Just Opinions - Likes and Dislikes of Peru

[MarcoPE]

Ok...so I am bored and was wondering how everyone felt about their likes and dislikes about Peru...so I guess I will start.
DSILIKES:
1) the craziness of all the "systems" ... the banking, government, whichever...they seem to defy logical sense in the rules and regs.
2) no Miracle Whip
3) Food...almost any restaurant labeled Italian food, German food, Swiss food, Chinese food, all serve only lomo saltado for the menu economico??
4) no Walgreens
5) Peru is really not as cheap to live as an expat might think. ... so think twice

LIKES:
1) Food....I like lomo saltado
2) I can find some foods from my home country (US, but usually I have to search high and low)
3) The ability to have no need for a car

Now that I think about it, other than my incredibly lovely and beautiful wife, Peru would not have been an option....actually I would have chosen Panama.

DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to create controversy nor start a debate. People feel how they feel and you can not tell them to feel otherwise. Play nice!

[chuck]

Dislikes:
Lima weather.
Different rules and regulations depending on who you talk to.
Gringo tax.
The traffic in Lima.
No public transport system in Lima.
Having to deal with three people to buy one item (initial service->pay for item->take receipt to separate window to collect item). Is this only in la selva?

Likes:
Cebiche.
Paiche.
The weather in la selva.
Cheap booze.

I will edit this list as more come to mind.

Ah, i just thought of another dislike:
the incredibly - excruciatingly - slow customer service.

And another 'like':
The weather in la selva - storms!

[KenBE]

Here are some of mine:

LIKES:

1) Nightlife. I love the nightlife here in Peru. I couldn't dance when I first came here, but now I love it.
2) Food, especially ceviche.
3) Fantastic, interesting places to visit.
4) Life is a lot cheaper than in Europe.
5) Living here is exciting and interesting, like an adventure.
6) I get the chance to learn about a different culture, which is a great experience.

DISLIKES:

1) Crime. This is the main thing I don't like here, far too many choros (thieves),
especially here in Trujillo. I get tired of always having to look over my shoulder when I walk around.
2) Rudeness. People tell you to your face that you are too fat, skinny, pale, etc. I know that this is not considered rude here, but it is where I come from and I don't like it.
3) People not paying you back when you loan them money.

[rama0929]

Likes
1. Food. I'm a big guy, and I love to eat. There is no shortage of food there at varying prices
2. Women. Always found many to be very approachable (not 'Mystery' approachable, but approachable nonetheless). Overall, I haven't dealt with the "stuckup-ness" that, say, the Colombianas have a reputation for. The girls are very warm and caring, with a touch of self-depreciation
3. Nightlife. Good energy found @ the Boulevard. Also have a lot of fun at house parties (birthdays quinceaneras), which often go to the small hours and feature a lot of beer
4. Strong family unit. I like the dynamic between young and old, and it's amusing to hear my gf and her mom talking on the couch at 5 in the morning before Mom goes to work. Elders there command a respect and dignity that I don't see much of in the states
5. Adventure
6. Potential. I think if you were to find your niche, Peru can be a goldmine for the right investor or opportunity, whether it's something for the youth to do or a restaurant angle, or whatever.
7. COL. Appreciated, as I live in the Metro NY area. I don't stay in the high rent districts of Lima, you'll usually find me staggering around Los Olivos or SMP
8. A benign ignorance. Seem to be a lot of old wives spreading their tales down there

Dislikes
1. Petty crime. Don't like the feeling that I have to constantly be on guard. This coming from a guy who has lived in the South Bronx and Rochester. Don't like that I have to be home by a certain hour because I don't want to hear the gf, her mom or friends going on and on about the rateros. According to them, I should be dead several times over
2. Impuesto de gringo
3. Family fights. As they say, there's a thin line between love and hate. As great as the stong family unit may be there are times where there are berrinches... ay yi yi.
4. Traffic, especially at rush hour. And the overstuffed combis that come along with it. Construction traffic is a minor annoyance too
5. Convenience. Things like contact lens solution or clothes that are in my size that I get with no problem here, but are difficult to find there. Amazing a lot of what we take for granted here in the states.
6. Chismes... Good gravy people like to gossip here. Be careful where you are, when you are there, and the people you are there with, because you never know who's watching. The friend of a classmate's gf's sister's brother's cousin's aunt's mother's godmother's twin grandmother just happened to see you enter a hostel with someone while passing in a combi, 3 blocks away... All the while you've been home with the gf all day.

[Polaron]

Likes

1. The people. Every country has beautiful areas of nature, but Peru's real treasure is its people. I know that Peruvians can be hard to understand for gringos and Europeans (in fact, most Latin Americans are hard for them to understand), but I really like the humility and unassuming attitudes of most peruanos.

2. The food. Who doesn't like Peruvian cuisine? It is awesome, though I am going to commit a great sacrilege here and say that I like Mexican ceviche a little more. May it is just because I am more used to it, or the taste of the chile serrano or cilantro (yes, I know South Americans say culantro).

