MEXICO: Los Cabos Has Most Prized And Protected Resorts, Yet Highest Murder Rate In The World

San Jose del Cabo is a city in Los Cabos.

Los Cabos is a municipality located at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur. It encompasses the two towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo the municipal seat linked by a twenty-mile Resort Corridor of beach-front properties and championship golf courses.

The area was remote and rural until the latter 20th century, when the Mexican government began to develop Cabo San Lucas for tourism, which then spread east to the municipal seat.

The main draw is the climate and geography, where desert meets the sea, along with sport fishing, resorts and golf. This tourism is by far the main economic activity with over two million visitors per year. Over 1 million visit from the United States.

The town of San Jose del Cabo is located at the foot of the Sierra de la Laguna, 130 km SSW of La Paz, the state capital of Baja California Sur. Although it is the seat of government for the municipality of Los Cabos, it is smaller than the other city of Cabo San Lucas.

However, because of federal and private investments in tourism, its growth is now rivaling that of the more famous resort area.

This growth has been regulated to outside of the town center, especially to the south where the beaches are, leaving the historic town center quiet and relatively unchanged.

There are still cobblestone streets, adobe houses, jacaranda trees and a central square in front of a church that dates from the 1700s, where people still gather in the evening when it is cooler.

A number of the large houses in the center date from the 19th century, and most of these have been converted into restaurants, art galleries and shops selling everything from fine handcrafts, silver, local gemstones and souvenirs.

The art scene in the town is well-developed because of tourism and people with vacation homes. These shops carry high end paintings, sculptures in from traditional Mexican, Mexican contemporary and international artisans and artists.

During the high season from October to May, these galleries stay open late into the night. The town has resisted the addition of large shopping malls and chain stores.

There is also some colonial era architecture as well, but this style has more in common with colonial towns to the north into the United States rather than the center and south of Mexico.

The main example of colonial architecture here is the town’s parish church. It was part of the Estero de las Palmas de San Jose del Cabo Mission, founded in 1730. The facade is marked with a tile mural depicting the martyrdom of founder Nicolas Tamaral, killed by the local Pericu people.

The patron saint of the town is Saint Joseph, whose feast day is celebrated here on March 19. Another important occasion is the feast of the Our Lady of the Pillar on October 12. Occasions like these are marked with traditional dance in dress styles known as Flor de Pitaya and the La Cuera.

Other important landmarks in the town include the municipal hall or palacio municipal, which dates from 1981 and the cultural center or Casa de Cultura, housed in a 19th-century building.

The tourist area of the town is the area between the town proper and the shoreline. This area has a nine-hole golf course and a line of hotels and resorts facing the ocean, which served over 900,000 hotel guests in 2011.

San Jose del Cabo is the seat and the government for the communities found in a 3,451.51km2 area, located in the extreme south of the state of Baja California Sur. It is connected to the capital of La Paz via the Transpeninsular Highway .

The municipality borders that of La Paz to the north, with the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of California surrounding it in the other directions. The municipal government consists of a municipal president, a syndic and fourteen representatives called regidors.

The main areas of the municipality are the seat, Cabo San Lucas, and the tourist corridor along the coast between them. Although San Jose del Cabo is the government, Cabo San Lucas has a higher population and its natural arch at Land’s End is the symbol for the municipality.

Outside of the two main cities, other important communities include Colonia del Sol, Las Veredas, Colonia Los Congrejos, San José Viego and La Ribera.

The municipality is one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico, for its fishing, beaches, and resorts. Historical landmarks are relatively few but include the municipal hall, the Casa de Cultura in San Jose del Cabo, the Faro Viejo and the San Jose del Cabo and Santiago de las Coras missions.

The city of Cabo San Lucas, about twenty miles to the west of San Jose del Cabo, is far more commercial. Unlike most Mexican towns, Cabo San Lucas has no main plaza or large cathedral. Instead, it is centered around the marina and entertainment district.

Up until the latter 20th century, the area was a small fishing village when tourist infrastructure was begun. Despite its success, high rise construction has been kept limited, focusing on resorts and sand-top restaurants in the beach area.

The main attractions are fishing, nightlife and whale watching. It is a place for vacation, where most visitors stay at all-inclusive resorts. The two main events during the year are Spring Break and Sammy Hagar’s birthday on the first weekend in October.

The latter focuses on his Cabo Wabo bar and restaurant in the city.

The success of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo has created a tourist corridor along the coastal highway between the cities. While there has been some development of resorts, hotels, and golf courses, there are still smaller isolated and undeveloped beaches.

By far the main economic activity for the municipality is tourism, focused on a shoreline corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Most visitors come from the United States especially California and Canada, followed by Mexico, and many visitors return year after year.

Visitors can get by in Cabo San Lucas purely in English and use U.S. dollars. Most of the about two million visitors a year arrive by plane to the Los Cabos airport, but the Cabo San Lucas marina also has facilities for cruise ships.

In 2012, the area has hotel occupancy of just over 60% with 248 cruise ships visiting. The area’s high end resorts have also attracted notable names such as Bruce Willis, Kelly Preston and John Travolta, and San Jose del Cabo also has a notable expatriate population, mostly retirees who have economic influence.

The main draw for most visitors has been the environment, where the desert meets the sea, best symbolized by El Arco, a natural stone arch over the ocean in Cabo San Lucas where the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California meet.

The natural features have led to ecotourism such as boat tours to El Arco, tours of the San Jose Estuary and the coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo, and whale watching from January to March, when the animals are here to breed.

Sports fishing is a major and the longest established draw as there are about 800 species of fish in the waters off the coast. High season for this activity is in the summer, the season for marlin, although fishing for various other species extends all year.

There are certain exotic species that are off limits due to conservation concerns and others are catch-and-release only.

There are four main golf courses in the municipality, designed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. Other activities for tourists include snorkeling, diving, dune-buggy rides, camel rides, zip-lining, rides on water-propelled jet packs, surfing especially at the Acapulquito Beach, jet-ski riding, kayaking, sailing, horseback riding, ATV riding, hang gliding, mountain biking, camping, tennis and rappelling.

Off the beaten path, there is the town of Miraflores for its leather crafts, the Santiago fossil museum, the traditional towns of Caduano, San Antonio and San Bartolo and a glass blowing factory.

Los Cabos hosts a culinary event called Ritmos, Colores y Sabores, which attracts chefs from the United States and Europe. The gastronomy of the region is based on seafood, which includes clams, marlin, snails, tuna and shark. A locally produced liquor is Damiana, sweet and flavored with a local herb, said to be an aphrodisiac.

The main export of the municipality is the production of salt. There are also limited mineral deposits, especially in the Capuano and Mezquite areas such as limestone and granite.

The small town of Miraflores is known for its leatherwork, especially saddles and other gear for horseback riding. Jewelry and decorations made with shells are produced in San Jose del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas and Santa Rosa.

The municipality of Los Cabos is at the southern end of the Baja California peninsula, where desert meets the sea and the Gulf of California meets the Pacific Ocean.

The area was originally underwater, evidenced by the many fossils of marine animals, which are up to 25 million years old. The basement rock underlying Los Cabos formed even earlier, approximately 115 million years ago.

The municipality has an average altitude of forty meters above sea level. There are three main terrain types, mountain terrain, semi flat areas and flat areas.

The mountains consist of the Sierra de la Laguna and the Sierra de San Lázaro, both formed of volcanic rock, covering about fifteen percent of the total territory with peaks between 400 and 1000 meters.

The semi flat areas are located between the coast and the mountain ranges, mostly of sedimentary rock and account for sixty percent of the territory. The flat areas are along the coast, beaches and alluvial plains, which account for twenty five percent of the territory.

One of the main natural resources is the beaches. Major beaches include Los Frailes, Buena Vista, Agua Caliente, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Chileno and Punta Colorada, often promoted together as the Costa de Oro or Golden Coast.

One very popular beach in Cabo San Lucas is Lover’s Beach, which is surrounded by dramatic rock shapes. The sea experiences lows of 72–73 °F (22–23 °C) in winter, and highs of 77–84 °F (25–29 °C) during the summer months.

