General Info

[Tavares]

LB,

I think it is the right time to buy, right?

Knowing Peru so well maybe you could help me out. I am thinking of flying to Lima between June 22nd and 26th and then on to Piura with Lanperu. Probably will stay at Radisson Decapolis, I was told it is a good option and I will get corporate rates through the embassy of my country.

Are you available for dinner or for a drink? I will be single this time, so what about limeñas?

thanks

Tavares

[Maltrufio]

... Mancora... property values are going up...

I almost bought 4 years ago and the asking price was $40/m. When I approached them last year (it took me a long time to commit) the price had gone up to $110/m. It's probably higher now.

[Adelante Siempre]

AS: (And in the interests of fairness he has not been charged or found guilty of anything in the US. He is currently appealing a Peruvian 20 year drug trafficking and money laundering sentence.)

Polvo

Not only that, there used to be an advisory posted on the Dept of State website for travelers to Peru. US citizens were to be held criminally liable for money laundering for flying on Aerocontinente!

When "Big Brother" leans on somebody you better get the hell out of the way.

Since I have more time than money I prefer surface transport anyway.

AS

[Member #4351]

Never been there. But if you are considering buying something in Mancora you might want to consider doing so quickly. Property values are going up and there was some talk about it being ripe for resort development.

[Polvo]

Is Aero Condor related to Aerocontinente? Aerocontinente used to be the cheapest.

Polvo: something tells me you are no great admirer of the French. What are the French up to in Peru anyway?

I used to fly TANS until they ran out of planes.

AS

AS: Aero Condor is no relation. Aerocontinente eventually shuttered due to their boss being "accidentally" included on the US top ten list of the most sought after narco traficantes i.e. Foreign Drugkingpin. (And in the interests of fairness he has not been charged or found guilty of anything in the US. He is currently appealing a Peruvian 20 year drug trafficking and money laundering sentence.)

The French? Fertilizer.

Suerte!

Polvo

[Polvo]

Aero Condor, had their Nazca fleet grounded after 3-4 incidents in as many weeks, including the deaths of five french tourists.
LB

Dammit. They need to get bigger planes.

Polvo

[Lima Busy]

Aero Condor, had their Nazca fleet grounded after 3-4 incidents in as many weeks, including the deaths of five french tourists.
LB

[Member #4351]

Many are pissed off at the glaring errors of the movie: Mexican music in Nazca, Nazca as jungle (its desert), Indiana Jones learning quechua from Pancho Villa, mountains and cliffs in the Amazon jungle..etc. etc. But the bottom line is that it will probably give tourism a boost.

[Lima Busy]

In case you haven't seen the most recent "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", let it be known that it takes place mostly in Peru (well, actually filmed in Hawaii, but who besides a Peruvian is gonna be able to tell?).

Indiana Jones and his 'sidekick' (wink, wink, nod, nod - you'll understand when you see the movie) travel to Peru to find a crystalline skull that is the source of unspeakable power. You can see the famous red-line following the DC-8 plane flight from NY to Lima then onto Nazca. A good part of the movie occurs in near the Nazca lines, then it is onto to Iguitos and then onto the Amazon river, east of Iquitos. Indiana Jones, BTW is fluent in the indigenous Quechua langauge of Peru, and can read Mayan glyphs in an instant.

So expect a bump in the tourist travel to see the Nazca lines, jungle tours etc. The Peruvian tourism board must be falling over themselves in abject joy over the free worldwide advertising. Gonzo give the movie a 6 out of 10 - it looked good, but provided standard and unexceptional mediocre service.

With all the airplanes crashing there recently, the tourist board can claim all those bodies are ET's instead of dead French Tourists!

A 6 is pretty generous unless you were getting a BJ in the theatre, like I did!
LB

[John Gault]

In case you haven't seen the most recent "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", let it be known that it takes place mostly in Peru (well, actually filmed in Hawaii, but who besides a Peruvian is gonna be able to tell?).

Indiana Jones and his 'sidekick' (wink, wink, nod, nod - you'll understand when you see the movie) travel to Peru to find a crystalline skull that is the source of unspeakable power. You can see the famous red-line following the DC-8 plane flight from NY to Lima then onto Nazca. A good part of the movie occurs in near the Nazca lines, then it is onto to Iguitos and then onto the Amazon river, east of Iquitos. Indiana Jones, BTW is fluent in the indigenous Quechua langauge of Peru, and can read Mayan glyphs in an instant.

So expect a bump in the tourist travel to see the Nazca lines, jungle tours etc. The Peruvian tourism board must be falling over themselves in abject joy over the free worldwide advertising. Gonzo give the movie a 6 out of 10 - it looked good, but provided standard and unexceptional mediocre service.

Yeah I saw the movie also in BAQ and I feel the same way. IMHO, I hate the fucking Eco turistas, they take up hotel and air seats. I feel they are more responsibe for inflation in Peru than a few Mongers who pay a little extra to a working girl. When I see those backpackers with thier visons of seeing Mayon culture it reminds Me of the first time I took a friend to Las Cucardis and saw the look on his face after years of dealing with Gringas.