3. The weather. I think the weather here is great; I would much rather deal with fog and some light gloom than put up with the steamy heat of the jungle or the incredibly hot, sunny days in the chaco of Paraguay and Argentina.

4. Taxis are cheap here compared to other major cities such as Santiago and Buenos Aires, and that suits me fine, because whenever I make a trip across town, I go by taxi. I'm at a stage in my life where there are two truths: a. a stiff drink for me is undiluted orange juice; and b. I no longer wish to be jostled on buses and combis.

5. For me, it is easier to find products from the U.S. than in Santiago, Buenos Aires or Asunción. Those items here are pricey, but at least they are available.

6. Housing in Lima is considerably less expensive than in Buenos Aires or Santiago de Chile, but unfortunately costlier than in Asunción.

7. The mostly live-and-let-live attitudes of the people, and the fact that you never hear comments such as, "I'm a fracking redneck and I'll kick your goat-smelling assets" or words to that effect. Violence for its own sake is particularly high in the U.S. and I have a real problem with that.

DISLIKES:

Sorry, I am probably going to step on some toes here. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I am going to criticize one institution heavily.

1. The stranglehold that the Catholic Church and its evil minion Cipriani have on public opinion here in Peru. For crying out loud. Cipriani is every bit as vicious as Pope Benedict, aka Nazinger.

2. Crime. I am not so worried about petty crime, because it exists everywhere, but what does concern me are the armed robberies on the street and those committed with the help of taxistas. Having said that, the situation is worse elsewhere. Crimes of this sort have been rampant for decades in places such as Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico DF, Caracas, Guatemala City, San Salvador, San Jose, and Mexican border towns such as Tijuana, Cd. Juárez and Matamoros.

3. Apagones. Electricity power outages happen a bit more frequently than I would like. So far in 2011 where I live, there have been 4 or 5 apagones. I would like to see that reduced to two per year.

4. Bureaucracy. It is a problem throughout Latin America, and I know it irritates gringos. I roll my eyes sometimes, but after 23+ years living "south of the border," I have grown accustomed to it. I will say that there are an easy-to-understand reasons for the bureaucracy (as a former poster said, in a store you select an item to buy and receive a ticket; you then go to the cashier to pay; you then go to another person to take delivery of the item): a. It affords additional levels of control. When one person handles all the operations, such as a cashier, it is much easier for merchandise to be smuggled out of the store unpaid. I am not referring to supermarkets, because there is only one area of cashiers, and that area is constantly supervised. I mean stores with many different departments. With the current system, Maria in electronics writes you up a ticket for a new printer; you go to the cashier Esmeralda to pay for it. She gives you a receipt. Then you head over to pick up your item from Heriberto, who stamps delivered and gives you the goodies. That way, if there is a conspiracy to steal merchandise, then 3 different employees in three different areas of the store have to be in on it. It also creates a paper trail for the accountants to follow; b. having that much bureaucracy provides jobs for 3 people instead of 1, and those 3 people still earn less money combined than one person would in Disneyland; and c. it requires less training and less direct supervision. If one person has to do everything, then that person will require more training and more autonomy, two things that Latin American managers still tend to shy away from.

5. This is a big one for me: substandard customer service. Admittedly, I am prejudiced since I was a customer service manager for Bell Telephone in the early to mid-1980s and also for an outsourcing company in Central America during part of the last decade, but I am still frequently appalled. Things are getting bad all over, including in the U.S. When I lived in Spain, I was unhappy with service there, and I am unhappy in Latin America. I will say, however, that service in Peru is superior to what you find in Buenos Aires Capital Federal, which is the worst service I have ever experienced. Just today, I wasted half an hour on chat with a company in the U.S. that also operates in Peru. The person in the U.S. told me to call Peru, so I called here. I told the person who answered that I had spent half an hour getting nowhere and had been cut off two times. Her response, "¿En qué le puedo servir?" I repeated myself two more times and got the same response. I then said, "Perhaps I have not adequately explained the reason for my call." She replied, "Así es, Señor. ¿Cuál es el motivo de su llamada?" The worst part: she was not trying to be rude or uncooperative; she simply did not have either the skills or the initiative to take ownership of the problem and address my concerns. Curiously though, she became helpful and positively sycophantic when I mentioned the name of the Company CEO and said that I should probably stop taking up her time and go bother the Florida attorney general instead.

6. Some of the sillier old wives tales, such as drinking diluted fruit juice will make you sick (believe it or not), or drinking beverages with ice will threaten your health, or that air conditioning will make you deathly ill. In all fairness, I have met people in the U.S. who refused to eat anything that had been in a microwave because "the food keeps cooking in your stomach."

7. The assumption by Peruvian friends that if you are a gringo, that means you are a complete innocent who is incapable of evaluating risk, danger and the general character of natives of Peru, who most surely are all out to get you. I usually respond that as someone who has trekked through the vecindades of Tepito (in Mexico City), there is little that frightens or surprises me in Peru. That does not mean I am willing to take my life in my hands as in the days of my youth, but I believe I am capable of deciding for myself whether or not someone is a threat.