As it is on the edge of the desert that covers most of the Baja California peninsula, it is one of the sunniest locations in the world, with an average of 320 days of sunshine per year.

The climate is characterized as hot and dry to the north of the town of San Jose del Cabo, hot and semi moist in San Jose and along the southern coast and temperate and dry in the highest elevations, because of cyclones that hit this area.

Average annual temperature is 24C with the coolest month being January. There is a rainy season in the summer, with most rain in September. The rain and terrain make for a variety of micro climates, including areas with a climate similar to the Mediterranean.

Areas between 0 and 400 meters are desert and semi-desert, with many areas having deep sand deposits. Higher elevations get more water and can have pine forests.

The main surface water of the municipality is the Rio San Jose or San Jose River, which runs north to south, mostly during the rainy season.

Other streams run only during rains and include Santiago, Miraflores, Caduano and Las Palmas. There are subterranean deposits of water such as the Santiago and San Jose del Cabo, but the lack of water is the main impediment to human development in the area.

The Río San José stops just shy of the ocean, with a one km long sand bar creating an estuary, the third largest in Mexico. This pooling of brackish water has created an oasis in the surrounding Sarcocaule desert.

The Rio San Jose flows largely underground for 40 miles (64 km) from its origin in the Sierra de la Laguna or Laguna Mountains, although its Miramonte River tributary adds almost an additional 10 miles (16 km).

Its tributaries flow down the eastern side of the sierra and include Santa Rosa, Santa Lazaro, San Miguel, San Ignacio at La Palma, Caduano, Miraflores and San Bernard. The river used to flow above ground until the beginning of the 20th century due to anthropogenic causes.

For more than 250 years the Rio San Jose has furnished drinking and irrigation water for the town of San Jose del Cabo, beginning as a source of fresh water for Spanish galleons traveling back from the Philippines.

Over the sand bar from the estuary is a bay referred to by early Spanish explorers, including Sebastian Vizcaino, as the Bahia de San Bernabe or Bay of San Bernabe, and now as the Bay of San Jose del Cabo.

The estuary is home to both native and migratory birds and aquatic species, 250 species of tropical birds alone. Most of the migratory species use the area as a stopover on their way to southern Mexico, Central American and South America.

It also acts as a nursery to many juvenile and larval stage species. It was declared a state environmental reserve, but pollution and excessive water extraction has caused it to degenerate, leading to a complaint by Greenpeace. One effort to improve the water situation is the creation of new water treatment plants in the 2000s.

Vegetation varies mostly by altitude and soil type and how much moisture the area receives. However almost all species are those adapted to desert and semi-desert zones. The highest elevations have pine forests.

Wildlife is varied and includes mammals such as badgers, skunks, coyotes, foxes, pumas and other wild cats, deer, raccoons, rabbits, bats and various rodents. Bird species include quail, doves, cardinals, woodpeckers, swallows and marine species such as pelicans and seagulls.

There are over 850 species of aquatic animals off the coast such as marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tuna, dorado and whales. Many species and subspecies of both plants and animals are endemic only to Baja California.

Los Cabos has the highest murder rate of any city in the world. Reports of increased violence in the Los Cabos municipality are connected to the 2016 arrest of drug kingpin Joaquin Guzman, nicknamed "El Chapo," following an interview with US actor Sean Penn for Rolling Stone Magazine.

Instability that eluded Los Cabos, Mexico's most prized and protected tourist resorts according to the Los Angeles Times, stemmed from the void in the drug cartel. Generally the violence from fragmented, warring factions, seeking to gain control in the region, has not targeted tourists.

The vast majority of the violence is playing out in the poor desert hillside communities that house resort workers, far from the beaches that have made this region a magnet for business moguls and Hollywood stars.

The lucrative drug-smuggling corridor of the twin cities of Los Cabos has led to bloodshed among rival gangs contributing to the fastest-rising homicide rate in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur from 2015 to 2017.

Warring gangs often use intimidation tactics to announce their presence such as hanging victims in public spaces next to banners called narcomantas.

In December 2017, rival gangs hanged six bodies from bridges near major resorts one with a public banner that was translated as: This is what will happen to anyone who does not fall into line with us. It has been made more than clear that we hold all the power and that Baja north and south are ours.

Such signs are used to threaten government officials and serve as warnings or intentions of cleansing the drug-smuggling corridor. The city since then has considerably lowered the crime rate after the local government cracked down on violent cartels in early 2018.

The Los Cabos airport is located in San Jose del Cabo. When you get out of the terminal, you first reach customs. Here you need to have your disembark/embark card filled out, but you do not give them your declaration card here.

After you clear customs, you cross through baggage claim. At the end of baggage claim there are several rental car companies. If you made a rental, stop by and tell them you are there so they can call a shuttle driver to pick you up.

You then go through declarations. This is the point where they may pull you over for secondary agriculture inspection if applicable. When you walk out of custom declarations, you are in this room full of people.

This room actually is just people who are trying to sell you time shares and tours. Just walk straight out and you will be near the terminal exit.

If you have rented a car, the people in the room after customs declarations may lie to you to keep you in the room. In reality, your shuttle driver is already waiting outside if you talked to them before so just walk out. The rental car shuttle will take you to a brief couple minute drive to your rental car company.

When in the arrivals terminal at the airport, there is a wifi password posted on the corner of the Starbucks in Terminal 2.

If you plan arrive at the international airport of San Jose, a pre-booked transfer van is the cheapest method to get to your hotel or resort. For last minute travelers shuttle vans that charge per person and stop at various resorts can be found and booked at the airport paid with or without prior reservation.

To pre-book a private transportation from the airport in San Jose there are a couple of re-known companies providing these services.

If you rent a car in Mexico, you do need third party liability. Be sure to book this online before you arrive at the rental car company as they will charge you a higher rate. To get to downtown, you can take the main road, or a toll road which is a $2.50 USD charge or 31 pesos per auto.

Los Cabos can de reached by the Transpeninsular Highway.

The road connecting San Jose del Cabo and Cabo Pulmo along the east road cape has some beautiful views and beaches with nice surfing spots. It's possible to take a day trip or even spend a few nights on the road exploring a different side of Cabo far from the touristy resorts

Los Claros, Calle Boulevard Antonio , Cabo San Lucas. A local taco place with good fish. Get fish grilled or a la plancha and try the smoked marlin fish. They accept cash only.

Taqueria Rossy, Carret Transport Km 33, San Jose Del Cabo. A good fish place with air conditioning, good prices, and accepts credit cards.

You can choose to visit - Todos Santos a small town about an hour and a half north.


Tourism Observer

PERU: Visit Popular Tourist Attractions In Peru

Peru is a country of history, culture, beauty, and adventure, with a full spectrum of possibilities for travelers. The ancient Inca City of Machu Picchu is one of the highlights of any trip to South America, but there is much more to discover throughout Peru.

Visitors can take a boat trip on the highest navigable lake in the world, look out over one of the deepest canyons in the world, try their luck sandboarding in the dunes, hike in the Andes, fish for piranha in the Amazon, explore the mysteries of the Nazca lines, walk through ancient ruins in the Sacred Valley, or experience modern Peru while wandering the streets of Lima.

The diversity of the landscape, the people, and the experiences here make Peru one of the most unique destinations on the continent.

Sacred Valley

Less than an hour's drive north of Cusco is the beautiful Sacred Valley and the towns of Pisac, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo. This fertile valley has many Inca ruins worth exploring but is also a peaceful area to spend some time wandering through markets or soaking up local culture.

Some of the main highlights in the valley are the Pisac Ruins, the Sunday Market in Pisac, smaller market days are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the ruins and fortress at the beautiful little town of Ollantaytambo.

A little out of the way but worth the trip is the town of Moray with circular terracing used as an agricultural testing area by the Incas, and the salt mines at Salinas, which have been in use since the time of the Incas.

Machu Picchu

Perched high upon a ridge, 300 meters above the Urubamba River, the majestic Inca City of Machu Picchu is one of the most dramatic settings of a ruined city anywhere in the world.

Almost as impressive as the ruins themselves is the spectacular backdrop of steep, lush, and often cloud-shrouded mountains.

