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Airport pick up
Cultural events, festivals
Cusco airport pick up is arranged by the school. In June 2nd & 3rd Corpus Christi (Catholic event with case of a delayed arrival in Cusco you should take a indigenous influences), June 24th Inti Raymi (Theater spectacle based on Old Inca tradition of adoration of Additional airport pick up is available in Lima for the sun, the winter solstice), July 16th La Virgin de students who have to spend the night in Lima due to Paucartambo (local cultural religious event close to connecting flights or if the student cannot obtain his Cusco), November 2nd & 3rd Todos los Santos, Dia de or her flight to Cusco. This “Lima service Package” includes: Lima airport pick-up, transfer to hotel, one night in hotel and transfer back to airport, Lima to Cusco one-way airfare and Lima airport assistance. The official currency is Nuevo Sol (S/.), the sub units are the cents. You may find currencies of 0,05, 0,10, 0,20 and 0,50 cents, also currencies of 1, 2 and 5 Nuevos Soles, and bil s with denomination of 10, 20, There is a $30,25 airport tax on international flight Shops are open from 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and again from 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. In the main cities, supermarkets do not close for lunch. If you like beer, the Cusquena and Arequipa brands Some shops are closed on Saturdays and most are are probably the best. Cristal and Pilsner are good Banks open from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and from • Pisco sour - made from the national grape 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Closed on Saturdays. brandy, lemon, sugar, egg white, nutmeg; sweet Business offices: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and from 3:00 – 6 p.m. (some from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). • Chicha de jora - corn beer (usual y homemade) • Chicha morada - softdrink with purple maize. January – March: Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 • Some of the local wines are ok – e. g. the Ica The rest of the year: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a. m. – Electricity
220V, AC, 60Hz throughout the country (except Climate seasons, south hemisphere (Peru): Take the caution of verifying the voltage of your electronic devices like hair dryer, razors, sound systems, etc.; most of this equipment is auto • Spring: September 23rd to December 21st If this is not the case, you will require a transformer 220 / 110 volt for its correct use in Peru. It is very Peru is located in the equatorial area of South common to find this type of transformers at the America. However, its climate does not correspond to its geographical location but is influenced by two fundamental factors, the Andean Mountain Range and the cold marine current of Humboldt, also cal ed In order to keep in touch with your family and friends at home, please make sure you have an e- mail address before you leave (gmx, yahoo, arcor, they tel you that they don't have any change (many web.de are free of charge). There is an internet café close to the school. 1 hour costs approx. 1 USD. Travel er checks can be changed into Soles or Dol ars You can change money into Soles at banks and casas de cambio (exchange). There is usual y no difference in the exchange rate given by banks and casas de cambio. You can exchange money 24 hours a day in • Ceviche - raw fish, shrimp etc. marinated in It is common that nobody wants to accept Dol ars lemon juice with onions and red peppers. • Parinada - popular bouil abaisse with yuyo de Credit cards - Visa (most common), Diners Club and MasterCard are widely accepted in main cities. • Á la Huancaina - sauce made with eggs, milk, Cash can be withdrawn from your credit card at cheese, served with a meat or potato dish. Ol ucus con charqui - A kind of potato with dried When travel ing anywhere in Latin America you should always carry your passport or a copy of it on Cancau - tripe, potatoes, peppers and parsley your person. It is a good idea to bring photocopies of other essential documents (airline tickets, Anticuchos - hearts of beef with garlic, peppers, important prescriptions, etc.) stored in a separate Carne en adobo - cut and seasoned steak The literacy rate is 85.1%. The indigenous population of Peru is about 3 mil ion and about two You should not drink tap water unless it has been mil ion indigenous people speak no Spanish. Their main language is Quechua, the language of the The mail service has improved since the private Important advice
company Serpost took over. For an extra 50 cents, letters can be sent "con certificado," which we Cusco is a hopping city with a happening night life, recommend. Sending parcels abroad is expensive. enjoyed by many international tourists. Use Staff in the post office wil help with al checking and commonsense, beware of petty theft in crowded then sew parcels into sacks for a smal charge. If you places and don't walk alone late at night. The most need to send parcels by post to Peru, taxes can be common theft is done by fraudulent travel agencies conning naive tourists for nonexistent services. Religion
It is compulsory to have travel insurance. Please Mainly Roman Catholics. Indigenous ceremonies and contact your local insurance company and explain traditional beliefs are often blended with the destination and reason for your stay. Languages
Telephone
Col ect cal s can be made to some European • You can buy tokens and phone cards for Since 1991 the Peruvian currency is the new "Sol" international and long distance cal s at the (S/). In more expensive establishments, prices are Try to break down large notes whenever you can. Taxi drivers are notorious for conning tourists often We recommend that you bring the fol owing: • Lightweight layerable clothing Warm clothes to sleep in (it gets cold at night in the mountains & most homes don't use heaters) Vaccination is not required to enter to Peru. If you have planned to carry out a trip to the • Comfortable walking shoes (tough to find shoes Amazon area or jungle of Peru, it is advisable to be Tampons (expensive) and contraceptives if • No visa is necessary for citizens of Western European countries, the US, South American countries (except Chile and Venezuela), Canada • Obtain a tourist card from the immigration • The tourist card is valid for visits up to 90 days, but make sure they don’t stamp for less at Tourist cards can be renewed at Migraciones, Paseo de la Republica 585, Lima. Also, you can renew tourist cards in major towns such as Cuzco • Medical supplies (antiseptic, aspirin, • A return ticket is official y required for entry to • Complete Spanish Dictionary, Pocket Spanish • Always cal your Peruvian Embassy or Consulate and double check on entry requirements, since Time • May – December: 5 hours behind GMT • January – April: 4 hours behind GMT. For an up-to-date weather forecast, please take a • Hotels - 10% in addition to the 10% on the bil . It is not necessary to apply for a work permit, as you • Restaurants - Service is included in the bil , but if receive no wages for the voluntary work, it is somebody is going out of his or her way for you, • Tips are not normal y given to taxi drivers. Al suggestions to improve and give advice when considered relevant to this document are very welcome. We are wel aware of the limited content and kindly ask you to participate in improving it. Send us an e-mail with your suggestions to: info@global-volunteers.de

Source: http://www.global-volunteers.de/pdf/peru/Peru%20A-Z.pdf