Lima Survival Kit Lima Survival Kit

About Us

The Lima Survival Kit has been designed as an information guide for foreign residents of all nationalities.   Editor and publisher Eleanor Griffis, a third generation “gringa” in Lima, has built an unparalleled information network of Peruvians and short- and long-term foreign residents of not only different nationalities but of different interests. This network has contributed generously and enthusiastically with suggestions, advice and discoveries.

Our special thanks to Patricia Mauffette, who wrote the Surviving in Lima with Kids supplement and also contributed to the main body of the book; our thanks to Paul Gibbs, Susana Mejía, Marcia Paredes and Freda Wolf, to many more individuals who we credit in the book, and also to the American & Canadian Association, the French community group Acceuil, and to the German and Swiss communities.

Our objective is to help foreigners settle in quickly and easily, and to discover the very wide variety of activities and services available in this city. Something we like to remind newcomers is that Lima may be part of the Developing World but that by no means makes it third rate  --there are many things that will try your patience, but the city offers an active, varied and sophisticated social and cultural life; you’ll meet people of probably more nationalities, interests and walks of life than you would anywhere else; and, of course, Peruvian cuisine ranks with French, Chinese and Indonesian as the best in the world.

Contact Us: If we have not included the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to ask us for guidance to search elsewhere. Contact us at info@limasurvivalkit.com  We also welcome all comments and contributions to make the Lima Survival Kit a truly useful tool for every newcomer to Peru. 

OTHER SOURCES
www.expatperu.com  is a virtual community for expatriate residents. An active e-mail list, plus several forums on different topics of interest to foreign residents living in Peru.
www.livinginperu.com provides news and views, cultural activities listing and forums.
www.stgeorgequiz.com handles real estate as well as budget market suggestions and special offers
 

 

Survival Tips 101
  • If you’re on a budget, don’t think you’ll get a cheaper ride into town by hailing a taxi outside the airport gates – you’re too obvious a target just there, and you could easily land up being dumped in an unknown part of town, minus your suitcase and wallet. Invest in an authorized taxi at the arrivals area, or hop on the Urbanito bus (see above).
  • Don’t lead others into temptation:
    -When traveling to or from the airport, or anywhere in town, in a standard automobile (as opposed to a bus or high-seated 4x4), keep even hand luggage in the truck, or under your seat or on the floor of the car (including handbags, laptops, shopping bags, etc). You’ll avoid tempting thieves who see a a traffic jam or traffic light as an opportunity to smash the car window and snatch whatever is on the seat.

    -Avoid using expensive or very noticeable jewelry, especially gold jewelry. (Take advantage of the great local designs in silver, a metal unattractive to thieves because of the low resale value).
  • Antiquities – Pre-Columbian pottery and textiles, and Colonial paintings, are not allowed to be taken out of the country. If you buy replicas of pots or paintings, make sure you can obtain a certificate or bill of sale from the shop – experts are not always on duty at the airport when you leave and you could miss your flight and face complications if an unschooled customs officer prefers to play safe rather than sorry.
  • Keep away from drugs, and from anyone you don’t know well offering them. Drug sentences are as harsh for marihuana as they are for cocaine or heroin, and there is no legal differentiation between personal use and trafficking. Sentences are 10 to 15 years in prison, with parole to be completed within the country. It’s worth remembering that in Peru, as everywhere else, a high percentage of drug arrests are the result of tip-offs. Also, there are occasions when an offer to provide drugs is a scam to blackmail you.

 

CELLULAR / MOBILE phones
You can buy a mobile/cellular phone at the airport, and in the city at all Ripley and Saga Falabella department stores, at E.Wong and Plaza Vea supermarkets. You can also contact the phone companies directly:
Telefonica  www.telefonica.com.pe and Tel. 215-7400
Claro www.claro.com.pe and Tel. 0801-123-23
Nextel www.nextel.com.pe and Tel. 0800-188-44

THE CLIMATE

Lima lies on the coastal desert, cooled by the Humboldt ocean current running north from Antarctica. Its summers – December through March-- are sunny, pleasantly hot , with cool evenings (the exception is when the warm El Niño current appears every few years, raising temperatures and the humidity level). Winters in Lima are cool and damp, and a gray fog sits over the city for much of the months between May and November. It never rains in Lima, but a heavy mist or even drizzle is not infrequent during the winter.

 

  
Month
Mean Temperature oC/ oF
Mean Total Rainfall (mm)

Daily Minimum

Daily Maximum

Jan
 19.1 / 66.4 25.8 / 78.4 0.9
Feb
 19.4 / 66.9 26.5 / 79.7 0.3
Mar
 19.2 / 66.6 26.0 / 75.7 4.9
Apr
 17.6 / 63.7 24.3 / 75.7 0.0
May
 16.1 / 61.0 21.7 / 71.1 0.1
Jun
 15.3 / 59.5 19.7 / 65.7 0.3
Jul
 15.0 / 59.0 18.7 / 65.7 0.3

Aug

14.6 / 58.3 18.4 / 65.1 0.3

Sep

14.6 / 58.3 18.7 / 65.7 5.4

Oct

15.2 / 59.4 19.9 / 67.8 0.2

Nov

16.4 / 61.5 21.9 / 71.4 0.0
Dec
 17.7 / 63.9 23.9 / 75.0 0.3



 EXCHANGE RATES
Soles (S/.)
 
Selling
Buying
USD
3.18
3.18
EURO
4.23
4.23


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