Standing near the caretaker's hut, looking out over Machu Picchu, the jungle covered mountains, and the river far below, it is not hard to imagine why the Incas chose this place to build their city.

Hiram Bingham came across Machu Picchu in 1911 and believed until his death that it was the Lost City of the Incas, first documented by Spanish soldiers in the 1500s. However, historians believe the real lost city of the Incas was at Espíritu Pampa, a ruin Bingham knew of but discounted as being insignificant.

The journey is also part of the experience of visiting Machu Picchu, whether it's by hiking the Inca Trail or seeing the route by train. In either case, it's impossible not to be inspired by the scenery.

Trains leave from Cusco, Ollantaytambo, or Urubamba to Aguas Calientes. From Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu, a bus takes visitors up to Machu Picchu, which is about a 20-minute drive. It is possible to walk up this road to the site, but this is a long, uphill climb.

To avoid the crowds, the best times to visit the site are in the morning or late afternoon, either before the trains arrive from Cusco or after they have left.

The high season is June to August, but the two months on either side of this also see decent weather and can be a good time to visit with fewer crowds.

Arequipa's Historical City Center

Arequipa, at more than 2,300 meters, is often regarded as Peru's most beautiful city. Set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, the city center is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city's main claim to fame is the old architecture constructed of sillar stone, a volcanic rock that radiates a bright color in the sunlight. Most of the colonial buildings in the historic city center are made from this stone, giving rise to its nickname of the white city.

Arequipa is also often a stopping-off point for those looking to visit the Colca Canyon or Canon del Colca, which is about a four hour's drive from the city.

Ica and the Sand Dunes at Huacachina

For the sporting type looking to try something a little different, the oasis resort of Huacachina on the outskirts of Ica has just the answer.

This picture-perfect, palm-fringed resort town just west of Ica, and technically still part of the municipality of Ica, is situated around a lagoon surrounded by huge sand dunes, some of which reach 1,000 meters in height.

While they are beautiful to see, people come here to try out the sport of sandboarding. Similar to snowboarding, sandboarding is surfing down the sand dunes on specially made sand-boards, which can be rented in the area.

For the less coordinated, renting dune buggies is another great way to get out and enjoy the landscape.

Ica is slightly higher than the ocean and consequently is not affected by the usual coastal mist like other towns along this stretch. The town has a year-round sunny and dry climate, making it a good place to visit at any time.

Inca Trail

The famous Inca Trail is a four-day hike, which terminates at Machu Picchu, and is regarded by many as the highlight of their trip to Peru. This scenic trail is often more demanding than what many people are expecting, but also more rewarding.

There are a couple of different starting points for the Inca Trail, but the traditional four-day hike begins at km 82 of the Cusco - Aguas Calientes rail line.

From this point, the trail passes more than 30 Inca ruins and traverses through some spectacular scenery. The most difficult portion of the trail is the second day of the hike, with a climb of 1,200 meters in elevation gain and two high passes.

The hike must be done with an agency, and reservations should be booked well in advance, particularly in the high season of June to August. Some agencies offer a shorter version of the hike, which entails either the last two days or just the last day of the hike.

There are campgrounds at intervals along the trail and one at the base of Machu Picchu. Depending on the type of tour, hikers can either carry their own backpack or have it transported for them.

Cusco's Architectural Treasures

Walking through the streets of Cusco is like wandering through a museum, with history built upon history in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inca ruins have been used in the foundations of many of the lovely old colonial buildings lining the narrow roads, showcasing the city's long history.

The main square, Plaza de Armas, in the city center is home to the Cathedral and La Compania, two equally impressive structures. The square is also a great place to start a walking tour, grab a meal, or people watch during the day.

While there are countless buildings and museums worth visiting, the church of Santo Domingo, resting on the ruins of the Inca site of Coricancha, is one of Cusco's must-see attractions.

Barranco

The quaint hillside district of Barranco, just south of Central Lima and Miraflores, is a charming area within easy commuting distance of downtown Lima.

With unassuming colonial architecture lining the narrow streets and hillside ocean views, the area offers a much more relaxed pace than the city. The area has long been popular with artists and poets, giving it a Bohemian feel.

This is a great place to wander in the afternoon or enjoy a meal, particularly at sunset, at one of the restaurants overlooking the ocean. Besides the atmosphere, the one main tourist attraction in Barranco is the Puente de Los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs).

Pisco and the Ballestas Islands (Islas Ballestas)

The main reasons visitors come to Pisco, about 200 kilometers south of Lima, are to see the nearby Islas Ballestas and the Reserva Nacional de Paracas on the Paracas Peninsula.

Almost directly west of Pisco, the Islas Ballestas, sometimes referred to as the poor man's Galapagos, are home to hundreds of thousands of birds, large colonies of sea lions, pelicans, penguins, and dolphins.

Boat tours, which visit the islands daily, leave in the mornings from Pisco. The full tour takes passengers past the Candelabra, a hillside geoglyph seen from the coast, and then spends a considerable amount of time boating around the islands watching for wildlife.

This tour is generally a half-day trip, returning around noon.

The Paracas Peninsula, jutting out into the Pacific Ocean just south of Pisco, is home to the Reserva Nacional Paracas and the largest section of protected coastline in Peru.

The shoreline of the Paracas Peninsula supports a huge variety of wildlife, with approximately 200 species of seabirds, two types of sea lions, a rare type of otter, and the endangered Humboldt penguins.

Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon

Just a half hour flight from Cusco, Puerto Maldonado is a key jumping-off point for tours of the Amazon. This is a completely different experience than visitors will find in other parts of Peru, with hot humid jungle and a chance to see all kinds of unique wildlife.

Caimans, capybara, monkeys, parrots, turtles, and piranhas are what visitors can expect to find in this part of the country.

The Reserva Nacional Tambopata and the Parque Nacional Bahuaja Sonene are the two main attractions, and they are well serviced by a number of jungle lodges. The Reserva Nacional Tambopata jungle lodges are approximately a one-hour boat ride from Puerto Maldonado.

Parque Nacional Bahuaja Sonene is across the river from the Parque Nacional Madidi in Bolivia and takes about four hours to reach by boat. Tours typically range from a couple of days to week-long adventures.

Lake Titicaca

The sparkling blue water of Lake Titicaca is surrounded by rolling hills and traditional small villages, offering a mix of beautiful scenery and culture that sets it apart from other regions of the country.

Sitting at 3,820 meters above sea level, Lake Titicaca is known for being the highest navigable lake in the world, but it is also an extraordinarily scenic area where visitors can relax and enjoy some tranquility.

A boat trip to the islands and surrounding villages is the best way to appreciate the lake. One of the main tourist attractions is the Uros Floating Islands (Islas Flotantes), which sustain small communities of Uros Indians.

These are man-made islands constructed of reeds that have sustained a traditional way of life since the time of the Incas. What travelers see on tours to these islands is designed for tourism, but it does offer a glimpse into a traditional way of life.

The floating islands are only one very small part of Lake Titicaca's attraction, with the real charm lying in the small villages in the hills along the shores of Titicaca and on the main islands of Isla Taquile and Isla Amantani.

The main gateway to Lake Titicaca is the city of Puno, a less than inspiring destination, with hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies. There are trains and buses to Puno and flights in and out of the nearby city of Juliaca.

Colca Canyon Or Canon del Colca

Although it was once thought to be the deepest canyon in the world, Colca Canyon or Canon del Colca, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, is the second deepest after nearby Cotahuasi Canyon.

The canyon reaches a depth of 3,400 meters and is the result of a seismic fault between two volcanoes. At the base far below is a winding river.

The Colca Canyon area has been inhabited for thousands of years and was home to the Collagua, Cabana, and eventually the Inca peoples. Stone terracing along the canyon walls dates to AD 800 and is still in use today.

The canyon is about a four-hour drive from Arequipa. Day trips to the canyon are available from Arequipa but two or more days are recommended considering the driving time involved in accessing the canyon.

Besides gazing out at the canyon, there are also hot springs, churches, villages, and Inca ruins to explore. Condors are also a big attraction in Colca Canyon as they soar past the cliff walls.

