Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Landmines
A half century of armed conflict over the Cordillera del Condor region on Peru's north-
eastern border with Ecuador was finally resolved in 1998. However, unexploded ordin-
ance (UXO) in the area has not been completely cleaned up. Only use official border
crossings and don't stray from the beaten path when traveling in this region.
Shopping
Arts and crafts are inevitably sold wherever tourists gather. Popular souvenirs include
alpaca wool sweaters and scarves, woven textiles, ceramics, masks, gold and silver jew-
elry and the backpacker favorite: Inca Kola T-shirts. While Lima offers a wealth of crafts,
highly specialized regional items may be difficult to find.
Expensive foreign-language books and magazines are stocked at better bookstores, es-
pecially in Lima and Cuzco.
Bargaining is the norm at street stalls and markets, where it's cash only. Prices are fixed
in upscale stores, which may add a surcharge for credit card transactions.
Solo Travelers
Peru's top tourist spots are good places for solo travelers. Inexpensive hostels with com-
munal kitchens encourage social exchange, while a large number of language schools,
tours and volunteer organizations provide every traveler with plenty of opportunities to
meet others.
Outside popular areas, this type of infrastructure may be limited, in which case you
might be spending a lot more time by yourself. It is not recommended to undertake long
treks in the wilderness on your own.
For more specific advice for women travelers,
Click here
.
Telephone
A few public pay phones operated by
Movistar
(
www.movistar.com.pe
)
are still around,
especially in small towns. They work with phone cards which can be purchased at super-
markets and groceries. Often internet cafes have 'net-to-phone' and 'net-to-net' capabilit-
ies (such as Skype), to talk for pennies or even for free.
