Trip Report: Peru

[kai #2]

I think you're exactly right. I don't think I'd want to chauffeur a friend to go with me now. I can get a game plan after a few days in countries. I know what I'm going, what I'm going to to do how I'm going to do it. I the only thing I've really failed out in S.America, is taking the bus. I took the MetroVia in Ecuador 4 times, and got lost all 4 times not having a clue as to where I was. Thats some pressure I don't think I'd want with some one who has never got their feet wet out of country before

I think novices still need a wingman or guide until they get their sea legs.

[Chris F]

I guess you are talking about Lima in general, because the upscale areas like Miraflores don't really have a lot of trash and poverty, it is where the rich "pitucos" live (although the traffic is still pretty chaotic, it is Peru after all). Miraflores is very developed and almost like a first world city actually.

While Miraflores Gavan is first class COMPARED to other parts of the city, it still has plenty of poor mothers and children begging for money in the street, stray dogs running around, (as a dog lover, I have a hard time seeing this), and bad traffic with taxi horns honking all the time.

To be fair, I like the cafes along Kennedy Park and the Larco Mar Mall is nice to go to as well for a Pisco Sour and also eat Pardos Chicken ( love that place when not eating Cerviche). I also like going to The Corner sports bar to see American sports and also throw a little money on a game. Casinos are fun for a few hours as well..it's definitely not Vegas though!!

The beaches there as you know are not much to look at either.

[Gavan]

While Miraflores Gavan is first class COMPARED to other parts of the city, it still has plenty of poor mothers and children begging for money in the street, stray dogs running around, (as a dog lover, I have a hard time seeing this), and bad traffic with taxi horns honking all the time.

The beaches there as you know are not much to look at either.

Yes, there are some beggars in Miraflores too, that is true. And yes, Peruvians love honking their horns lol. However, I don't remember seeing stray dogs there myself, not in Miraflores at least.


Personally, I think the coast area of Miraflores (costa verde) looks pretty nice.




But, no the beaches in Lima aren't the best  in Peru, those are up north in Mancora/Punta Sal.

[kai #2]

Every one in S.America loves honking their horns. They'll do for intersections because people run them, they'll honk them to try to pick  up passengers walking, they'll honk them if you're not off the line immediately when the light turns greens and a few other reasons I don't understands. If anytime during the day it went 10minutes w/ out hearing a honking horn I was amazed.

And yes, Peruvians love honking their horns lol.

[Elexpatriado]

Lima sucks..big dirty polluted city..worse (a lot) than Bogota. Arequipa is OK..

Weather in Lima isn't miserable all the time. During the summer the weather can be quite sunny and nice a lot of the time.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima#Climate

https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/peru/lima

Although it isn't like northern Peru where the weather is sunny pretty much all year long.

[Elexpatriado]

Looks like some of the prepagos Kai met in Miraflores..

Interesting. I thought the same, that those women will sleep with anyone with money. Guess not.




Yes, most Peruanas (and the men too) are short. As for body types, you can find all kinds of body types in Peru. But yeah, the vast majority are on the short side (with a few exceptions here and there, especially among the Peruanas with more European blood).


Here are some examples of cute Peruanas 

[Gavan]

Lima sucks..big dirty polluted city..worse (a lot) than Bogota. Arequipa is OK..

That is your opinion. Lima is a city you either love or hate I guess.

[Gavan]

Looks like some of the prepagos Kai met in Miraflores..