[rgbjr]

Hi I am too lazy to type it all out. I AGREE with all the likes and dislikes. I lived in Metropolitan NY. I am use to a lot of things. I worked for the local government and we had to know our jobs. We were tested to get the job. Had job reviews every 6 months if you failed or got a bad review you were demoted. The people who work in Peru for the most part do try to help you to the best of their ability. The problem the managers do not give enough time to teach the employees what is needed to do their jobs to their fullest ability. The People of Peru are very friendly and most part will go WAY out of their way to help you if you can explain the situation to them so they can understand the problem. The problem is also partly the fault of the foreigners like myself that do not speak enough Spanish to explain what is wrong. I love living in Peru especially LA Molina the weather for most part is good the people are friendly and I find it a Lot cheper to ive here than in NY. My taxes on a 2 bedroom house was $10,000.00 per year.
That's my two sense.
Bobby

[fanning]

Likes :
I like Peru !!

[teamoperu]

I like the entreprenuerial spirit here, everyone always finding a way to make a couple of soles;
but I do not like someone always in may face trying to sell me something, especially when I am eating! … no I don't want your stupid sun glasses in my when I am eating.

I very much dislike the level of crime;
but I like they do acknowledge it and are trying to do something about the deliquencia.

I like that here there are cheap taxis seconds away whenever I need one;
but not that they quote me a higher price because I'm a gringo.

I like that I can always wander about and see wonderful architecture and interesting things;
but not the level of noise pollution, really, do you all have to honk when the light turns green?

I do not like drivers using their cars to terrorize pedestrians trying to cross at a crosswalk;
but I do like smacking their side mirrors closed when they get that close.

I like the cultural level of “submissiveness” in avoiding the 1000 daily possible confrontations;
but not that by ignoring them nothing changes. They do not like the hawkers in their face, the drivers almost running them over, the noise pollution, the taxistas yelling “TAXI” at the airport and everywhere, any more than I do, but they passively say nothing, so nothing changes.

I like the food, possibly the best food in the world;
I do not like, well, there are no not-likes when it comes to the food!

[jimmyglen]

I like a lot of things about Peru

I cant stand the bad customer service and the way people will tell you a big fat lie and you are just supposed to accept it as the truth

the traffic takes a toll on me when I am in Lima

it seems like an hour to go someplace that should take 15-20 min tops in the U.S
and that hour is white knuckle driving

[Lloyd007]

Here's my 2 bob's worth:

LIKES:
1) My beautiful Peruvian fiancee
2) Ceviche!
3) No need of a car
4) Great places to travel to like Ica, Nazca, Ballestas Isles... all in a day trip or weekend
5) Lot's of local flights to all major Peruvian destinations at good prices
6) The brilliance of the invention and efficiency of the crazy combis
7) No rain, almost no wind, no snow, no crazy weather like back in the UK.
8. Living by the sea
9) Super cheap council tax (I pay one amount for the whole year in Lima equal to what i would pay monthly in the UK)
10) You seem to get treated with more respect as a gringo/foreigner in a lot of ways

DISKLIKES:
1) The stupid traffic
2) The way people tell you lies, like it's second nature, acceptable and normal
3) My idiotic, inconsiderate, thoughtless neighbour who sings opera with his buddies in his living room on Saturday nights at full volume (shared floor in apartment building). You really have to hear it to believe it.
4) Having to explain myself time and time again when it was more than clear the first time
5) People being hours late
6) Asking for directions and being deliberately sent the wrong way (which I now do to Peruvians as a means of revenge!)
7) Ollanta Humala
8. Gringo prices
9) LAN Airlines
10) Red tape... which seems to go on, and on and on....

[Boo]

Likes:

- Family. Closeness and warmth.
- Prices.
- Weather. Even when when people are "muriendose de frio" it's still only 60 degrees and I can wear short sleeves. Virtually no rain and the gray skies don't bother me.
- Laid-back lifestyle. Like a good Peruvian, I like to live relaxed.
- Helpfulness of people. Ask anybody on the street and they'll be helpful.
- Food
- People.
- Things are still personal. It's very rare to see a vending machine. I like being able to buy a snack or soda from a person and have them hand it to me rather than pick it off a shelf. Or see someone make the food that I'll be eating. I love the markets where each person sells something specific and you know them.

Dislikes:

- Too much reverence for "el extranjero". People act like the US or Europe is utopia.
- Certain products. I like Head & Shoulders shampoo but here it's expensive. Stuff like that.
- Lies. People that sell you stuff or provide a service will straight up lie to your face. "Pasa mañana a las 5 y lo tendre listo" and you show up and they're not even there.
- Price gouging. If it's night or you're going to the airport the taxistas will double or triple the price and then tell you that's the regular price.
- "Rudeness". Staring (even at "certain" body parts) is not rude. I saw a well-dressed man walking and talking to someone who I assume was his work colleague, and he sees a woman and turns around and stares at her butt. I had to laugh cause it was incredible. And people also tell you you're fat or your hair is too long for a guy.
- The stories. I'm pretty sure I've been told that your stomach will stick together if you don't eat. And the outrageous stories you hear that people believe and then tell you like it's scientific fact.

