (similar to dulce de leche but made with beans), king kong de manjarblanco (a larger alfajor but in a rectangular shape), purple mazamorra (purple corn and other prepared fruits, sprinkled with cinnamon, picarones (dough of flour, sweet potato and pumpkin in the form of rings, with chancaca honey), weights (similar to picarón, but in an elongated form), ranfañote (pieces of bread dipped in honey from chancaca), suspiro de limeña, teja (dessert made with dulce de leche and pecans), chocotejas (similar to tejas, except that the coating is made of chocolate), ice cream cake (cake made up of three layers, the top of strawberry jelly, the one from me gave strawberry gelatin whipped with milk and the bottom one with sponge cake), Nougat from Doña Pepa, chifles (fried banana in thin and crunchy slices), among others.

In Peru, cuisine has also received a lot of influence from other cultures, the main example of fusion is chifa. It is Peruvian-Chinese food. There are many chifas in the well-known Calle Capón (Jirón Ucayali block 7 between Andahuaylas and Paruro) of the Cercado de Lima Chinatown, although in most of the city there are very good chifas. A district also well known for the amount of chifas that there are is San Miguel in Lima.

Drink and go out

With regard to beverages, Peru offers a great variety, from alcoholic beverages such as Pisco, fruit juices (since it has an incomparable variety), and infusions called mates. The Peruvian people consume a great variety of infusions, the best known being the Mate de Coca (recommended if visiting sites over 2,000 meters high) and the chamomile. We will also cite the Herb Luisa and Anise.

When visiting Peru, it is advisable to try Chicha Morada. It is a typical drink, obtained from the cooking of purple corn and combined with other fruits, such as pineapple. It has a sweet, very pleasant taste. It is served at room temperature or frozen.

The Pisco, originally Peruvian drink, original from the city of Pisco, department of Ica, is another drink to try. In Peru, Pisco is used in the preparation of Pisco Sour, Pisco with Algarrobina, Chilcano of Pisco and other mixed drinks.

In Lima there is a lot of nightlife, several restaurants, bars in exclusive places in Lima such as San Isidro, Larcomar (Miraflores), or Barranco; everywhere you find pubs, or places where you can have a drink with your friends; it's just a matter of asking for the hot spot.

Sleep

In all the country Andean House, hotel chain at a very good price. It can be booked online. Another option is the Sonesta Posadas del IncaThere are good hostels and hotels in Lima and other parts of the country, of all kinds of prices.

There are all types of accommodations, from 2-star to elegant 5-star and all with a very good location.

In Cusco it is important to know that if you arrive at the transport terminal, immediately you get off the bus, you will be offered a variety of hostels and hotels by people "representatives" of these establishments, therefore there is an identification regulation of the tourism chamber that It obliges said representatives to identify themselves properly, since there are usually cases in which the traveler is taken to a supposed hostel with conditions totally contrary to what was offered at the bus terminal.

Security

As usually happens in all Latin American cities, there are unsafe areas of the cities (especially in Lima) therefore before venturing to visit unknown areas it is recommended to ask someone you trust. As a security measure, it is advisable to leave passports in a safe place and carry photocopies for identification. Do not be surprised if someone asks you for something, for example to buy sweets, products, candies, they will insist until you buy, it is common in Peru.

Be careful on the streets of Lima with groups of young people who try to distract people by surrounding them while their belongings are taken from their backpacks or bags.

Health

In Peru, especially in large cities and towns, you can find hospitals (such as Essalud, which is a Peruvian social security institution), medical posts and pharmacies, the best known are Inkafarma and Mifarma.

If you travel to Cusco (Sierra), to the Altiplano (Juliaca) and in general at locations above 2000 masl (meters above sea level), it is likely that you will feel a kind of dizziness or altitude sickness (soroche). To avoid exacerbating the effect it produces as much as possible, it is recommended to rest as much as possible on the day of arrival, walk slowly and eat light.

If this does not work, they offer you in pharmacies some pills that say specific for soroche (2006): The Sorojchi Pils or also in pharmacies: Coramina Glucosada.

Communications

In most cities and towns not so small it is easy to find a public or satellite phone for local, national and international calls. Most accept coins and some phone cards. To use the calling cards, it is necessary to dial the 12-digit secret code inscribed on the back of the card. There are also countless Internet booths that have low-cost international call services, the prefix for calls from outside Peru is 51.

Tourist information and assistance

Peru has an information and assistance system for travelers provided by PromPerú. This service is called Iperu. It is a free service that works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which provides:

• Official tourist information on attractions, routes, destinations and companies that provide tourist services.
• Assistance if the contracted tourist services were not provided in accordance with what was offered by the tour operators, through conciliation and mediation.

Iperú has offices nationwide in the following cities:

• Arequipa.
• Ayacucho.
• Cajamarca.
• Cusco.
• Amazonas - Chachapoyas.
• Ancash - Huaraz and Chimbote.
• Loreto - Iquitos.
• Lime.
• Ica - Ica and Nasca.
• Fist.
• La Libertad - Trujillo.
• Piura.
• Lambayeque - Chiclayo.
• Tacna.
• Tumbes.

• www.peru.travel Official website of Peru
• www.peru.travel/iperu Iperú page
• Iperú 24/7 phone: ( 51 1) 574-8000.
• Email: [email protected] | [email protected]

external links

• Wikipedia has an article on Peru.w: Peru
• Wikimedia Commons houses multimedia content about PeruCommons.
• Wikinews has news related to Peru.Wikinews