Lima's Plaza de Armas

One of the most pleasant places in Lima is the main square, Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor), in the heart of the city's historic district. Most of the buildings on the square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, date to the mid 18th century.

Many of the structures were rebuilt following the devastating earthquake of 1746. The highlights around the Plaza de Armas are the cathedral on the east side and Government Palace (Palacio del Gobierno) on the north side. Also of interest are the Archbishop's Palace and the Casa del Oidor.

Leading off the square is the pedestrian street, Jiron de la Union, with shops, restaurants, and the historic Iglesia de La Merced.

Sillustani

Sillustani, outside the city of Puno and not far from Lake Titicaca, is the site of some of the area's most impressive funerary towers (chullpas).

Standing as high as 12 meters, these structures were built by the Colla people around AD 600 to bury their nobility. Entire families, along with food and personal possessions, were buried in these cylinders.

Most of the towers are set in a scenic area along the bank of Lake Umayo. Visitors walk up a hill from the parking lot to the plateau above. The towers stand at the far end of the field with the lake behind.

Below the parking lot is a small marshy lake where locals can be seen poling along in their boats, harvesting reeds.

Nazca Lines

The mysterious Nazca lines are an unusual sight that will leave visitors with a sense of awe. These huge images on the desert floor were relatively undiscovered until planes flying over the area in the 1920s saw the lines from the air and realized they formed distinct patterns and images.

Until that time there was some recognition of the hillside drawings near Nazca and Paracas, which can be seen from ground level. However, the huge drawings on the flat desert floor are so large that it requires an aerial view to be appreciated.

From the air, it is possible to see 70 different plant and animal drawings as well as hundreds of lines and other geometrical shapes. Some of these lines stretch as long as 10 kilometers, and they are spread over hundreds of square kilometers.

Most notable among the figures are a lizard measuring 180 meters long, a condor with a 130-meter wingspan, and several others that include a monkey, hummingbird, killer whale, and spider.

Although it is not known exactly who created the lines or how and why, theories hold that the lines were the product of the Paracas and Nazca cultures sometime between 900 BC and AD 600. Why they were created is the subject of much debate.

Some of the theories put forward suggest the lines were a type of astronomical calendar for agriculture, an alien landing pad, a running track, walkways joining ceremonial sites, or part of a water cult.

The lines were created by removing the dark surface layer of stones and piling them at the sides of the lines, creating a contrast between the dark stones and the exposed lighter soil below. Flights can be booked in advance or on a walk-in, first-come first-serve basis.

Approximately four kilometers outside of Nazca are the Cantalloc Aqueducts. Built around AD 300 to 600, the aqueducts were designed to provide a year-round water source for the area. They conduct water from the mountain springs down to Nazca by means of underground canals.

Some of the Cantalloc Aqueducts are still used by farmers in the area.

Also of interest in the area is the Cemetery of Chauchilla, which contains Nazca remains and mummies.


Tourism Observer

PHILIPPINES: Boracay Island To Close To Tourists Over Cesspool Sewage

Philippines government has announced its popular holiday island Boracay will be closed to tourists for six months over concerns that the once idyllic white-sand resort has become a cesspool tainted by dumped sewage.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the shutdown to start April 26, his spokesman Harry Roque said late Wednesday on Twitter, without providing further detail.

The decision jeopardises the livelihoods of thousands employed as part of a bustling tourist trade on the island that each year serves some two million guests and pumps roughly $1 billion revenue into the Philippine economy.

Experts said the measure also appeared to contradict the government's own pro-development policy for the island, including the recent approval of a planned $500 million casino and resort on Boracay.

The threat of closure first emerged in February when Duterte blasted the tiny island's some 500 tourism-related hotels, restaurants and other businesses, accusing them of dumping sewage directly into the sea and turning it into a cesspool.

Officials have warned the island's drainage system is being used to send the untreated sewage into its surrounding turquoise waters.

The environment ministry says 195 businesses, along with more than 4,000 residential customers, are not connected to sewer lines.

But within weeks of Duterte lashing out at the local businesses, the Philippines gave the green light for Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment to begin construction next year of the casino and resort complex.

The casino contradicts all the efforts now of cleaning up and making sure Boracay goes back to the state where it doesn't violate its carrying capacity.

He added that the area has seen plenty of development because local government units and the national government agencies did not do their job of enforcing rules on land use, environmental impact assessment.

The impact of Wednesday's decision was already being felt, with domestic airlines announcing they would scale back the number of flights to the 1,000-hectare (2,470-acre) island.

There will be no income and we have bills to pay so I don't know how I will survive says a hotelier.

Officials have said they are willing to take a hard line enforcing the closure.

Government says hutting down the tourist trade could involve having ferries suspend their Boracay services and making the beaches off-limits, and stationing police there if necessary.

An iron fist is needed to bring it back to its previous condition. It will be a temporary thing, Leones said.

The Boracay Foundation Inc., a business industry association on the island, had asked the government to shut down only those violating environmental laws.

It's unfair for compliant establishments to be affected by the closure.

Miraflores said that even before the ban was announced, its shadow had hit some businesses hard in Boracay.

Tour guides have already complained that they have no more guests. There's already a huge effect, she said, adding the quays and jetties were less crowded than before.

Some couples who scheduled their weddings on the island up to a year or two in advance had cancelled their reservations even before the ban was announced.

With the tour agents also besieged with client calls on whether to pursue their planned trips.

With more than 500 hotels, Boracay employs 17,000 people, apart from 11,000 construction workers working on new projects.

Businesses in Boracay have started laying off workers less than three weeks before the scheduled 6-month closure of the resort island to tourism and as government agencies prepared contingency plans.

A hotel chain has laid off 280 mostly newly hired workers in anticipation of no guests, especially foreign tourists, during the closure.

We will decide later on our remaining employees, said the hotel official who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to issue a statement.

Business groups expect more establishments, especially the small and family-operated ones, to trim the number of workers and cut overhead costs.

A small family-operated inn in Sitio Angol in Barangay Manoc-Manoc will be sending home all its five staff members to their hometowns in Aklan while the closure is ongoing.

We cannot pay for their salaries but we will continue remitting contributions for the Social Salary System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and PagIbig Fund, the hotel manager said.

He said they still had to continue paying for electricity and water services even without guests.

An owner of a delicatessen said they had to let go of three casual workers because of the closure. They still have to discuss plans for their remaining staff.

Some business operators will absorb their hotel or resort staff in other businesses so they can continue working. Others said they would continue supporting their workers despite the closure.

We have decided to keep them even if we are closed because they have been with us for many years and they have helped us build and developed our resort, said Ruth Tirol-Jarantilla, owner of the Sea Wind Boracay resort.

The closure of the island will affect the more than 73,500 island residents, including 17,328 registered employees and 9,365 unregistered workers.

Agencies under the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council in Western Visayas will still finalize their contingency plans and measures this week.

Johnson Cañete, Western Visayas director of the Department of Labor and Employment, earlier said the agency was preparing to assist the more than 17,000 registered workers who will be dislocated.

The proposed compensation package included a P500 insurance and compensation amounting to the regional minimum wage of P323.50 per day from 30 to 90 days.

Workers on the island were earning more than the minimum wage.

A souvenir vendor and masseuse can earn from P700 to P900 per day during the peak months for tourists.

Business groups have lamented the lack of clear plans and guidelines on how government will address the dislocation of thousands of workers and the losses of business operators especially those with bank loans and high overhead costs.

Some business operators are initiating a community support program for residents worst hit by the closure.

Our priorities are our sick relatives whose healthcare and maintenance (medicines) are dependent on Boracay tourism income and our students whose studies may be interrupted by the sudden closure, said Vicky Aguirre-Salem.

She said they were asking schools in Iloilo and the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan to allow students from families dependent on Boracay’s tourism industry to pay in installments.

They are also soliciting school supplies and uniforms to defray expenses of these families.


Tourism Observer

PERU: Visit Lima, The Gastronomy Capital Of The Americas

Lima is the capital of Peru and its largest city.