I don't mind traffic, because I enjoy staring out the window and it's not a Lima thing either, I would enjoy staring out the window in Chicago or London or Tokyo.

I look like an average Peruvian, maybe even a bit lighter than the usual Peruvian, so people don't try to rip me off quite as much. For information's sake, I'm a Peruvian living in the US, but I come to Peru every year for 2-3 months in the summer (winter in Peru).

I've drawn conclusions that people here are very warm and nice, unless it deals with money. It reminds me of something my cousin said, when you have viveza as your culture you can't trust anybody. Once people see money, everything changes. Of course, I don't deal with stuff like customer service, crime, and government as much as people who live here year-round but this my list.

[Galt0902]

[quote="chuck"]Dislikes:
Lima weather.
Different rules and regulations depending on who you talk to.
Gringo tax.
The traffic in Lima.
No public transport system in Lima.
Having to deal with three people to buy one item (initial service->pay for item->take receipt to separate window to collect item). Is this only in la selva?quote]


I agree about the Gringo Tax. I went to a shopping mart and found two shops that had 4G USBs for sale. The two stores were side by side. I went up to one and asked how much for the 4G USB (in spanish). $75 soles. Then my girlfriend's brother went to the other vendor at the same moment without my presence and was quoted $50 soles. I was dressed more tacky than him. Maybe I need a tan and accent adjustment. Anyone teach 'accent adjusting'? J/K

I will say the public transportation system is quite swift (maybe not 100% safe, fast driving/stopping) if you know where you are going AND are familiar with the terms some bus stops have. Think about it, really only a small adjustment to the bus transportation system would be necessary. Something like Buenos Aires, Argentina where the speed of the buses and number of buses is similar to Peru but with more structure. The other unique thing is that all buses are marked by a color code and name. Those names/codes are available for view on the signs at almost every street corner. It also explains where the bus is going. Tricks I found for achieving the Lima bus system: Know the bus stop names, see what districts the bus is going, and ask the 'bus caller', you know the guy yelling out a bunch of stops at a gazillion miles/hour (but if he gives you a quote it is probably bcuz the bus doesnt stop there). That is what I figured out by now.

[TonyLeslie]

Interesting question MarcoPe. One just about needs to sit down and write it all out first. So I will start with what I dislike.

The fact that your original marriage certificate, if you get married in Perú, is not good enough to get your Carnet.
The queue out to the street to get your official marriage certificate from the Government.
The queue when you finally get sent to a section
The queue at the Banco De la Nacion.
The queue at the next person you are sent to.
The queue where you have the processing done.
The queue back at the Banco De La Nacion
The queue when you finally get to go back and get your certificate
and how could we forget
The queue on the ground floor at Immigrations
The queue on the third floor
The queue at the copy centre
The queue back at the third floor
The queue back at the Banco De La Nacion
The queue back on the third floor
The queue back at the Banco De La Nacion for the second time.
and the queue back on the third floor for the fourth time
And the day you get your carnet
The queue on the third floor
The queue at the Banco De la Nacion
The queue at a different area on the third floor
The queue on the second floor
The queue waiting for your carnet. At least you can sit down
Of course when you have to go to Serpost
The five queues to get Your parcels
and if you are unlucky like me and they sent items to two different Serpost locations,
to have suffer through with another five queues.
Obviously I am a person of little patience, but I think the Peruvian Public service are starting to acclimatize me.
Living in Brena and walking around obviously oblivious to all the bad things I read about
I dislike the rubbish laying in the streets
The disrespect (not only in Brena) many Peruvians have for their environment without being specific.
I also dislike the cost, quantity and sometimes the quality of food in places like Miraflores and San Isidro
As others have written, the noise, horn blowing, those rotten car alarms that go off when someone walks past them and the buses, combis and taxis that are full of rust among other problems.

I do like
My Peruvian wife as it goes without saying
Wandering around Brena amidst all the street vendors.
The smiles they give you for days after, once you have brought something, however small, from them
The fact they never pressure me to buy anything
Listening to the cheerful banter especially at the Saturday market
The gringo tax in Brena only being about 1 or 2 soles.
The cost, quality and quantity of food in the better little restaurants scattered in the surrounding streets of Brena.
That a good meal for two in Brena, sometimes with more than you can eat, or other times it would include an entree and main course with a large Cerveza for less than 35 soles. Sometimes less than 30 soles
The delicious fruit from the street wheelbarrows
The fresh meat, poultry and vegetables available at the market
The fact that Metro and Plaza Vea have many items cheaper than their stores in upmarket suburbs.
I like the fact that I have just bought, in a little shop tucked away in Avenida Venezuela, a good quality bedroom set of two sheets, a blanket, a bedspread, two pillow slips and something else which I can't remember the name of, for 90 soles. The cost of smaller blanket at Falabella was 89 soles and on special at Metro supermarket for 30 soles for a thin blanket that would barely cover the bed.
Cusquena, Pilson Callao and Pilson Trujillo all around 5.50 soles for the grande in the restaurants in Brena
and coffee at Cafe Verde even if it is is miraflores.

