Sly Ones..First Timers Guide to Lima

Sly One's First Timer's Guide to Lima
Sly One’s…First Timer’s Guide to Lima

I often get asked where to stay and what to do when visiting Peru.

Here are a few hints from an expatriate local who has been living in Lima for 3 years. If followed, these hints will save you time and money. In addition, they will enhance your security and improve the experience of your stay.

1. Visa
If you are coming from any first-world country and are not a convicted felon, then you do NOT need to pre-arrange a visa. A 90-day tourist visa will be issued to you upon arrival by immigration. A visa application form will be given to you on the flight or at the point of entry.

2. Accommodation
Book it in advance and negotiate.

3. Money
Bring credit cards and/or cash. All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Amex) are accepted in Lima. ATMs are commonplace and in English. Some ATMs dispense USD as well as local currency (Peruvian Nuevo Soles). Check in advance with you local bank regarding foreign currency transaction and withdrawal fees with some overseas banks these fees can be expensive. You should also be also able to access your home-country bank accounts if they are connected to your cards.

Hint: If you bring travellers cheques, you will be charged a commission at point of purchase and another commission at point of exchange. Travellers cheques are an expensive way to transport money.

4. Valuables
Do NOT put any valuables (Laptops, cameras, cell phones, wallets, money etc.) in your luggage. Keep all valuables on your person or in your carry-on luggage. Luggage robbery is common in South America (20% of luggage has items stolen in South American airports) and Lima is no exception. I cable-tie my luggage zippers so I know if someone has been inside the luggage. For US travellers, TSA approved locks are a good idea so that the locks will not be destroyed should the TSA decide to inspect your luggage state side.

5. Preparation
Learn some Spanish and print a map.

Hint: There is very little English spoken in Peru. Learn some Spanish to communicate. Even just the basics will go a long way and will definitely enhance your experience.

Hint: Print a map of the neighbourhood in which you intend to stay and clearly mark on the map the address of your hotel or apartment.

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&...,0.181274&z=13

Some Spanish Basics:
English Spanish

Hello - Hola
Where is the Bathroom? - Donde esta la bano?
How much does it cost? - Cuanto cuesta?
How long? - Cuanto tiempo?
How old are you? - Cuanto anios tienes?
Let’s go - Vamos
Thank you - Gracias
Bye Bye - Adios

6. Where To Stay
This depends on your budget and the length of stay…As a first timer, I recommend you stay in Miraflores. This is a fashionable, high class coastal suburb and has good security on the streets. But still be careful, especially at night. 0nly leave your accommodation with the amount of money you need. Always carry less than USD 200 and a photocopy of your passport.

7. Type Of Accommodation
I recommend that you stay in a hotel for visits that are 2 weeks or less and that you book an apartment for longer stays. An apartment offers more room and better value for money but, of course, you forgo some creature comforts such as room service.

Apartments
I recommend the following apartment rental company… The owners are expatriates and English is no problem. Apartment Club Peru …. www.apartmentclubperu.com …just tell them that Sly sent you.

Most modern apartments have telephones and internet access.

Hotels
Your choice depends on your budget and who is paying (You or your company).
www.go2peru.com is a useful website as it often lists special rates.

I recommend the following girl-friendly hotels. They are all well located.

a. Doubletree El Pardo Hotel. (5 star)
Independencia 141 Miraflores, Lima, Peru.
Tel: 51-1-617-1000 Fax: 51-1-444-2171

$USD230 per night for Junior Suite with King bed and Jacuzzi in room.

http://doubletree1.hilton.com/es/dt/...-Lima/index.do

Hint: (If you call and ask for the sales department and tell them you have a cheaper rate at Las Americas they will reduce the tariff.)

b. Suites Apartments (3 Star)
Av. Grau 466, Miraflores, Lima 18 - Perú (Alt. Cdra. 6 de la Av. Pardo)
(511) 447-9000.

$USD100 per night for Executive suite with Queen bed and Jacuzzi in room.

www.suitesaparthotel.com

c. Maria Luisa Apartment hotel 2 Star
Pasaja tello 241 Miraflores
Espalda Cuadra 4 Larco
Lima Peru (511 1 2417888)

$USD 50 per night for Queen bed and Jacuzzi in room.
$USD 25 per night for single bed

http://www.hotel-marialuisa.com

8. Your Arrival At Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez (Lima International Airport)
Airport Code: LIM
Address: Elmer Faucett Avenue s/n Callao, Apartado 680, Lima 100, Peru
Telephone: +51 1 517 3100
Website: http://www./ingles/

The airport was recently refurbished (2008) and is now one of the most modern airports in South America. On the plane, you will be asked to fill out a customs declaration and entry form. Anyone carrying commercial samples should declare them as your baggage may be checked.

• When you arrive, the first stop is immigration.