The modern city is a curious mix of the modern mega city with some 'islands of modernity', large but orderly slum areas and colonial architecture in the city center. Lima was the seat of the Spanish rule during 300 years, and as such it has wonderful churches, cloisters and monasteries that are worth a visit.

Lima is also the best place to try the wonderful Peruvian cuisine, which has a huge variety of ingredients from coast, mountain and Amazon regions. The cold sea current in front of Peru's large coast makes the sea very rich in fish and seafood, which have a great taste due to the special plankton they eat. Fish and seafood restaurants are therefore worth the time, and not expensive.

Lima is built upon a valley surrounded by an extremely arid desert. In the summer, the weather is usually beautiful, very warm and sunny, sometimes with rains around January. In the winter, the city is overcast and rainy for days at a time. The rain in the wintertime doesn't fall hard, but it gets everything wet. Temperature also falls to around 7-12 C⁰ (45-55⁰ F), which seems chillier when combined with the general dampness.

Metropolitan Lima is a metropolis of almost 8.5 million people. Many of these people have migrated from the Andes mountains to find work in Lima, without success. For this reason, there is widespread poverty in the city center and in the peripheral areas. If you fly into Lima, the first thing you see upon leaving the airport is these types of poor neighborhoods between the airport and Lima's historic center.

Lima's pre-Hispanic and colonial architecture is beautiful and the city has several museums such as Museo Larco that tell the story of a country with a long history that produced a large number of coastal and Andean civilizations (such as the Moche, Chavin, and the Incas) and many local cultures. There are several archeological sites both within and around the city locally known as huaca.

Reaching Lima
Jorge Chavez International Airport also called Jorge Chavez Airport Lima-Callao. It is in the harbour city Callao and within metropolitan Lima.

The airport is well connected with most cities in South America. There are regular flights to Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas in the US. There are daily flights from Amsterdam, Madrid, Paris, Miami, Bogotá, Medellín, Quito, Santiago de Chile and Toronto.

Lima is the hub for many regional domestic flights and is served by LAN Peru, LC Busre, TACA Peru, and Star Peru.

Airlines Flying To And From Lima
- Aerolíneas Argentinas (Bogotá, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza)
- AeroGal (Guayaquil, Quito)
- Aeroméxico (Mexico City)
- Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson)
- Air Europa (Madrid)
- Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
- American Airlines (Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth)

Avianca and Avianca Peru Merged with Taca Asunción, Bogotá, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cali, Cusco, Havana, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, La Paz, Medellín, Montevideo, Quito, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, San José, San Salvador, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santiago, São Paulo-Guarulhos

- British Airways (London (Gatwick Airport)) 3 times per week
- Copa Airlines (Panama City)
- Delta Air Lines (Atlanta)
- Iberia (Madrid)
- jetBlue (Fort Lauderdale)
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam)

Latam and Latam Perú,Arequipa, Bogotá, Brasília, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cajamarca, Cali, Cartagena de Indias, Chiclayo, Cordoba, Cusco, Easter Island, Guayaquil, Iquitos, Iquique, Juliaca, La Paz, Los Angeles, Madrid, Medellín, Mexico City, Miami, New York-JFK, Piura, Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, Punta Cana, Quito, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo, Tacna, Tarapoto, Trujillo, Tumbes.

- LCPeru (Andahuaylas, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Chimbote, Huancayo, Huánuco, Huaraz)
- Peruvian Airlines (Arequipa, Cusco, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Piura, Tacna)
- Sky Airlines (Antofagasta, Santiago de Chile)
- Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale)
- Star Perú (Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Iquitos, Pucallpa, Puerto Maldonado, Tarapoto)
- TAM Airlines (São Paulo-Guarulhos)
- TAME (Quito)
- United Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)

Arrival at the airport can be chaotic. Most flights from overseas arrive in clumps either early in the morning or very late at night, which means that getting through immigration and customs can be tremendously time consuming; the difference between arrival at the gate and exiting customs can range from 20-90 min.

The area immediately outside of customs is typically crowded, full of people waiting for arriving passengers. It's not uncommon for entire families to show up to greet a returning family member and the crowd is further swelled by pre-booked car and taxi service drivers holding up signs with passengers' names; in recent years, a large area where passengers can stand freely and scan the crowd to look for people and not be accosted has been cordoned off in front of customs exit.

If you are merely transiting through Lima, the airport has a separate hall for connecting international passengers, who need not pass through Peruvian immigration or customs, but will have to pass through a security checkpoint dedicated to screening connecting passengers before they can enter the secure area of the terminal where the international gates are located. Due to congestion, the airport often does not assign gates to flights until less than two hours before departure.

Airport to Miraflores: Get out of the airport and turn right on the main road. You will find the bus stop after the overhead bridge. The bus, IM-18, has a blue stripe; it is very new and big. It wil say O.Miraflores on the side and it costs 2 Soles. It is a comfortable trip that takes around 1h30mins to two. You can get off at Av Jose Pardo, close to the Parque Central de Miraflores which is the main spot at the tourist area. No extra charge for backpacks or a small case but there is no dedicated luggage space. Be careful with your valueables at the bus stop.

Miraflores to Airport: You can get the bus at Av Jose Pardo close to the crossing with Av Grau. There are designated stops called Paradero. Again, it is the IM-18 hich would say Faucett on the side (which is the avenue that gives access to the airport). The journey is comfortable and it takes about an hour to 1h30mins. Let the driver know that you are going to the airport and they will drop you off right across the street from the main entrance.

The airport is a 20-40 min drive from San Isidro or Miraflores. Some hostels and hotels offer free airport pickup; check with your hotel regarding this service. Don't worry about standing outside the airport alone for this; it's well-lit at night and security guards are prevalent.

Be aware of the taxi drivers at the airport: if you need transportation at the airport you should avoid using the informal taxis outside of it that will accost you, and either hire it inside the customs reception area. Currently there are Green Taxi, CMV, and Mitsui Taxi Remisse, pay a premium to get a ride with them, or book taxi service ahead of time online with a reputable company where you can book your taxicab service online, you will have plenty taxicab companies and its members to chose from, it is safe and reliable and free to use, no charges or fee for using this online tool.

Its best to use a Certified Ground Transportation supplier so you can always be on the safe side. The taxis when you leave the terminal are safer than the ones outside of the airport grounds. That being said, once you leave the grounds of the airport things get much cheaper rather rapidly and a trip to Miraflores shouldn't cost you any more than S/.25 soles but it is obviously not as safe and secure. Paying 40 S/. will get you a taxi to Miraflores (not during rush hours) after some discussion probably, normal airport rate starts at 50-60. Getting to the airport with taxi can take 30-35 minutes or depending on traffic one hour and a half.

Also, Uber works in Lima along with Taxibeat and Easy Taxi which are similar apps but can often be cheaper than Uber.

There is also an Express bus to Centro and Miraflores leaving from the Arrival hall; ask at the airport information desk.

Car rental is available at the airport via Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and National, but unless you have experience driving in extremely challenging environments you should avoid driving yourself in Lima. If you're set on driving yourself, take cabs for a day or so and see what navigating Lima traffic is like before making that decision.


Two new central Bus Terminals At:
- Gran Terminal Terrestre en Plaza Norte, Plaza Norte - Tomas Valle y Túpac Amaru s/n Along Av. Túpac Amaru btwn. Av. Bolognesi & Tomas Valle.
- Terminal Terrestre Sur Atocongo, Km 12 de la Carretera Panamericana Sur, Santiago de Surco; San Juan de Miraflores. edit

Most companies still maintain their own terminals in La Victoria, lined up along Paseo de la Republica, not Lima's nicest neighbourhood. Others are along the cross streets off of Paseo de la Republica 28 de Julio, Jiame Bauzate y Meza, Ave Mexico, Javier Prado Este, etc. etc, which are better. There you find some of the more reputable companies like Cruz del Sur, Linea, Movil Tours, CIAL, OLTURSA, Ormeño, TEPSA, and ITTSA. Avoid bus companies that allow travellers to get into the bus outside the official stations. They are normally badly managed and can be dangerous, due both to unsafe practices and/or to highway robberies, which are unfortunately not uncommon. This should be heeded especially by female travellers going on their own. There are many shoddy bus services in Peru.