Hows that for a start. better be careful or I could start version two.

[curlyguy18]

6) The brilliance of the invention and efficiency of the crazy combis

How are combis efficient? If anything they are very INEFFICIENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hoyce]

i dont like all the wanton soups that only have the wanton skin. i dont like the pizza, i dont like the hamburgers, i dont like traffic.

i like that it is alive.

[Nate]

My only dislike is the car first, pedestrians 2nd paradigm (unless you have a pram)

Likes...too many to number.

[jcn7vc]

I've only been here two months, but I've already developed quite a list.

I Like:
-Food and beer prices
-The many different amazing dishes and drinks that Peru has to offer, from different regions of the country to other countries
-3G even in Huaraz and some small cities around
-Most (not all) people in the service industry try to help you more because you're a gringo, and when you find other gringos everyone tries to help each other
-Easy to get a taxi, and they're cheap
-The terrain and variety, but especially the Cordillera Blanca

I Don't Like:
-The amount of time my company has taken to get me: Cell phone, internet, home phone, reimbursed for travel here, clearance to enter work as someone employed there and not as a visitor (I don't have any of that after 2 months here)
-Ceviche Mariscos
-How I get sick whenever I eat eggs at work
-The fact that you can tell a taxi driver where you want to go, they will quote you for the trip, then after a few minutes they start asking people on the street where to go, and tell you it will be more money because it is further than they thought
-Some of the false things they believe about the US and Americans in general (we all love red meat and Coca Cola, we tip for everything, there is no danger in the US, everyone that comes here from the US has tons of expendible income, none of us are Catholic)
-People don't know how to wait in line, and you have to go to multiple buildings/counters when dealing with anything official
-The quality of the beer (unless you can find some locally made with coca!)

[musiclover]

Likes:
-huge variety of fresh fruits and vegetables & taste amazing!
-all the fresh fruit juices and varieties!!!
-Peruvian cuisine of course...everything is excellent...
-welcoming, friendly Peruvian culture and great sense of hospitality, for the most part
-great coffees...
-no snow, ice, snow storms, blizzards, hail or rain storms (at least in Lima)
-love all the museums...history, art, culture, etc, etc...
-and today, am reminded of how much I LOVE how many Ferriados there are here, a few more than Canada!
-love living close to the ocean and beaches...beautiful, esp in summer

-there's lots more...those are some thoughts for today! Best to focus on the likes b/c as with many other expats there are plenty of frustrating things, too!

Feliz Dia to everyone!

[sanbartoloian]

Like

I think most people in Peru are more than wonderful.
The food is amazing.
Geography changes in hours.
I like the beer .
Love San Bartolo, my home and the ocean.
I actually enjoy driving and the fact when I tell people in US I have a bluebird they dont know what it is.
I see a future for Peru, a bright future.

Dislike

Telefonica, liars,( wait, telefonica and liars are the same ) poor customer service, polution, poverty

[rama0929]

-The quality of the beer (unless you can find some locally made with coca!)

Coca beer? Do tell!

[Polaron]

-The quality of the beer (unless you can find some locally made with coca!)

Coca beer? Do tell!

I don't know, but I suspect it beats root beer all to hell and gone.

[jcn7vc]

-The quality of the beer (unless you can find some locally made with coca!)

Coca beer? Do tell!

Lucho in Huaraz makes Coca Beer (Red Ale and Dark styles). He bottles it and sells it at his bar (13 Buhos) and many of the popular expat cafes in town.

[HarrytheHat]