Actually they are singers/dancers:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exjSEiG4G-E


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSsMI644Ao4


 

[kai #2]

I don't know. I think I'm most bothered by the fact that I spent most of my time where the rate were jacked, tourist and hookers. I would have liked to expand my sphere of influence a bit further. I don't think Mira Flores is unique to any affluent city in where in the world personally.
 Hell Even GYE changed a lot in the last year, their La Zona Rosa was packed with clubs and people. Most of the prepagos i saw were online, which is way I gave up on it. They finally have a set standard for Taxis's and what not. I was really happy to the improvments. but I also think GYE will never really be that touristy personally. Urdessa is very nice but there isn't much for a tourist to do there unless they just want to chill during the day and Fiesta at night

[gyounger]

Every one in S.America loves honking their horns. They'll do for intersections because people run them, they'll honk them to try to pick  up passengers walking, they'll honk them if you're not off the line immediately when the light turns greens and a few other reasons I don't understands. If anytime during the day it went 10minutes w/ out hearing a honking horn I was amazed.

Sometimes they honk as the car is moving around another car to warn other cars that they are trying to pass.
I can understand the car horn being used as a warning device but doing it in other instances is just annoying.

[Gavan]

Sometimes they honk as the car is moving around another car to warn other cars that they are trying to pass.
I can understand the car horn being used as a warning device but doing it in other instances is just annoying.

They will also use it when you are trying to cross the street. Instead of slowing down, they will actually speed up and honk their horns to warn you they are coming    Here's a funny video that shows what I mean. Crossing the street in Canada vs crossing the steet in Peru:

http://peru.com/actualidad/mi-ciudad/peru-vs-canada-que-hacemos-ante-cruce-peatonal-sin-semaforo-noticia-246255

[kai #2]

Becasue they will run reds and intersections at night so they'll honk the horn as a warning

Sometimes they honk as the car is moving around another car to warn other cars that they are trying to pass.
I can understand the car horn being used as a warning device but doing it in other instances is just annoying.

[buencamino]

Too bad you didn't get to Machu Pichu, you were so close. Interesting thing about Cusco is all the hotels have bowls with coca leaves to help prevent altitude sickness. Not everybody gets it though. Myself and companion didn't get it but I never had a problem on the fourteeners in the US either. One surprise, there was a university student at the Cusco airport interviewing departing travelers asking if they'd gotten sick on restaurant food. Evidently it was such a problem the university was doing a study. Indeed my companion got horribly sick after we went to a Chinese restaurant. I had to call a doctor to the hotel room where he gave her a shot that fixed her up. And agree on the sun in Lima...never saw it. Also too bad you didn't get to Arequipa. They get sun there.

[Gavan]

Too bad you didn't get to Machu Pichu, you were so close. Interesting thing about Cusco is all the hotels have bowls with coca leaves to help prevent altitude sickness. Not everybody gets it though. Myself and companion didn't get it but I never had a problem on the fourteeners in the US either. One surprise, there was a university student at the Cusco airport interviewing departing travelers asking if they'd gotten sick on restaurant food. Evidently it was such a problem the university was doing a study. Indeed my companion got horribly sick after we went to a Chinese restaurant. I had to call a doctor to the hotel room where he gave her a shot that fixed her up. And agree on the sun in Lima...never saw it. Also too bad you didn't get to Arequipa. They get sun there.

Chinese restaurants in Peru ("chifas") have a bad reputation for being unhygienic. I have been sick a few times myself after eating at chifas (though it was nothing serious, just diarrhea). The food is good though.

[kai #2]

...and they are EVERYWHERE

Chinese restaurants in Peru ("chifas") have a bad reputation for being unhygienic. I have been sick a few times myself after eating at chifas (though it was nothing serious, just diarrhea). The food is good though.

[Gavan]

...and they are EVERYWHERE

Yeah they are. They are as common as pollo a la brasa places or cevicherias (maybe even more common actually). There is at least one chifa in almost every barrio in the major Peruvian cities.

[no comment]

Been to Lima many times.  Typically I stay in Miraflores at one of the apartments of Innperu.com.  Run by a Brit expat with his Peruvian wife, he's got a number of apartments with kitchens.  Plan well in advance and you can pay half the rate of nearby hotels.