There are scams going on in the buses between Ica and Lima July 2013 where people put water on the floor so your bags get wet and then they tell you to put it on the shelf above you. Later on, they distract you while getting off and then steal your backpack. If someone puts water on the floor be very careful!

You can get to/from Lima by bus to/from a number of other popular tourist destinations by using Cruz del Sur. This is the most popular and safest bus service for tourists. They offer clean and comfortable seats, meals, and toilet on board. There are also two different price points; the more expensive one gives you bigger seats on the lower level that recline even more than the upper level. This is recommended for overnight bus trips.

Regular buses run up and down the Panamerican Highway and inland:
- South: Pisco, Ica, Nazca, Arequipa & Tacna
- North: Huaraz, Chimbote, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, & Tumbes
- East: Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Huancayo, Huaraz, Madre de Dios, Pucallpa, Puno.

Bus terminals in La Victoria or elsewhere:
- America Express, Av 28 de Julio 1192, La Victoria, Lima (Av 28 de Julio & Jose Galvez), goes north to Chimbote, Trujillo, Piura and other places in between in the Ancash, La Libertad, Lambayeque, & Piura Regions of the north coast.
- Civa, Av Paseo de la Republica 575; La Victoria, Lima Paseo de la Republica & Av 28 de Julio
- Excluciva, Av Javier Prado Este 1150, La Victoria, Lima, a subsidiary brand of Civa. In addition, to their own Lima terminal at Javier Prado Este 1150 they also make stops at the Civa terminal at Av Paseo de La Republica 575 the Gran Terminal Norte and the Terminal Sur.
- Cruz del Sur, Av. Javier Prado 1109; La Victoria, Lima Av Javier Prado & Nicolas Arriola
- Expreso Cial, Av República de Panamá 2469 - 2485; Santa Catalina, La Victoria.
- Transportes Flores, Paseo de La Republica 627 & 683, La Victoria, Lima Paseo de la Republica & Av 28 de Julio
- ITTSA, Paseo de la Republica 809, La Victoria, Lima Paseo de la Republica & Humboldt,goes north to Chimbote, Trujillo, Piura, Sullana, Paita, & Talara in the La Libertad, Piura, and Lambayeque regions.
- Transportes Linea, Paseo de la Republica No.941-959; La Victoria, Lima Paseo de la Republica & Av Isabel La Catolica goes north or east to Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Chepen, Chimbote, Guadalupe, Trujillo, Jaen, Huancayo, and Pacasmayo, in the Ancash, Cajamarca, Junin, and La Libertad Regions
- Movil Tours, Paseo de la Republica 749; La Victoria, Lima. Serves destinations in northern Peru North of Lima.
- Oltursa, Av Aramburu 1160; San Isidro, Lima.
- Ormeño, Av Javier Prado Oeste 1057; Lima. Ormeno is in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest land route, Caracas to Buenos Aires via Lima. The most popular company with tourists.
- Tepsa, Av Javier Prado Este 1091; La Victoria, Lima.
- Transmar, Av Nicolas Arriola No.197, La Victoria, Lima. They also have another terminal at Av 28 de Julio No.1511, La Victoria also. Goes up to Huancayo, Huanuco, Iquitos, Jauja, Juanjui, etc.
- Z Bus, Jr. Julián Piñeyros 440, Lima 25, goes north to Caraz, Huaral, Huacho, &/or Huaraz in the Lima and Ancash Regions.

If going further, a taxi ride between adjacent neighborhoods costs about S/.6 soles(US$2), if you speak Spanish well enough. A longer ride may cost from S/.9-21 (US$3-7). A reasonable price for a taxi service between the airport and Miraflores is about S./36 (US$12), but may cost more from within the airport. By custom, taxis do not have meters; rather, the fare should be negotiated before boarding the taxi, or, if you request one by phone, at booking time. If asking for a ride on the street, don't be fooled into getting into the cab before a rate is negotiated. Be also very discerning about which taxi you choose, and avoid hailing random cabs off the street as much as possible.

Caution is advised in Lima, and the same goes for taxis. As a foreigner, do not ever get into shared taxis, and it might not hurt to look if there's someone hiding on the back seat or the trunk before entering.

Jump Into A Taxi In Lima:
- Do not show any valuables including jewelry and try to look a bit shabby.
- Ask around for the regular price,someone that is not a taxi driver and has nothing to gain from you getting robbed. If the driver you talk to goes under that price, he might be looking to make money some other way.
- Tuck away your phone and passport where they will not look for it or see it.
- Know where you are going, know the route or at least pretend you know.
- If they start talking to you, mention that people are waiting for you, that you know local people and this is not your first time in Lima.
- Keep an eye on the driver and check if he is communicating with anyone.
- Always look like you are paying attention but stay calm.
- Try to look like you are not to be messed with if at all possible.
- When in doubt, do not get in ! There are plenty of taxi's around.
- If you have doubts after entering the taxi, try to get out where it seems kind of safe and pay him full price. You can also ask him to take a different route that you choose.
- Speaking Spanish with confidence to your driver helps.
- Never show the address or directions on your phone. Remember the address or write it down.

The taxi driver might take you to a different location where others are waiting and/or threaten you with a gun or knife. By the time you get to your hotel or hostel you will not have your passport, money, backpack or anything else for that matter.

Even though most of the taxi's in the center of the city are quite safe, be extra careful around the airport and especially the bus stations. Preferrably take a taxi from a taxi company.

Public Transport In Lima
Micro Buses or Combi Vans are small vans, small mini-buses, or larger full sized buses often packed full of people. You could stop them at any street corner, lately however, the government has clamped down and insists that they only stop at defined "paraderos", bus stops, at least in the more upscale parts of the city like Miraflores and San Isidro. In a combi you usually pay between S/.0.50-1.20. You won't need to haggle over the fare. Be careful with pickpocketers.

There are also medium and large buses, they operate the same as the micro buses but tend to be a little slower and are possibly safer.

On the side and/or front above windscreen of every bus or van you will find written the names of the major avenues it travels along, also the conductors generally lean out the door of the bus yelling the names of its destinations. If this doesn't make sense, ask the conductor. Also here be careful with pickpocketers.

Metropolitano is a rapid transport bus system. This bus system is modern with wheel chair access. The buses are folding and express routes have their own dedicated lanes on express ways. Rechargable cards are used as tickets with a minimum purchase price of S/.5.00.The transport to one point to another cost S/.2.00 soles.

Metro de Lima Also known as Tren Eléctrico Line 1 is fully functional, with passengers with trains serving Villa el Salvador, Parque Industrial, María Auxiliadora, Jorge Chávez, Ayacucho, Angamos, San Borja Sur, Javier Prado, Arriola, Gamarra, Grau, El Angel, Presbitero Maestro all the way to Bayovar in San Juan de Lurigancho in Lima's northeast. There is a flat fare of 1.50 soles, but an electronic card must be purchased first.

Line 1 – currently 26 stations through 11 districts

Live Folklore shows
- Peruvian horses and Marinera Dance Shows in Mamakuna by Mirabus
- Las Brisas del Titicaca, high lands dances
- Restaurant Junius in Miraflores, dance from all over the country
La Dama Juana Restaurant in Miraflores

Places You Should Not Miss To Visit
- The Lima Gourmet Company, Miraflores, Lima, Peru. This company provides tourists with a combined city tour and a culinary tour of Lima. Travelers will visit a local market, have a hands-on cooking class and try different Peruvian dishes while they tour the city's main districts and historical points of interest. Great alternative if you don't have much time in Lima.
- La Casa de Arturo, Calle Barranco 151 urbanizacion ingenieria . A helpfull Peruvian family-run bed and breakfast for backpackers, in a quiet local neighbourhood. Ten minutes from the old city. They can pick you up at the airport (20 minutes). Can offer you personalized services accompanying to visit Lima.

Change Money
For some reason it is very hard to change money other than Euros and US-Dollars in Lima. You can't even change the currency from neighbouring countries in normal money exchanges and banks. You might find more flexible exchange offices at airports, but they often charge ridiculous service fees and exchange-rates. Changing money in Miraflores can be done safely with cambistas on the street, but you must follow a few simple rules to avoid being cheated. First, make sure that the cambista is wearing the vest-uniform indicating that he or she is an authorized, licensed cambista. Always ask for the exchange rate ("tipo de cambio").

