EXPATPERU

tomasb

To the person who mentioned retiring to Cusco, I would recommend against for most people. It's not just that it is chilly, the altitude can be daunting as you get older. In addition,there is a lot of high altitude pollution from vehicles there. All of these factors can and does contribute to health ...

tomasb

I am in Cartagena now and can say without qualification it is very expensive. Almost ridiculous. This includes lodging, food, drinks, etc. I think it is very safe though there are still a lot of touts and beggars popping up and startling you as they pester you or ask for money. I was in Santa Marta ...

tomasb

Yea, just tell her you are going out for a quart of milk...

tomasb

I have been to Mancora twice, both times on vacation. I did not see many gringos or ex-pats except for a few backpacker types straggling through and a few off kilter locals. There is not much to do there. In the off season, the water can be cold and the beaches leave a lot to be desired. One day, I ...

tomasb

As a test, I tired to book a flight to Talara with LAN. Their site said that flights begin November 1. It is probably not every day though.

tomasb

I don't like Vichayito either. I found it very windy. It is pretty but at certain times of the year, the wind just howls. I went to Mancora via Piura and a flight from Lima. From Mancora, it was easy to arrange cheap transportation on a dusty country road but decided not to stay as it was also too i...

tomasb

In Cusco, KM0 is a popular local spot. It is situated above SanBlas Plaza above the fountain and to your left on the corner of Tandapata. It's open most nights and has live music and good pisco sours. In Cusco, there are several discos on the Plaza de Armas. Mushrooms and Mama Africa have been there...

tomasb

Tomasb - how many times have you renewed your tourist visa then? It seems from reading online that there isn't a six month a year limit but some border officials think there is? In September 2011, I entered Peru via Lima airport and asked for 183 days and it was granted. In January 2012, I left Per...

tomasb

I just tell immigration I am volunteering in Cusco. No one has ever asked further questions. The first time through I was actually volunteering in Cusco.

tomasb

I always say that I am volunteering...

tomasb

How long is the Costa Verde closed? What are they doing?

tomasb

I assume no one reading this topic drinks Nescafé? What do you make of this odd Chilean practice? When I go to Chile, it is very difficult to find real coffee as most restaurants and hotels only offer Nescafé. The same appears true at Chileans homes. Sure, they don't grow coffee in Chile but coffee ...

tomasb

i could understand going to this event if you've never had Peruvian food before. other than that, i don't quite get what the big hype is all about when you can buy the same food all around Lima without the hassle of waiting in line etc. the biggest sellers were the anticucho stands. btw, i've been ...

tomasb

One recommendation seems fairly clear from my inquiry, which is to avoid the weekends due to the crowds. As far as some of the other comments, I don't think it is practical to try to sample Peruvian food by dropping in to various kiosks and restaurants around Lima. You could spend all day trying to ...

tomasb

I am returning to Lima this September to attend a la feria Gastronomical Mistura. It will be the first time for me at this event, which appears to grow in popularity every year. I am thinking of avoiding the weekends and going during the week to avoid the crowds. This year, the event will be held fr...

tomasb

I lived in Cusco for almost two years and visited Arequipa several times during this time. I think the amount of tourists who visit Cusco has distorted the cost of living there. This particularly applies to food costs, restaurants, and sometimes housing expenses. You can try to live like a local but...

tomasb

In LaPaz, Bol. The poor live high in the hills surrounding the city, which descends into a bowl. The poorer you are, the higher you live. If you live near the airport on the plains above the city, you are probably quite poor. However, this is due to the weather and temps, which is nicer at the lower...

tomasb

In answer to Sergio's comment, there are, of course, several private charter planes doing Nazca line tours from the Airport in that area. Some are more reliable and safer than others. I don't think this type of service now exists in Cuzco as I used to be in the tourist industry there. There might be...

tomasb

Never...

tomasb

For a day trip of about an hour, you could always go to Asia either by bus or taxi. The weather will probably be dreary but maybe you could have a bit of luck and find some sun. This is a huge and popular beach in the summer months with many restaurants, bars, and shops in a modern open mall with pe...

tomasb

Surely you know that the green taxi stand located outside immigration and at the exit from the domestic flights area offers safe taxis. The rates to all areas in Lima are posted on their sign board. All the drivers have ID's and are affiliated with the green taxi org. The cars are all late model fou...

tomasb

I have to agree with ChiChi. The outstanding and universal aspect of most Peruvians appears to be their almost pathological cheapness. This has to do with the low salaries for even professionals like doctors and engineers. However, I believe Uber is targeting rich gringos and upper class Peruvians w...

tomasb

The last time that I heard about the mustard trick occurred in Cuenca, Ecuador at the bus station. This was a few years ago and I spoke to the young college aged victim a few days later. An accomplice grabbed her luggage while she was distracted by the perpetrator. I heard anecdotally that it happen...

tomasb

I am a little unclear about how the 20% taken by Uber off the gross fare is redistributed. In one article, it said 10% of this charge is returned to the driver as a tip. Other articles I have read say that the driver get none of this fee. A passenger is not allowed to add a separate tip to the total...

tomasb

Yeah, it's for the ''Uber' rich...

tomasb

I just answered my own question.

