First Week of October

[West_Wind]

Congrats to all who have made this an outstanding forum from both a technical and content perspective. I had many questions for my first trip to Lima but most have been answered with the help of messages in the forum from RT Goosh, RBC, Homo_Lo_Gato, Tony Mmontanaa Tigre and others. Below is a "LIMA Value Guide" draft based mainly on recommendation from this forum.

I arrive in Lima from the northwest next Friday Sept 29 around 11PM for a week+. I'll be staying in Miraflores. I would appreciate any other suggestions corrections to my guide below and mostly the opportunity to meet up with a wingman or 2. Wish I could have postponed the trip for a couple weeks to sync up with you fellow CR travelers. I suppose it is my duty to provide recon so I will try to find a least on new best value spot. Where's Gatitas?

Here are a few remaining questions
- Phone # for recommended Taxi drivers (with a little english).
- What clothes do people tend to wear -- Shorts, slacks, jeans?
- Cell phone pricing? I read threads but am still confused on this.
At $1.50 per minute my sprint charge will limit negotions.

Thanks West_Wind

_____________________________________
LIMA value Guide (when staying in Miraflores )
_____________________________________

BASIC INFO
- Spanish needed more than in CR so brush up on my poco Español
- Lima is a huge chaotic city (> 8 Million). Miraflores is relatively safe.
- Weather is mostly Overcast. Temps in 60s (clothes?)
- ATMs plentiful in Miraflores | 3.26 soles per dollar
- Farmacias are everywhere with many over counter vitamins
- Cell phone rentals form Claro at airport and elsewhere (price?)
My sprint phone use in Lima is $1.50 per minute.

MUSEUMS & MUST SEES
- San Francisco Church and Convent
- Museo Nacional de Antropología
- La Catedral (Cathedral of Lima)
- Museo de la Nacion
- Museums: Museo de Oro (Gold museum)
- Rafael Larco Herrera Museum
- Palacio De Gobierno -- Presidentail Palace

ACCOMODATIONS
- Residencial Las Americas: 242-6600: Calle
Bellavista 216, Miraflores http://www.hoteleslasamericas.com
- Maria Luisa: 241 7888 241 (espalda de la cdra. 4 de Larco)
- Hotel Las Palmas: 444-6033 - Calle Bellavista 320, Miraflores
- Suites Hotel Inkari: 264-0884 $50 Av El Ejercito #1147 San Isidro

RESTAURANTS
- Costa Verde Restaurant
- Donde Sonia Santa Rosa 173, Chorrillos 467-3788 (Ceviche)
- Restaurant La Mar LUNCH 0nly (770 Av. La Mar, Miraflores)
- Astrid y Gaston best restaurant ß Cantuarias #175
- Rosa de el Torro best and cheapest ceviche in Lima
- El Aji Limon

SPAs
- Relax y Vida Carlos Villaran #121 Santa Catalina – 265-5370
- Cavin Spa, Calle Rodolfo Beltrán 167-171
Santa Catalina -224-4120 | 475/9470
- Mithos, Av. la marina Cuadra 34 | 561-2334
- Delfines Spa / Av. 28 de Julio (Anabelle)
- Finnish Sauna Calle Jose de la Torre Ugarte Nro.
270 : 583-7233 Rayza
- El Emporio Av. Alameda Los Cedros cda.4, Los Cedros de Villa,
Chorrillos 254-9475 http://www.emporiospa.com/
- La Marina, - Sol y Luna

BARS
- Tequila Rock Paola Diez Canseco #146 Miraflores – 427-7128
- Trattoria Mamma Lola (across from Tequila Rock)
- Old Pub (on Pizza Street) Miraflores Irish Pub (Calle Schell).
- Corner Sports Bar and Grill Miraflores – 242-6429

CLUBS (wingman advised)
- Club Scarlets Los Yunques #5200
- Las Cucardas (Corner o9 between Av. Colonial and Av. Argentina)
- El Trocadero Avenida Argentina #1869
- Los Olivos 522-4984

 

[Homo_Lo_Gato]

I arrive in Lima from the northwest next Friday Sept 29 around 11PM for a week+. I'll be staying in Miraflores. I would appreciate any other suggestions corrections to my guide below and mostly the opportunity to meet up with a wingman or 2...

...Where's Gatitas?

Here are a few remaining questions

- Phone # for recommended Taxi drivers (with a little english).
- What clothes do people tend to wear -- Shorts, slacks, jeans?
- Cell phone pricing? I read threads but am still confused on this.