It is worth it to compare with several cambistas, especially if you are changing a significant amount of money. Some of them do tricks with their calculators in your face and you won't notice, so the best way to know how much you should be getting is to bring a calculator yourself or use the one in your cellphone. Finally, make sure that the bills the cambista gives you have his or her seal ("sello") stamped on them - that way, if by chance one of them turns out to be counterfeit you can come back and complain. I have never gotten counterfeit notes from a cambista, but asking for the seal probably helps maintain the incentive for honesty.

Withdraw Money
As anywhere, your best bet is usually to simply draw money from an ATM. There are banks dotted all over Lima and some of them have guarded ATMs. Chances are your bank will charge you a fortune every time you withdraw money so it is better value to get as much as possible when making a withdrawal. Banco de Credito and Scotia ATM's generally allow withdrawals up to 700 soles. Interbank has been known to charge insane fees (around $18 for a $50 transaction).

Withdrawal limits and commissions of local banks for russian SberBank's visa electron card:
limit,PEN commission,PEN
Interbank 400 14.5
Scotia ≥900 0
Banco de la Nacion 400 0
BCP (Banco de credito) 700 0

At the airport, the only ATM on the ground floor is Interbank, but if you go upstairs and turn right there are ATMs from the other banks too.

For most Canadian and American cards, there is a substantial withdrawal fee (between 14 and 18 soles per transaction) from all bank machines in Peru.

Fortunately, most of Lima business accept dollars.

Shopping:

Markets Av. La Marina in San Miguel on the way to the airport. An idea might be to stop there for last-minute shopping before leaving the country. These goods are similar to those of Av. Petit Thouars, but as the neighborhood is considerably less upscale and fewer tourists come here, the prices are a little lower.

Gamarra Jr. Gamarra in La Victoria is a gigantic textile market, possibly the biggest in South America. Taking up 24 blocks, Gamarra has more than 20.000 textile shops and gets more than a 100.000 visitors a day. You can find any piece of clothing you can imagine and you can get your own design printed at one of the manufacturers. The prices are considerably cheaper than in the Miraflores district but are usually of inferior quality. As a tourist, they might charge you more so be prepared to haggle. When you're shopping in Gamarra, watch out for pickpockets. It is better to go with a Peruvian or with a few other tourists since the neighborhood can be dodgy and there could be pickpockets. The easiest way to get there from Miraflores is to take Benavides Street up to Ovalo Higuereta. There you can take the Metro (not Metropolitano) and get off at Gamarra station.

Larcomar Malecon de la Reserva N° 610. Miraflores. You can find Larcomar at the end of Larco Street in the Miraflores district, right on the cliffs. This shopping center is one of the fanciest in Lima and has all kinds of national and international brand clothing, like Adidas, Caterpillar, Desigual, Converse, Esprit, etc. It also has many restaurants and several bars and clubs.

If you are interested in purchasing Peruvian folk musical instruments, there are a number of stores selling charangos, quenas, antaras, etc. on Calle Cantuarias right near Astrid y Gastón. If you have the time, a number of these stores can help you find a teacher to learn how to play your purchase.

A limited section of cheap English books from prices of one sol can be found at the first stall on 964 Jiron Camana in the center. There are a large number of Spanish language book stalls in this area.

Gastronomy Capital of the Americas

Warning-when to eat ceviche
The locals make it a rule not to eat ceviche late in the day since all ceviche is made from that morning's fresh catch of Corvina (Chilean Sea Bass), which is why you will not easily find a cevicheria open after 5PM.

The offerings in Lima are nowadays most varied and cover a wide range of types and cuisines, both regional and international.

Despite the wide range of choice in Lima's many restaurants, ceviche is surely number one on the list of dishes you must get to know, not only because it happens to be the "Peruvian national dish", but because of its unparalelled delicious taste. With the increasing interest in the Peruvian cuisine, ceviche is quickly making its way onto tables all over the world. But if you want to enjoy the real thing, don't miss it during your stay here in ceviche's Mecca. There is at least one cevichería in every neighbourhood, so it won't be hard to find one. Moreover, most criollo restaurants include ceviche on their menus; indeed, many restaurants do, even the more upscale nouveau-cuisine.

A second must goes to Asian cuisine, both Chinese and Japanese, which predictably, have a strong Peruvian influence. Chifas -that is, Chinese restaurants-, which can be counted by the hundreds if not thousands, are usually down-to-earth neighbourhood eateries, offering a fare rich in seafood and chicken. Japanese restaurants, on the contrary, are less widespread, and more upscale and expensive. Their forte is, of course, a year-round supply of the freshest and most variegated seafood.

Peruvian food tend to be spicy and heavy. Try it with method and ask if any dish is picante (spicy), and if you are not fond of that, avoid it since it may be really picante. A full meal may be really heavy and cause problems even if it's perfectly nice and well prepared with fresh ingredients.

Travelers longing for a delicious falafel or shwarma sandwich will be pleased to learn there is an excellent cafe along Parque Kennedy that serves these type of Middle Eastern foods at reasonable prices.

There is a heavy presence of Western fast-food chains such as KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, McDonald's, Subway and Starbucks Coffee all over the city if you'd rather not try anything new to you. Places such as Chili's and Friday's are scarce, but can be easily found around Miraflores. Also, you shouldn't miss Peruvian-style hamburgers at Bembos or traditional Peruvian sandwiches in Pasquale if you want to give your everyday fast-food a local twist.

Lima is home to around 220,000 restaurants, cafes, juice bars and runs a program (Restaurante Saludable) to recognise clean and healthy restaurants. Only around 800 or 1.2% of venues have recieved this award, so keep your eyes open for the logo Restaurante Saludable.

Drinks

Pisco Sour is the national drink of Peru, made with Pisco, a brandy made of grapes. It is highly recommended that all adult visitors to Peru try this drink at least once before exiting the country. Visitors might be amused to learn that a controversy exists between Peru and its neighbor Chile over whose country really created the Pisco Sour, although the Chilean and Peruvian recipes are somewhat different. Variations include Maracuya Sour, Coca Sour and Chicha Sour and are offered in several bars around town. Just be careful with it; the fresh and sweet flavour makes easy to drink too much, and you can get drunk so easily.

Inca Kola is the most popular soft drink in Peru, one of few sodas that Coca Cola couldn't defeat (until they bought the company). It's a yellow-fruit flavored drink that tastes like cream soda.

Jugos You can find great fresh fruit drinks all over Lima. Starting from 0.50 soles for a fresh orange juice at the market to some more expensive ones. Surtidos, containing several different fruits are quite tasty.

Chicha Morada A non alcoholic refreshing purple drink high in antioxidants. It's made by boiling purple corn with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and sugar.

Sleep

San Borja is a relatively safe middle-class area, home to many businesses.

Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro are some of the nicest and safest areas in the city. Although they sometimes come a bit pricier than the old city center and other parts, some budget accommodation options do exist.
- Miraflores Vacation Rentals in Lima, Av. 28 de Julio, Miraflores. Beautiful apartments for tourists and visitors, weekly rentals, direct from the owner, do not pay commissions. From US$240 to US$420 week.
- 1900 Backpackers hostel, Ave Garcilazo de la Vega 1588, LIMA, . Located in the historic center of Lima, in front of the Museums of Art and the Metropolitan of Lima, offers you a really good option for a good experience in the Old Town. Friendly staff and plenty of travelers would make your stay really special.
- Hilton Lima Miraflores, Avenida La Paz 1099, checkin: 3pm; checkout: 1pm. One of the newest hotels in Lima, the Hilton features a stunning rooftop pool and magnificent accommodations, next to its Social Restaurant, 4 more fantastic dining choices on the same block.
- JW Marriott Hotel Lima, Malecon De La Reserva 615. checkin: 3pm; checkout: 1pm. A top luxury hotel in Lima, the JW Marriott Hotel Lima offers ocean views from every room, an ideal Miraflores, Peru location and superb facilities and service.
- Pirwa Inclan B&B, Coronel Inclan 494, Miraflores. checkin: 11am; checkout: 10am. Offers budget lodging in shared dorms & private rooms, 4 blocks from Kennedy Park. Internet + Wi-Fi, TV/Cable, Continental Breakfast, Luggage Storage. US$10.30+.
- La Casa de Teresita, Mariano Odicio 326, Miraflores, Lima, Peru (4 Blocks from plaza Kennedy, near Quadrant 5 of Avenida Ernesto Diez Canseco). Run by a friendly old lady who has a couple of rooms to sleep, shared bathroom. There is wi-fi, and every room has a refrigerator. She says herself that the neighbourhood is safe, but she also takes security measures. Cleaning is done by the guests, but it is relatively cheap. 15 soles per person (private rooms for 2).