Uber has arrived in Lima. See this link: blog.uber.com/limaforever

Prices are included at bottom of article.

tomasb

Not sure if Uber has arrived in Peru yet but it is all the rage in certain cities in the US. The company was founded in San Francisco where it is quite popular due to the dearth of taxis in the city. Also, European taxi drivers went on strike in major capitals ((Paris, London, Berlin) earlier this w...

tomasb

I see gringo pricing...

tomasb

My anecdotal experience suggests very little fighting amongst younger Peruvian men in bars, discos or on the street especially in the evening. I lived in Cusco for two years and never saw a fight at night and never witnessed one in Lima during my random visits there. One time in Cusco during the day...

tomasb

El Salvador is a very nice place to visit. With United Air, it is sometimes possible to fly there non-stop from Lima for 20k miles. It's such a compact country that one can easily drive to the beach from the capital of San Salvador in an hour. Also, I have been to the Libertad area twice in the last...

tomasb

Except they only drink Nestle instant coffee. They love it and It is quite difficult to find regular ground coffee in most Chilean locations.

tomasb

Good advice from Chi Chi. Especially true about lending money. However, once I sold an item to a friend from Lima who paid for the item several weeks later as promised. All my Peruvian acquaintances said she would never pay me but she did. However, my friend lived in Australia for several years and ...

tomasb

For starters, do not get too lost as neighborhoods can change quickly. Get a map of Lima... Try to have restaurants call for your taxis etc rather than taking one on a random basis. Use older drivers when possible. Make sure the fare is determined before you start your trip. If you don't know any Sp...

tomasb

Cancun and various other places near the Mayan coast including Tulum, Isla Mujeres, and Playa del Carmen have nice beaches, warm water, cool ceynotes, and interesting archeological sites especially in Tulum. There is large international airport in Cancun too and a well developed infrastructure. Not ...

tomasb

Since at least one person asked me about the bizarre nightlife I encountered in Mejia, I thought it would make an entertaining tale so here goes. I found myself in Mejia in late March 2012. I was misinformed about the amount of decent hotels here so I ended up, not by choice, in a dodgy Hostal on th...

tomasb

I have been to the area near Camana and visited a small nearby beach town called Mejia, which is about a 40 minute drive south of this location. Mejia is a nice quiet place with interesting house architecture on the beach side of the road and a decent enough beach. There is also a 'socio' beach club...

tomasb

I have not read the pilot was having martial problems and that his wife and children moved out the day of the disappearance. Can you provide the media link to this issue? I did know about the politician. But if the other element is accurate then it is almost assuredly pilot suicide. I would think th...

tomasb

Budvar from Czech and Budweiser from the USA were involved in several lawsuits over the past few decades. Budweiser claimed trademark dispute violations in the EU courts even though Budvar was established many years ago, actually centuries, before Budweiser. Budvar eventually prevailed and can marke...

tomasb

There is a great coffee farm in El Salvador that includes a nice restaurant, pool, and pretty cabanas owned by an American/Salvadorian. It is a very extensive and productive coffee farm and tours are part of the stay. The farm is about an hour drive from the capital. United generally offers inexpens...

tomasb

Most of the upscale hotels in Lima are for businessmen who do not pay for the room as their companies pay. Also, the rates advertised are rack rates, which are generally only paid by walk ins who are either clueless or desperate. Tourists on package tours receive better rates through their travel ag...

tomasb

For cuy, try to get invited to a locals house. The restaurant serve small portions at ridiculous prices. For alpaca, I like Uchu's Peruvian Steak House. On the side street to Plaza Nazaranes and the Hotel Monasterio. They serve the alpaca on hot lava plates. Trout...try the trout served on Sunday mo...

tomasb

This is the longest of long shots but there is an area within the city of Cusco where they have an open air flea market called Baratillo. It is is quite extensive, stretching over several blocks,and many of the items displayed in vendor stalls appear to have dubious origins. I have seen cameras for ...

tomasb

If you have a US bank account or can establish an account, then you can contact SSA to wire the money into that account.

tomasb

Yes, when I was living in Cusco, I used to ask friends to bring Thomas English muffins from the states. Easy to carry and stuff in your travel bags. I have never seen true English muffins for sale in Peru or in a restaurant.

tomasb

We know where you stand on recreational drugs and 420 inhaling.

You have been quite clear regarding your opinion on prostitution etc.

Now, you want to ban Tragamonedas?

And recent posts addressed boredom in Lima?

What's a person going to do for fun here?

tomasb

Chi Chi, When I said he was diabolical and suicidal, I meant he delibertly set this course to the South Indian Ocean, one of the most remote places on earth, so there could be no evidence that he committed suicide and killed himself and all his passengers. In the Muslim world, committing suicide is ...

tomasb

I know a yellow fever shot is not required for Iquitos but it is recommended particularly if you travel on the river beyond Iquitos. I received my shot at the GoodHope Hospital in Miraflores. They also give you a yellow fever card, which is good for ten years. Several years I lost this card while tr...

tomasb

It will be ultimately proven that it was pilot suicide. There have been two commercial planes brought down by pilot suicide in the last 20 years. The most notable was an Egyptian airline flight that went down near Nantucket Island in the Atlantic. The other was a Silk Airline flight in 1997 that was...

tomasb

I have been having problems logging in to this site for several months. I use either an IPad or IPhone but it the Forum is constantly rejecting my posts as it rejects my password. When I try to set up a new name (ie tomasb1), it rejects my email address since it is already in the system. After a sho...

tomasb

For that Cuba libre, try adding some Angostura Bitters. It gives it a distinct and smoother taste. Also, use key limes and Mexican coca cola, if available...

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