Actually quite the opposite. The warming trend referenced in the article was fairly mild, and it resulted in less harsh winters, meaning that the climate was more hospitable for growing crops, etc. This time around it's much more severe, Peruvian glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, so much so ...

Another idea might be to open an account with Scotiabank. They are part of a global ATM alliance with Barclays (lots of UK ATMs), so you can use a Scotiabank card at a Barclays ATM without paying fees. I think I read elsewhere that you graduated from college recently, do you still have a student ID ...

I've never flown Spirit Air, and based on the above stories I never will. I've found TACA and COPA to be pretty good, they are reasonably cheap, and everyone I've dealt with has always been helpful and friendly.

There's not really a problem with safety getting a cab from within the Cusco airport, problems can arise from getting cabs out in the street. In any event your hotel should be able to arrange a safe cab from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to wherever else you need to go.

Perhaps a better way to start a discussion would be to post one of your business ideas. I think the first post got largely ignored because it seemed like a lazy fishing expedition, as if you wanted other people to do the research and then tell you how you could "make money fast" in Peru.

That's a horrible story, hope you feel better soon. At least you found out how awful this man and his whole family are before marrying into it, or having a child. It would have been pretty hellish to have a mother in law giving you talks about how great her son is while at the same time she helps hi...

That's really annoying, I use Scotiabank because they don't charge a fee with my Bank of America ATM, which means it's economical to withdraw small amounts on a frequent basis. I really don't want to end up paying $5 to take out $50.

Quite right, mruffolo! Gringas really are awful.

They do terrible things like calling the police if their husbands hit them. Some of them even divorce abusive men! And then have the audacity to expect those poor victimized guys to pay child support. That's truly unjust.

It was probably the South American Explorers Club.

Stuart, are low priced tours available from Lima? Last time I looked at this I could only find private tours that cost over $100 per person which seemed a bit excessive.

I think there's a big difference between dreaming of leaving and actually doing it. It's a big step to leave your country for another, and most people aren't going to do it without a very compelling reason. So, I'd be very surprised if more that 20% of people took the option.

A friend is arriving in Lima next week and needs to get down to Punta Hermosa. Would most taxis at the airport be willing to make the run? And approximately how much should she expect to pay for a safe cab?

Many Peruvian men assume getting married or living with a partner as a continuation of their childhood ie, they just want their mother to be replaced by their partner. But an equal relationship requires growing up. And for taking responsibility for a child, even more so. Right. It seems to me thoug...

Ohh, and did I mention that sometimes he refuses to serve food himself ? I might be feeding the baby, and he would sit and wait for me to serve the food. He says that if the food is not on his plate, it´s as if it wasn´t there, doesn´t matter that I went to do groceries, brought it to the second fl...

Any recommendations for surf instructors in Punta Hermosa? As of next month I'll be based there for a while so it seems like a good time to learn.

I've had the Yellow Fever shot twice, no big deal either time, typhoid shots have left me feeling far worse. Apparently the side effects can be worse for older people, which may be why they don't require those over 60 to take it. Given that it may make you feel off for a few days, I'd get it done as...

When was he supposed to be back? And do you know the name of the agency or guide he went with?

Amazon river trips often take longer than planned - you can't find a boat, or it's delayed a few days, or broken down.

It sounds like I'm not losing much, if anything, by just getting soles from scotiabank then. When I've changed money in the street I've never been really comfortable with it, it just seems too exposed to be standing there checking all the bills to make sure they're not counterfeit. Probably paranoia...

A somewhat related question: Is is better to get dollars from an atm and exchange them, or just go ahead and get soles? The latter is quicker and easier, but by doing so is it costing me money? I use Scotiabank atms, and am not charged a transaction fee whether I take out dollars or soles so that's ...

You can see the discounts here: http://www.saexplorers.org/clubhouses/lima/discounts

I'm a member, and have found it worthwhile, I've saved a fair bit of money, and have enjoyed hanging at the clubhouses in Quito and Cusco.

Don't listen to the posters who say you can't do it, gord. They're all obviously old, like 30 or something, so what do they know?

Assuming the sugar daddy thing doesn't work out, you could try working at the Point or Loki hostels. I don't think they pay much, if anything, but you get free room and board in exchange for tending bar or working reception a couple of times a week.

That's really sad news, El Ayllu is (was) one of my favourite cafes in Cusco.

As for starbucks, it's a mystery to me why anyone goes there. Their coffee is vile, they have to bury it in a mound of cream and sugary caramel syrups to make it drinkable.

Sounds great, I'll definitely stop by next time I'm in Lima.

Does the menu include anything from south India, like dosas, sambar, idli?

You definitely have to pay a bit more for a room in Piura. Last year while looking around I passed on 4 or 5 of the cheapies listed in Lonely Planet Peru because they were obviously mainly by the hour type places.

The blog owner's name is Barbara... and yes, her blog is fab.

There are curanderos all over Peru, of course, but there's a huge concentration of them around Chiclayo. I'm definitely going to visit the mercado de brujo there next year when I return to Peru. A really interesting book on the subject is The Gift of Life: Female Spirituality and Healing in Northern...

[quote="rubble"]My two bob's worth is that Simon is guilty....guilty of thinking with his balls and NOT his brains.......(and hands up who hasn't done that)!

I haven't...

You could also try calling exito travel. A couple of times they've got me TACA tickets that were cheaper than anything I could find on the internet.

Much as I loath Mcdonald's I'm inclined to agree with Timothy, what's the big deal? Bembos is already on the plaza, as are a bunch of other crappy overpriced restaurants. Adding Mcdonald's into the mix doesn't seem to change things particularly.