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10 tips for traveling in Peru

I spent four months traveling in Peru. While I did not stay at the following locations: Lima, Miraflores, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Cajamarca, Huaraz, Chavin, Piura, Mancora, and Cusco. Here are some of the things I've learned and I recommend it to anyone planning to spend time in that beautiful country. These tips are probably useful for most other Latin American countries as well.

1. Bring a book travel guide.

Buy one before you go because you will not find any in English once you get there. Make sure it is the days as these can become obsolete quickly. These guides are excellent references for places to visit, eat, or stay. They are usually great advice for travelers. And make great reading material while traveling.

2. Bring earplugs.

These will help to drown out the calls taxis early start in the morning, and the films usually unpleasant loud that shown in bus travel longer. I like the cheap foam earplugs you can get at the pharmacy. I recommend buying a big box of 20 or less. At least they are light to carry.

3. Travel light.

Do you really want to carry all that? You'll be much happier with less weight to carry with you.

4. Riding the bus.

More Peruvian travel between cities by bus. In fact, the road between the cities, hardly see any personal vehicles. Only buses and trucks.

There are several bus lines in Peru, which are twice the size of two floors. The lower level is considered first class. The seats are bigger, there are only 10 seats, and the bathroom is closer. The top level is only a little cheaper. Like maybe $ 5 cheaper. The problem with the upper level is that it can be noisier (infants or snoring man next to him) or fragrant (Men in cheap cologne) or too close (the people next to you sleeping and using your shoulder as a pillow.)

If the bus trip is a longer, I'd rather splurge on the first-class seat. It's definitely a more comfortable ride. When you buy your ticket, you can usually choose the seat you want. If you're really feeling adventurous, and the bus will travel through the Andes to the coast, I recommend the seat directly to the driver in the front row. There is a view window tour of the mountain is exhilarating. But there is a curtain in case it is too scary.

5. Taxi drivers

You think the crazy people in the U.S.? No matter what I was in town, the taxi drivers drive fast, rarely use the signs, crossing free the multitude of intersections without stoplights or stop signs in any direction, and seems to communicate with each other through a series of beeps and blips their horns. It's like a secret code for taxi drivers Morse. The good news is I did not see a single car accident when I was there. I think taxi drivers are turning Peruvian to force themselves maneuver. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride!

6. Pedestrians have the right NOT track.

This simple concept does not exist in Peru. Pedestrians have the right to leave the path of oncoming traffic because it is not going to stop for you. One thing that weirded me out was, I'd be walking down the sidewalk in a small town. Then, a taxi was coming behind me and touch me the horn as if he needed a warning to get out of the way, although there were no other vehicles on the road, and the cab was at least 20 feet away from the sidewalk. This happens many times and I decide that there are more than just to say "Hello."

7. Going to Cusco

The bus trip to Cusco is approximately 24 hours, so you may want to consider flying. I went and a terrifying journey from Cusco to Lima. There was a rock slide a backup of traffic for hours. Were the first to get there (down the mountain) and the bus driver decided to try to drive the bus on the rocks! Given that almost killed us, stopped the bus and everyone got out and helped remove the stones of the road for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. A little surreal.

8. Money

My debit card worked very well throughout the country. The best thing to do is carry a small amount and withdraw their money from ATMs as you need. I also hide most cash in a safe place and keep a larger quantity small in the pocket. Thus, in the unlikely event that I stole, I would only lose a little. In fact, I learned that trick live in Chicago, where the probability to obtain is the most stolen.

The other thing I would do differently is have more than one bank account. That sure would be implemented when I lost my debit card in Cusco! And make sure that all your bank know that you are in Peru and the date they are there. Otherwise, you may pull the plug in your account on suspicion of fraud.

9. Food and Water

In general, the food is cheap. It is more hygienic in restaurants in the stands in the street or in markets. Some vendors sell very simple things like a potato or a bowl of corn. There is also a delicious quinoa soup you can find on the streets of Lima. In general, the meat will have a greater potential for transfer of bacteria and germs and unsanitary practices not adequately flushed covered. So simple vegetarian street food is probably much safer. I am a certified food handler, so to speak of the authority having spent a test.

Water should always be boiled to kill bacteria. So to be more secure, for your drinks without ice. There are plenty of bottled water available. I used to buy bottles of one liter. Unfortunately there is a huge problem with plastic bottles recycled in Peru, but I'm not sure how to avoid buying water bottled up for the trip.

One of my favorite things was that freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning. In many cities there is a seller of orange juice that has a homemade car. He or she puts the orange in a vice and manually turned from a cutter that is apparent around the orange in two seconds. The orange is placed in a presser hand. The juice is served in a glass to return when finished. There is a container with water and soap as part of the medium used to wash the glasses.

10. Hostels

A private room in a hostel is usually about $ 10 a night. They are much cheaper than hotels, and generally so pretty. It is a little cheaper for a shared room where you will have the opportunity to meet other travelers, hear snoring and woke in the middle of the night when they stumble drunk. If the value of a good sleep, I recommend getting a room for yourself. And if you want to have a guest will be able to. Usually, they have paid by the client however.

If you want to find the cheapest places to stay, then look for hippies artisans selling their wares. Usually congregate in the plaza area. Usually you are traveling from one place to another, the following destinations of tourists in different seasons. They stay where it is cheaper. These places are a bit off the beaten path and you may be the only gringo stay there, but it will be an interesting experience.

These ten tips are what I learned from my experiences. You'll find lots of other tips for your guide. One thing to mention, that in fact is not a tip. Internet access is cheap and easily available in any city they went. So that's not something to worry about.

About the Author

Scott Shell was born in Omaha, Nebraska but grew up in the Western suburbs of Chicago. He earned a degree in music composition from DePaul University. He founded the rock band Cats and Jammers and the novelty band the Karaoke Dokies. He is the owner of Advanced Language Learning Systems, LLC and the author of Teaching Yourself Spanish.