I gave the movie 2 and a half stars out of 5

[Gonzo]

In case you haven't seen the most recent "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", let it be known that it takes place mostly in Peru (well, actually filmed in Hawaii, but who besides a Peruvian is gonna be able to tell?).

Indiana Jones and his 'sidekick' (wink, wink, nod, nod - you'll understand when you see the movie) travel to Peru to find a crystalline skull that is the source of unspeakable power. You can see the famous red-line following the DC-8 plane flight from NY to Lima then onto Nazca. A good part of the movie occurs in near the Nazca lines, then it is onto to Iguitos and then onto the Amazon river, east of Iquitos. Indiana Jones, BTW is fluent in the indigenous Quechua langauge of Peru, and can read Mayan glyphs in an instant.

So expect a bump in the tourist travel to see the Nazca lines, jungle tours etc. The Peruvian tourism board must be falling over themselves in abject joy over the free worldwide advertising. Gonzo give the movie a 6 out of 10 - it looked good, but provided standard and unexceptional mediocre service.

[Cheap Meat]

How much does pussy cost in Peru?

Thanks!

Cheap Meat

[Lima Busy]

The surprise jump in the Sol this week to 2.77 goes against conventional wisdom as the dollar continues its slide against the Euro. We all saw what happened when Berkshire Hathaway jumped into the Brazil currency markets two years ago.

The below article will help explain the drivers behind this latest move:
LIMA, April 21 (Reuters) - Peru's Central Bank President Julio Velarde said on Monday the bank could further raise reserve requirements for bank accounts owned by foreign investment funds, to curb inflows of so-called hot money as the Andean economy booms.

Earlier this month, the bank said it would raise the requirements on these accounts to 120 percent from 40 percent, starting in May, in order to slow foreign flows, entering Peru to take advantage of the surging sol , the local currency.

The bank has said it wants to slow the sol's appreciation, which could cause trouble for banks and lenders if the sol were to enter a depreciation cycle.

"We will not hesitate to raise (the requirements) to 150, 200, 240, 500 700, 1,000 percent -- this is the message," said Velarde.

Most analysts expect the sol to continue to gain on sound economic fundamentals, despite the bank's moves to squeeze speculative capital out of the market, though the currency fell on Monday and the exchange rate has been volatile since the rule change on reserve requirements was announced.

Also on Monday, Velarde said Peru will likely grow 8 percent in 2008, raising an earlier projection of 7.5 percent.

Last year, Peru's economy, one of the fastest-growing in the world, expanded some 9 percent, pushed by strong internal demand.

Peru's economy grew 10.06 percent in January and 11.92 percent in February of this year.

Velarde upped his estimate of Peru's first-quarter growth in 2008 to 10.3 percent, from 9.5 percent.

But as the country enjoys double-digit growth, some officials and analysts worry whether the boom might be too much, too soon.

In an interview with Reuters late last month, Velarde recognized the economy could overheat if internal demand continues to surge.

Also, inflation, as measured as a price index for metropolitan Lima, has started to pick up, swelling some 2.18 percent in the first three months of 2008.

In the 12 months that ended in March, inflation hit 5.5 percent.

The bank's annual target is 2 percent, plus or minus one percentage point.

[Member #3437]

Since David33 was kind enough to inform me that Lima is having a three day business thingy in Mid May, I am thinking about bumping over to Pucallpa.

Anyone been there? I need general info..is it worth going? Places? Hotels? Action?

[Dodger Bulldog]

IMHO Polvo Azules is the best place to go to get real bargins. Lacoste shirts are 7$. Most items are brand name and appear to be great condition ,i.e. new. Shoes and shirts & jeans are in huge supply and selection.

On Los Pinos there are several tailors. I did have a jacket, some shirts and a pair of pants made. Prices not like PA but way better than the states.

Alos in Cenro Lima there is a street know as calle de lenthes, which has a gozillion glasses shops. I bought 4 pair, one of which was transition lens with wireless frames all for about 350 us. I had my prescription from the us and had checked prices. Wireless frames alone where over 300 in the us and that is with no lens. In the us this would havw cost me ovet 1200 bucks.

I stopped by Polvo Azules. When I did some intense questioning about the clothes and colognes, I was told that most of the items were knock-offs produced in Panama. The saleswoman told me that they couldn't possibly sell name brand items at that price.

I am not saying they would not be worth the price, just that they items were not originals.

However, I did have great luck picking up several pair of glasses there. I had intended to have my eyes checked in the U.S. and bring my prescription along with me, but I'm sure glad I never got around to doing so.

I stopped in a shop and the girl took me a half a block to see the optician. I doubt if he is a real doctor, but he knew what he was doing. He did not dilate my pupils or test for glaucoma, but rather just tested my eyes until he found the right prescription to correct my vision.

Total cost for the prescription: S./ 10 = $3.64!!!

After some serious bargaining on price, I purchased two regular pair and one pair of prescription sunglasses for $31 each. I was told they would be ready in 45 minutes (right), but it was more like an hour and a half.

The glasses work and feel great. At less than US$100 for the examination and glasses, this was an incredible a bargain!

DB