...
_____________________________________
LIMA value Guide (when staying in Miraflores )
_____________________________________

BASIC INFO
- ATMs plentiful in Miraflores | 3.26 soles per dollar
- Cell phone rentals form Claro at airport and elsewhere (price?)
My sprint phone use in Lima is $1.50 per minute...

...
RESTAURANTS
- Rosa de el Torro best and cheapest ceviche in Lima...

...
BARS
- Trattoria Mamma Lola (across from Tequila Rock)...

...
CLUBS (wingman advised)
- Los Olivos 522-4984...

First of all, Welcome to Peru!

I hope some cofrades offer themselves, here in this thread, to accompany you in your explorations.

I don't know of a place called Gatitas, nor is any reference to it in the forum.

Remaining questions:

- Taxis: There are several agencies in the yelloy pages under "Taxis" any one will do. I called the 0nly one with some english in their ad, but nobody spoke english there. There is another, "MITSUI Taxi REMISSE", which says "bilingüe" (bilingual) in their ad; but it is very expensive. I guess you will have to polish your spanish, or just get lucky.
- Clothing: No shorts, it is not warm enough yet. Temperature will be around 69°F. Slacks or jeans will do just fine. It will be spring here, but it never rains in Lima, at least not enough to get wet.
- Cell Phone Pricing: Prices vary, normal calls are around US$ 0.70/min (charged by the seconds) for pre-paid cellphone cards. Between cellular phones of the same company, usually half as much. National long distance between cellphones of the same company free of any adittional charge.

_____________________________________
LIMA value Guide (corrections)
_____________________________________

BASIC INFO
- Exchange rate varies. Today is 3.24 soles per dollar, tendency is to go down, tendency varies as well.

RESTAURANTS
- There is no Rosa de el Torro. What you are probably looking for is an avenue in the district of San Luis called Av. Agustin de la Rosa Toro, and known to any taxi driver simply as "La Rosa Toro" where you will find, almost side by side, many small restaurants and, most probably, the best and cheapest ceviche in Lima.

BARS
- Trattoria Mamma Lola (across from Tequila Rock): It is NOT a bar nor a pub. It is just a place to eat (italian).

CLUBS (wingman advised)
- Los Olivos 522-4984: There is no such club. Los Olivos is a very large district, north of Lima, where there are several Clubs like Scarlets and Anaconda. The phone number you quote belongs to the Club Scarlets.

Hope it helps. Enjoy your visit.

 

[Juan Alimaña]

West Wind,
Jeans are pretty common in Lima, I wear them most of the time when I'm there. Spring is just starting so it is usually sunny during the middle of the day. As of last week, I didn't need a jacket or sweater.

 

[RT Gooch]

Hi West. RT here.

Mostly, what Homo_Lo_Gato said, except: Nice research!

A couple of comments:

Cell Phones: No matter how careful you are, if you use your US phone, it will cost you a fortune. I know this from personal experience.

Cell phone numbers in Peru are 8 digits, with the first number being a '9'. Fixed phones have seven-digit numbers, and calls to them are much cheaper. I have a Telephonica pre-paid phone, and my calls run about 1 Sol to a cell and a half Sol to fixed phones. Also, the girls like when you have a local number. It implies a sense of permanence, and I think that it is a wise $30-$40 investment.

Clubs: If you are comfortable hitting a strip club in the USA by yourself, you should be OK at Scarlet. The taxi takes you right to the door, the club has bouncers for your safety, and there are cabs waiting in front to take you home. Granted, it is more fun with a friend, but you should have no problems solo.

Clothes: Wear long pants (jeans are fine) and a polo shirt at a minimum at all times, and you'll fit in.

Have a good trip. I look forward to hearing how it went.

 

[West_Wind]

Thanks for the all recommendation. I received confirmation for RESIDENCIAL LAS AMERICAS from Julia del Pozo today packed my Jeans and plan to purchase a cell phone shortly after I arrive.

I'm still looking for a wingman or 2. Possibly I'll run into goodfellows at Tequila Rocks. IN CR you can hang at the Sportsmen or News Cafe for a while and you usually find someone to tour with.

RE Gatitas
Sorry for any confusion that the reference to Gatitas might have caused. It was an attempt at some inside humor for those who have been to San Jose CR. A CRT member who also frequents this board provided some great guidance to new spots outside of the standard Gulch fare in San Jose. There are two "Machu Pichu" restaurant in the San Jose. One is near Paseo Colon the other in San Pedro. I was searching for a place called Oasis next to the Paseo Colon Machu Pichu but ended up lost at the other Machu Pichu. In the process I discovered a new MP called Gatitas in San Pedro and I was happy to share a new discovery. So now that I will be in the land of Machu Pichu I have another opportunity to discover a new place to share before the boys from the north arrive.