Hi ! Newbie Here,
In keeping with other previous posters my only real dislike of Peru is the feeling of having one foot nailed to the floor, walking around in a circle whenever there is paperwork involved. Everyone gives you a different answer as you are shuffled from desk to desk, and sometimes the humor as you sit back and watch they argue amongst themselves about the laws/ regulations while you are waiting.
One interesting thing that happened to me when I was preparing to marry. I live in South Jersey , near Philadelphia. The Peruvian Consulate is in Paterson, North Jersy, near NY. I took a certified copy of my Birth Certificate , my divorce paperwork to be stamped. Divorce paperwork - no problem. Birth Certificate " This is a Mass. Birth Certificate. " My reply " Yes, that is where I was born. " " You need to go to the consulate in Boston to have this stamped. Besides, it is missing a signature." My reply " I'm a resident of New Jersey, why do I need to go to Boston ? It is a certified copy what signature is missing ? " ( This is before I knew of the wonders of RENEC ) " That is the way that it is done. You need the signature of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Mass. to certify that this is a valid copy, then take it to the consulate in Boston. " Great ! , good thing I wasn't born in Calif. So, took another day off from work, drove up to Boston, paid $7.00 for a nice piece of paper with a shiny Gold seal of the Commonwealth of Mass. with the Secretary of the Comonwealth's signature on it, verifing that my certified copy was indeed a valid copy. Made my way across the Boston Common to the consulate and waited an hour and a half for a girl to type one paragraph, and I was the only one in the waiting area.
Other than the paperwork I have no dislikes. I have a wonderful wife, her family adordes me. Love the food. Yes you have to be aware of where you are. I live across the river from " Killadelphia " - They have murders over parking spaces in winter.
From some of the other posters about likes / dislikes. Not really a dislike but - Has anyone else flown to Cusco? How about the fighter pilot experience of 5g negative upon landing ? Talk about white knuckle !
And to one of the other posters who wrote of the " icecube that will kill you. " Tip - Don't drink too many Cuba Libres, ice comes from water. I was in the Navy on a South America cruise. Had the misfortune of drinking Cuba Libres all night in Rio Brasil, spent three days in the head, lost almost one pants size. Ice can kill. That is about all for now.

[kristidnyc]

I don't know if I'm qualified to respond as I've only been here one month so far, but I've visited Peru more than ten times over the last ten years, so I feel I know the country pretty well. Anyways, for a newbie like me, here are my initial likes/dislikes:

LIKES:
[*] My big apartment. I couldn't afford a place this big in Europe or the US, especially as we have a partial view of the ocean
[*] Fresh vegetables and fruit - yummm!
[*] Riding on the micro. It's an adventure every time. I'm sure I'll get tired of it eventually, but I really like it so far.
[*] The panadero. Even though I don't like the pan integral he sells (which has been sweetened), it's such a luxury to have fresh bread delivered directly to your door
[*] The wealth of the culture and places to see. I've traveled a lot, but have yet to see so many corners of this fantastic country. On top of my list: Nazca, Caral, Manu, Iquitos, Huancayo (just b/c my husband was born there)
[*] Jogging by the ocean, along the malecon from Barranco to Miraflores. It even makes jogging fun
[*] It's still cheap to live here, compared to Europe/US
[*] The abundance of investment opportunities [/list]

DISLIKES:
[*] The food. I know everyone else loves it, but being pescaterian (vegetarian who eats fish), the food kind of sucks. All I can eat in restaurants is potatoes, rice and fried fish. I do like ceviche, but not every day. Good thing I know how to cook.
[*] The incessant honking. It's still a bit funny to me that people honk just to honk, because I think of it as their hobby. They're bored driving, so they honk to pass the time. But it's annoying because it's so constant.
[*] Ollanta Humala, and the people who voted for him. He scares me, because he is such a huge liar and god knows what he will do.
[*] People walking side-by-side in the middle of the sidewalk, and not moving to the side if anyone wants to pass by.

That's all I can think of right now. I love it here so far!

[kristidnyc]

Oh, by the way - what is Gringo Tax?

[rama0929]

Oh, by the way - what is Gringo Tax?

Paying more because you're a gringo.

[rama0929]

[*] The food. I know everyone else loves it, but being pescaterian (vegetarian who eats fish), the food kind of sucks. All I can eat in restaurants is potatoes, rice and fried fish. I do like ceviche, but not every day. Good thing I know how to cook.

I thought there were many seafood restaurant options in the Miraflores/Barranco area. Guess I was wrong.

[Polaron]

[*] The food. I know everyone else loves it, but being pescaterian (vegetarian who eats fish), the food kind of sucks. All I can eat in restaurants is potatoes, rice and fried fish. I do like ceviche, but not every day. Good thing I know how to cook.

I thought there were many seafood restaurant options in the Miraflores/Barranco area. Guess I was wrong.

Rama. you're thinking of "seefood" restaurants - see food and eat it.

[renodante]

i like being a single "exotic foreigner" here

i don't like the horns blaring without pause outside my window right now during "hora punta"

[rama0929]

[*] The food. I know everyone else loves it, but being pescaterian (vegetarian who eats fish), the food kind of sucks. All I can eat in restaurants is potatoes, rice and fried fish. I do like ceviche, but not every day. Good thing I know how to cook.

I thought there were many seafood restaurant options in the Miraflores/Barranco area. Guess I was wrong.

Rama. you're thinking of "seefood" restaurants - see food and eat it.

Oh, I've seen plenty of those too

I would've thought that Chorillos and Callao have plenty seafood restaurants I usually make a trip to La Punta when I'm there.

[kristidnyc]

Yes, there are lots of seafood restaurants that are very expensive if you're living on a Peruvian budget. Expensive restaurants have excellent food anywhere in the world. I'm talking about "Menus", or any meal that costs less than S./15 per plate.