Ate at una chifa once.  One time too many.  Didn't get sick, but the food is nothing special.  How often do they clean those Woks?  Don't need ajinomoto (monosodium glutamate) either. 


Chris,
Stray dogs are no problem in barrios like Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco, Surco or any of the upscale barrios.  In the poor barrios the locals might kill strays by baiting them with meat mixed with broken glass.


Larco Mar or pizza alley off of Parque Kennedy might be appealing places to take a date but have little appeal for me.  They're for gringo tourists.  In Miraflores try El Punto Azul (puntoazulrestaurante.com) on the corner of Avenida Benavides and Alcanfores.

[Gavan]

Chris,
Stray dogs are no problem in barrios like Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco, Surco or any of the upscale barrios.  In the poor barrios the locals might kill strays by baiting them with meat mixed with broken glass.

Exactly, most of the stray dogs you see in Peru are in the poor barrios. Maybe the locals kill them sometimes, but quite often they also adopt them and feed them. I know because I have spent quite a bit of time in the slums in Peru and they are full of stray dogs. The reason why they kill the dogs is because sometimes they are aggressive and attack people (especially kids). But yeah, killing them like that is pretty cruel. South Americans often don't have much respect for animals.

[utopiacowboy]

When I first moved to the ranch I had in a rural West Texas county, the first thing the locals told me was if I saw a stray dog to shoot it, throw its body in a ditch and say nothing about it to anyone. I don't remember ever seeing the same stray dog twice the whole time I lived there.

[benjio]

GOTDAMN!!! As a dog lover reading this stuff bothers me. I guess I can understand such cruelty in Peru, but in West Texas?!!!! I'm assuming this area had no kind of animal control but my question is how in the hell do people know a dog is a stray?!! Not everyone I know puts a leash and a license with contact info on their dogs. Especially out in the country! Sometimes dogs just get loose and go exploring. Guess that's why you shouldn't tell anyone.

[Gavan]

[Ate at un chifa once.  One time too many.  Didn't get sick, but the food is nothing special.  How often do they clean those Woks?  Don't need ajinomoto (monosodium glutamate) either. 

It depends on personal preference of course, but I do like chifa food (although you do have to look around a bit until you find a good one).


Here are some examples of dishes I like:


40 por 40:





Aeropuerto:





Sopa Wan Tan:

[kai #2]

I ate at a  few Chifas buy why eat there when you can eat Lomo Saltado all day lol

[benjio]

It depends on personal preference of course, but I do like chifa food (although you do have to look around a bit until you find a good one).


Here are some examples of dishes I like:


40 por 40:





Aeropuerto:





Sopa Wan Tan:

Gavan,


I'll be back in Lima for work later on this year. Can you recommend any good Chifas in La Victoria?

[Gavan]

Gavan,


I'll be back in Lima for work later on this year. Can you recommend any good Chifas in La Victoria?

I have never been to La Victoria so I can't really help you out there.


Here is a forum thread from ForosPeru.net about the best chifas in Lima:
 

http://www.forosperu.net/temas/el-mejor-chifa-de-lima.322918/


A couple of people there are recommending this chifa in La Victoria:

Chifa Canadá Avenida Canadá, 493 - La Victoria - LimaSu Tallarín Taypa, es lo mejor, aunque cuesta algo de 26-28 soles, es bien TAYPA como para 3 personas.

There are a couple of good ones in San Miguel (where I used to spend most of my time whenever I was in Lima), but I don't remember their names.  They were located near Plaza San Miguel.


I could recommend a couple of good ones in Trujillo or Nuevo Chimbote (where I used to live), but that is a bit far from Lima 

[Dan Las Vegas]

I much preferred Trujillo to Lima. Loved Cusco and hope to return there soon. The coca tea was great in preventing altitude sickness and my hotel offered it to you as soon as you checked in. I also enjoyed the overnight bus from Lima to Trujillo , had reclining seats on the bottom floor, wifi and food service and movies.


Dan LV