Safety
If you witness a crime being committed, do not intervene unless you are really sure of what you are doing: many criminals, even pickpockets, carry guns, knifes, etc and may use them if feeling threatened.

In general, a tried and true technique for staying safe in Lima is to simply maintain a low profile. Leave the Rolex at home, don't wear the fine suit and don't carry a laptop when hailing taxis on the street, and keep a relaxed, friendly, smiling attitude. If you do need to go out dressed like a gringo, call a taxi rather than hire one in the moment - the few moments you wait and the few extra soles you pay will be worth it.

Crooks And Thieves

While there is not much violent crime against tourists, opportunistic theft is rampant. Watch out for pickpockets constantly. If you carry a purse, a camera, a backpack or just a pair of sunglasses hang on to them at all times. In crowded areas, put your back pack on your front and hold shopping close to you. Just keep your eyes open and be aware of people around you. In any case, if someone extremely friendly approaches even wanting to shake your hand, just try not to talk that much, and they'll go away. It's normal to find polite people around trying to help tourists, but stay away from the extremely friendly ones.

Football Madness
Avoid the surroundings of Soccer / Football stadiums before and after big matches, since "barras bravas" (hooligans) can be very violent. Ask for advice if you plan to go there or thereabouts. Very infrequently, but occasionally, even in nicer tourist areas, gangs of youths, sometimes supporting rival football clubs, or strikers involved in a labor dispute may brawl. If you find yourself caught in the middle of such a confrontation, just try to move out of the way, preferably behind a closed door - these youths generally do not carry lethal weapons, and the worst that is likely to happen is that someone will get hit with a rock before the police arrive to break it up.

Some areas of Lima are safer than others: Miraflores and San Isidro have large populations of well-to-do and wealthy Peruvians, not to mention large tourist groups, so they have large police presence to protect the population. Other districts, such as La Victoria, are much more dangerous. Visitors would be well advised to stay out of these areas unless accompanied by an experienced native or visiting busy areas during daylight hours. Downtown Lima is normally well patrolled but be careful anyway. Callao the port, technically a different city is rather rough: ask for advice before going there if you plan to. The area around the airport is generally safe and well guarded but use common sense while lugging your luggage outside the airport.

Miraflores safety: Beware of women approaching you asking if you can escort them home on a bus because they don't feel safe. They will take you out of Miraflores and into a dangerous district where you will be robbed. Tell them if they don't feel safe then ask a police officer for help, but do not take them home. They have no business at all asking a tourist, who doesn't know Lima, for help.

Escorts
Staying safe for adults can also require an understanding of the sexual climate of Peru. In general Peru is a relatively conservative country in the sense of male and female roles, but at the same time Peruvians are extremely open to friendships with foreigners. Thus, some males can find themselves suddenly the object of flirtation by attractive young Peruvian women, but then be suddenly rejected for having violated some unwritten line of conduct in, say, discussion topics. Women can find themselves the object of unwanted looks and stares, but at the same time the risk of violence and rape is not as high as in many other countries.

A problem that can arise is the Peruvian concept of the pepera, found at certain night clubs or pubs. Peperas are usually attractive women aged 16-25 that deliberately entice foreign tourists and then spike their drinks with sleeping pills and rob them once they're unconscious.

Usually peperas work in groups of two, although smaller and larger groups exist as well. Male "peperos" also spike the drinks of women but robbery is often accompanied by rape. Peperas in general are found in dense tourist areas, such as Park Kennedy in Miraflores as well as the Plaza Mayor in central Lima. One locale in particular that is notorious for dangerous peperas is the Tequila Rock discoteca in Miraflores and its sister in Pueblo Libre (La Marina).

Another cultural concept worth learning is the "brichera" or "brichero". There are two types of bricheras: the first type are women that are genuinely looking to meet foreign men in the hopes of dating or marriage or even a quick fling. The second type are women that search for foreign men with the implicit purpose of exchanging sex for small gifts or money. This second type of brichera is risky, especially for foreigners lacking local sensibilities, since it involves prostitution. These bricheras do not use contraception reliably, and therefore pose a higher risk for transmitting STDs (Sexual Transmited Diseases). If you decide to have a fling, make sure to use a condom.

Taxis
Another important point to be taken into consideration is that you should not pick up just any taxi, especially when you are leaving the airport. It is not strange to hear news that some taxi drivers cheated tourists (for example, going from the northeast point of the city to the southeast part would take you at most S/.50 soles and that is the largest distance in Lima so do not pay more than that) by charging them S/.100 or even S/.200 soles for normal rides (even though Peruvian taxi drivers normally tend to increase their fares in front of gringos, it is not a massive difference). I

t is most advisable to use one of the official taxi companies inside the airport (such as Green Taxi) with set fares to ensure your safety or you may use taxidatum.com[39], which is a large taxicab database where you can identify the driver, automobile and other relevant information before arriving to Lima,you can also book your taxicab service online with one reputable company and the taxicab driver will be waiting for you at your arrival , don't take any risk when choosing your taxicab service in Lima Perú.

Taxi drivers have also been known to participate in robberies, express kidnappings or serve as get away vehicles. While the overwhelming majority of Lima's taxistas are honest hard working people trying to make a living, you should be alert if you are going to hail a taxi on the street, especially if you appear to be wealthy and/or a foreigner. Your safest bet is to have your hotel call a taxi for you or keep the numbers of official taxi companies ("radio taxis", which are marked with registered numbers) handy. Lima's tourist information centers will be willing to call one for you as well.

If you are flying out of Lima internationally, the airport tax is US$31, US$7.40 for domestic flights. As of January 2011 this tax has been rolled into the purchase price of the tickets at this airport. Ensure you receive a sticker on the back of each ticket from the check-in counter to attest to this at the security checkpoint.

The surrounding residential towns of Lima in the foothills of the mountains offer spectacular views and are ideal day-trips from central Lima.

If you are flying to your next destination, you can take the "S" bus to the airport (ask at your hotel for the stops) or any micro bus that says "Faucett" on its side. The trip from Miraflores takes about an hour and costs 3 soles. Cabs are of course more convenient and much more expensive.

If you wish to take a long distance bus, see the Get In section above for bus companies, the various locations of their terminals and their destinations.

Some popular destinations from Lima are:
- Arequipa— An attractive city in the south.
- Cajamarca— Hosts an exciting Carnaval every year.
- Cuzco— The centre of the Inca civilization. Luxury tourist buses run twice daily with Cruz del Sur.
- Huancayo can be reached by taking a scenic train trip through the Andes.
- Huaraz— A mountaineering centre.
- Iquitos— By plane or via Pucallpa.
- Ica— With an interesting museum and oasis.
- La Merced— 7 hr by bus and you're in the jungle.
- Mancora— A very relaxing beach in the north that parties hard nightly.
- Matucana—
- Nazca— Home of the ancient and mysterious Nazca Lines. Luxury tourist buses run twice daily with Cruz del Sur.
- Pucallpa— Can be reached by bus or plane and is the only major river port linked by road to Lima. Its possible to travel by boat to Iquitos from Pucallpa and on to the mighty amazon river.
- San Mateo— 4.5 hr outside of Lima.
- Tarma— The Pearl of the Andes.
- Trujillo— A city in the north home to Peru's largest adobe ruins.

So enjoy your stay in Lima