I'm just not a big fan of Peruvian food, whether it's a sudado, a causa de cangrejo, picante de camarones, parihuela, jalea or something else. I like a good ceviche, pulpo al olivo or tiradito once in a while, but other than that I prefer Asian food by far.

[Choripán]

Every rose has its thorn, every mountain its valley, every upside its downside, every ida its vuelta. Well, whatever, you know what I mean:

Like: Peruvian food - all of it
Corresponding dislike: the "culo volcán" that all-too-often erupts the following morning

Like: the Pacific ocean
Corresponding dislike: the damn soul-crushing winter fog that blows in from the sea

Like: the irrepressible problem-solving spirit of the Peruvian people
Corresponding dislike: the mountain of ridiculous and unnecessary problems created by the Peruvian will to disorganization

Like: cheap transportation
Corresponding dislike: Peruvian transportation system

Like: Pisco sour benders
Corresponding dislike: hangovers so bad they make the dark winter fog attractive

Like: plenty of time to read
Corresponding dislike: no place to buy books

Like: juice bars
Corresponding dislike: there really isn't one, now that I think about it

[lizzym]

Like: plenty of time to read
Corresponding dislike: no place to buy books

Lima's International Book Fair So it just ended a few days ago, but there's always next year!

Granted the vast majority were in Spanish, but I found copies of some of my favorites and bought a few for the bf. There was a lot of variety, from Russian lit. to Indian (subcontinent) metaphysics and works by local authors, some of whom we ran into while wandering around. But yeah outside of that there aren't many options.

[windsportinperu]

Corresponding dislike: no place to buy books

Corresponding dislike: there really isn't one, now that I think about it

There are plenty of reading books for about 4 or 6 soles or even less.. if you know where to get them...

Juice bars = jugerias - every district in LIma and Peru has a jugueria, usually in the "mercado"

[Choripán]

Corresponding dislike: there really isn't one, now that I think about it

Juice bars = jugerias - every district in LIma and Peru has a jugueria, usually in the "mercado"

I think I should probably clarify a little. When I wrote that there "really isn't one" under corresponding dislike, what I meant is that there is absolutely nothing to dislike about the jugerias of Lima. They are pure joy and happiness and don't fit the "every upside has its downside" model!

[renodante]

Dislike: going to a department store like Ripley and having 8 counters each with 3+ employees behind each counter and a cash register behind each counter, but STILL having to be handed a piece of paper to walk to the other end of the store to buy one simple item.

Like: the fact that people are prone to spontaneously dance and/or sing in unison at any given time.

[Kelly]

Like - that i can go to a pharmacy and tell them what I need without having to go to the doctor first.

Dislike - that the pharmacists often are poorly educated about the medications they're dispensing.

Example: I sent my husband to buy a decongestant, they sent him home with antihistamines. Not the same thing. (I don't expect my husband to know the difference, he's not a pharmacist and rarely takes medicine) I end up going myself to buy, and get a medicine for congestion and cough - perfect. Look at the side, it has antihistamine too, which I don't want. Explained again to the pharmacist I don't need them, finally got the right stuff.

THEN - the pharmacist says, "Take 7.5ml every 6-8 hours". She even showed me the right line on the little cup.

I get home and read the documentation that comes with the medicine - it says take 10 ml every 4 hours.

It's not a big deal for me, I know to read the packaging. But many people do not - and like my husband, they trust the pharmacists and expect them to know what they're talking about.

I won't even get to the pharmacists who keep trying to push antibiotics on us when we have a cold or flu.

[sbaustin]

I love Peru's celebration of various international holidays. My favorite (or maybe my girlfriend's favorite) was celebrated yesterday.

World Wide Female Orgasm Day
http://www.rpp.com.pe/2011-08-08-dia-de ... 92223.html

Just another reason to love Peru.

[renodante]

I won't even get to the pharmacists who keep trying to push antibiotics on us when we have a cold or flu.

yeah, they pop antibiotics like candy down here. i'm sure there's super resistant strains in the works because of this.

[Lloyd007]

When I am walking, I am tired of people walking towards me and deliberately changing their trajetory to walk right in to me, or making me move when they were already on the other side of the path 10 yards away with ample space to pass... but no, they have to change their side of the path and walk down the same bit as me at the last possible moment with no reason for it. What's that all about? I can't be the only one who's noticed this, surely?

Maybe it's my new aftershave, who knows! Jokes aside, it has got rather frustrating recently!

[renodante]

When I am walking, I am tired of people walking towards me and deliberately changing their trajetory to walk right in to me, or making me move when they were already on the other side of the path 10 yards away with ample space to pass... but no, they have to change their side of the path and walk down the same bit as me at the last possible moment with no reason for it. What's that all about? I can't be the only one who's noticed this, surely?

Maybe it's my new aftershave, who knows! Jokes aside, it has got rather frustrating recently!