Hint: Get there as soon as you can to avoid the queues. This is important and could make a big difference in how long you wait in line. Several international flights arrive at about the same time (around midnight) and a couple of minutes delay getting to the customs line could mean a big difference in your wait time.

• Second stop: duty free after immigration.
Duty free shop for alcohol if you like. You are allowed 2 litres and you usually have a wait for your luggage to arrive.

Hint: At this stage, you will be mobbed by pretty girls trying to rent you a cell phone. Please ignore them as the cell phones and service they offer is relatively expensive. You can buy a cell phone in Lima the next day for USD 30 (with USD 30 of credits), which represents a much better deal than the airport rentals.

• The third stop: The money exchange booth.
There are two offices located in baggage area. Exchange a small amount of money in the baggage area. USD 50 is more than enough to cover your taxi, tip and spending cash for the night.

Hint: The exchange rate at the airport is very poor and the booths charge commission. The Lima casinos and official street-changers will offer you a much better exchange rate and charge no commission. Bear in mind that USD is readily accepted in most places and you can pay the taxi fare in US currency, thereby avoiding exchanging money at the airport altogether. Some experienced travellers do this. As a first timer, do what makes you feel comfortable.

• Fourth stop: Collect your baggage from the carousel.
Look for the carousel TV screen with your flight number above it. Collect you baggage and check the ticket to see that it is indeed your baggage.

• Fifth stop: Go through customs.
Hand over the form you completed and press the button. The screening is random; if the green light turns on, you are free to pass. If the red light turns on, your luggage will, at a minimum, be x-rayed. It may also be searched. My estimate is that red light goes on 1 in 5 times but that is 0nly a guess and it seems to be totally random and no pattern to it.

9. Getting A Taxi
When you go through the door you will be mobbed by companies offering taxi services at varying rates. Avoid these guys as they are, for the most part, trying to scam ignorant tourists. They will be asking you for anywhere up to USD 30 for a ride to Miraflores, which is way too much.

Look for, and use, 0nly the Green Taxi service (it is the last one you will see) as it is the cheapest (USD 18 to Miraflores) and offers exactly the same service. Be aware that there have been reports of gringos getting kidnapped and robbed so this advice is VERY important. A USD 3 or 10 soles tip to your driver is generous.

The airport is located about 30-35 minutes from Miraflores, depending on traffic.

Hint: Make sure that both back doors and the trunk of the taxi are locked. You do not want someone helping themselves to your luggage while the taxi is stopped at traffic lights on the way to the hotel. You will be driving through some shady districts on the way to Miraflores so this advice is not just academic. You may be taken through some back streets in order to get to the coastal road. It this happens, do not be unduly alarmed.

10. Your Hotel or Apartment
Go directly to your hotel and check in. At check in you will be asked for your passport, the length of stay and how you are going to pay. The reception clerk usually takes an imprint of your credit card and a photocopy of your passport. Go to your room and immediately put all valuables in the safe.

11. Day 1 - Getting Organized
a. Get a local cell phone.
b. Familiarize yourself to your new surroundings.
c. Change money.

a. Get a local cell phone.
I suggest you buy a local prepaid cell phone because it is handy to stay in contact with the outside world and it enhances your security. Chicas, and other people you meet, are more likely to dial a local number than an international one to reach you. A local pre-paid cell phone can cost as little as USD 30 and this includes USD 20 of free phone credits.

Hint : Look for current promotions and take advantage of them.
All you need is money and your passport to get the phone. I suggest the Claro office located in Av Larco:

Avenida Larco 878 on the corner of Avenida 28 de Julio.
Office hours: Mon to Fri 10.00a.m. to 7.00p.m.
Sat 10.00a.m. to 2.00 p.m.

It takes about 1/2 hour to do the paper work and to get the phone and about 3 hours for the phone to be activated.

Hint: Some people think it is cheaper to just buy a SIM card and insert it into their own handset. Yes, this will cost USD 5 instead of USD 30 but you do not get any free credits. There is also a risk that your handset is locked which means it will 0nly accept SIM cards issued by your service provider. Also, this is not an option for CDMA cell phones since CDMA handsets do not accept SIM cards (Many US service providers, such as Sprint and Verizon, utilize the CDMA standard rather than the SIM-based GSM standard).