THANK YOU! it's really the oddest thing, i've neve gotten used to it, and it still never ceases to **** me off royally. i really just don't understand it. it's similar at giant concerts,etc. i often go to big house music events at monumental. my girlfriend is peruvian, and i was joking with her trying to make light of what actually really gets to me, about how you'll be dancing and someone will just plow right into you to get past you, even though they have plenty of space to get around you. i told her "let's do an experiment" and we deliberately went to an area way in the back of the arena where there was like 30 feet of open, empty space, just concrete floor. i told her, "i bet you people will STILL walk right into us or rub into us when there" she was like "nooooo." we went there and started dancing. within about 5 minutes, I feel something behind me, and some kid and his friends are standing practically on top of me, and he's on his cell phone, his mouth like 10 inches from my ear. i really just do not understand it. I mean, i'd write it off as a macho thing teenagers are doing to intimidate, but everyone from old ladies to guys in business suits do it just as often.

i've posted this before, but i plow right into them on the street now, hard. i only do it when i'm cornered, like if i'm already going out of my way to be on the edge of the curb to make room for people to walk, or if i'm against a wall, and they STILL make no effort to move and walk right into me. i blast into their shoulder and when they're like "AYE?!?" i look at them with a maniacle glare ala Charles Manson and keep walking.

Maybe it's my new aftershave, who knows! Jokes aside, it has got rather frustrating recently

yeah, maybe we're just so gorgeous they feel the overwhelming urge to be near us.

[Lloyd007]

yeah, maybe we're just so gorgeous they feel the overwhelming urge to be near us.

That was my initial thought too...!
I don't understand the mentally of it all, yet somehow without fail, every other block and someone walks in to me, deliberately changing their course to do so!
Even when there is nobody else around! Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!

[Kelly]

That is a frustrating thing - especially when you're already hugging the wall or curb and have no where else to move to.

[renodante]

That is a frustrating thing - especially when you're already hugging the wall or curb and have no where else to move to.

you've been here a long time (i think), do you have any insight into why this is? i try not to get angry about it but it's just such a strange phenomenon.

[Lloyd007]

I've been here for several years now and don't have a clue as to what this is all about. I wouldn't know where to begin in this ''analysis'' and I did like your use of the word ''phenomenon'' in the last post by the way - describes it nicely.
It does continue to get on my nerves, especially if it's like 3 or 4 people on the trot, on the same block, which does happen from time to time! It's extremely weird and I have NO IDEA why. Any thoughts, anyone?

[renodante]

I've been here for several years now and don't have a clue as to what this is all about. I wouldn't know where to begin in this ''analysis'' and I did like your use of the word ''phenomenon'' in the last post by the way - describes it nicely.
It does continue to get on my nerves, especially if it's like 3 or 4 people on the trot, on the same block, which does happen from time to time! It's extremely weird and I have NO IDEA why. Any thoughts, anyone?

I'm seriously facinated by it, there must be some explanation. i've heard other expats gripe about it to. i mean, it goes beyond the lack of a concept of personal space, it's going out of your way, to get in someone's way.

[Kelly]

I haven't got a clue what's behind it. For years, I tried to go out of my way to be polite and step aside, but now I just continue straight on my way - I don't go out of my way to bump into people, but I'll be darned if I'm going to dance for them.

[Polaron]

I've found these behaviors to be commonplace in the six Latin American countries where I have lived: Mexico, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru. People will go out of their way to step in front of you and then sometimes glare at you as if it were your fault. I think it has to do with the way people are raised in LatAm. Their concepts of proper social behavior differ from those of Anglo-Saxon societies. The concept of waiting one's turn, for example, is totally different here. That is why you see drivers running red lights intentionally (I mean crossing into the intersection after the light has already been red for a couple of seconds), stacking up two and three deep in the intersection to make a left turn out of a single left-turn lane, passing other cars and then swerving in front of them to make a turn, etc. The overall attitude seems to be, "hey, you're in my way."

Those of us from Anglo Saxon countries learned not to do that at a very young age; we were scolded and punished if we tried to behave that way. As a kid, when I went shopping with my father, he would make me apologize if I bumped into someone, even by accident. In 24 years, I have never heard a Latin American parent insist on an apology from his or her child. That's another thing: do not expect people in LatAm to apologize. It is anathema to them unless it is something they consider very grave.

It used to bother me a lot. Now, I just stay the course and use their own tactics: if someone pulls that on me, I pretend that I cannot see them, unless it's an elderly person or a small child.

[jshans]

LIKES
Sushi
My girlfriend
Pirate Movies
Cheap Taxi
Peruvian Airlines

DISLIKES
Bland Peruvian Food
Peruvians constantly asking "How much do you love our food?"
Fake Store Sales - If there is a sale, the original price is usually increased to coincide with the sale.
Marxism and Anti-imperialism
Me First Attitude
No Iced Tea in restaurants
No good beer
No super-fast internet
Discotechs
Time
Begging
Police always looking for a bribe
Rampant Racism

[rama0929]

Those who have been bumped, may want to check your pockets