Another consideration is that cell phone theft is common in Peru and you stand a reasonable chance of having your phone stolen during your trip. So be careful and do what is best for you. Cell phones and SIM cards will still function if and when you return to Peru.

b. Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings.
Check out where your hotel is in relation to local landmarks (e.g. Parks, local businesses etc.) Also, get some business cards from the hotel to give to the local taxi drivers or prospective dates. Take normal precautions such as trying to imagine what the place looks like at night. It is no good returning at 2:00am, after a few drinks, not knowing where the hotel is and not being able to remember its name. That is a recipe for disaster. Ask the reception if the local area is safe at night and what areas you should avoid.

c. Changing money.
Official street changers are a convenient, easy option. The exchange rates are good and no commission is charged. Unlike many other countries, no ID is required to exchange money. Do not lose sight of your note until you receive the change. Check all bills twice when you receive them. The denomination number in the corner changes color from blue to black when folded. There are registered street changers, 24 hours a day, outside McDonalds at Park Kennedy and the Park Kennedy entrance to Calle Pizza. Try to remember the person who changes your money so if you experience a problem with counterfeit money you know who to return to. They accept both USD and Euros; nothing else. For other denominations (e.g. Canadian dollars) you will need to find a bank or Casa de Cambio.

Casa del Cambio - Union Express
Pasaje Los Pinos 156 Of.34
MIRAFLORES
Lima
(1) 444-1919

Hint: Counterfeit money is common in Peru. As a tourist you are a target to receive counterfeit money. The money changers can mark notes with a unique ink stamp when they give them to you. Ask them to do this for easier identification.

Hint: Casinos also offer a good exchange rate but often limit the amount of money they are willing to exchange. An important exception is the casino at the Marriott hotel located at the end of Av. Larco; it usually offers a good exchange rate and appears to have no or very high limits.

12. Where To Eat
Here are just some of the Restaurants I have frequented and recommend…

Restaurant Notes:
- No earlier than 8.30pm, after 10:00pm is better
- Tipping: 5% is a common, 10% is excellent, 15+% is stupid.

a. La Casita
Located at the bottom of Park Kennedy (next to Ripley)
Meal less than USD 3.

b. Café Z
Great coffee and apple pie also a gringo hangout during the day.
Less than USD 5.

c. Chinese
Chifa Hou Wha ,Calle Carlos Tenaud 490 Miraflores, Tele: 4400422.
About $USD15 per plate.

d. Seafood
La Mar Cebicheria, Av. La Mar 770 Miraflores, Tel 4213365
About $USD15 per plate.

e. More Seafood
Pescados Capitales, Av. La Mar 1337, Miraflores, Tel 4218808
About $USD15 per plate.

f. Steak
El Parrillon Av 28 de Julio , Miraflores Tel 4453061
About $USD30/head

g. International
Cafeteria Haiti Miraflores (Next to Mcdonalds)
Calle Diagonal 160, Miraflores, Tel 4463816
About $USD10 a plate

13. Where And How To Find A Girl In Lima (And How Much It Will Cost)
It should be stated from the outset that, as with any other commodity, you get what you pay for. If you want a beautiful girl it is going to cost you, one way or the other. If you are happy with an ugly one, it will cost you less. Oh yes, if you are a handsome, young, white guy around 30 years of age, can speak Spanish, have bit of money and flair, and can show a girl a good time, it will not cost you much at all. Unfortunately this does not apply to most of us.

If your Spanish is poor or non-existent, I suggest you limit yourself to the first 5 options or quickly make friends with someone who can interpret for you.

a. Sly One’s Sex Parties – USD 100 for 4 hours.
b. Tequila Rock Discotheque - S/350-450 for 4 hours; this includes your entrance and drinks for two.
c. Contacting a local expatriate who lives here from one of the boards - S/200 for 2 hours.
d. Night clubs or Strip clubs - S/400+ for 4 hours.
e. Street walkers - S/100+ for 2 hours.
f. Saunas - S/120 – S/300 for 3 hours.
g. Brothels: Trocadero and Las Cucardas - S/60-S/100 for 3 hours; this includes admission and taxi.
h. Newspapers - S/100 +2 hours.
i. Internet - S/ 150 – S/300+ for 2 hours.
j. Dating websites - S/ 300..3 hours.

Hint: Prices and durations are indicative 0nly and your mileage may vary.

a. Sly One's sex parties:
There is an expatriate who lives in Lima and who organizes swinger parties/orgies 2-3 times per month. His nickname is Sly One and he lives in San Isidro, which is very close to Miraflores.

The deal is that 5-6 local chicas, and a similar number of guys, are invited to the party. Swinger couples are sometimes also invited. The single chicas understand that part of their duties is to deliver a gratifying experience.

In order to cover his expenses, Sly One charges an entrance fee. The fee for gringos visiting Lima is currently USD 100. This may sound high but it is quite reasonable for several reasons. Firstly, USD 100 is around 290 soles, which is about what you can expect to pay a decent escort in Lima for an hour of her time. Secondly, it includes drinks, snacks and condoms. Finally, and most importantly, the parties last about 3-4 hours during which time you can sample as many of the girls as your stamina permits. Also, at the end of the party you get the opportunity to ask one or more of the hostesses for their phone numbers thereby allowing you to arrange a private rendevous at a later time.

Hint: You can send a P.M. to Sly One on any of the boards. For more details please also include an email address for quick response.

b. Tequila Rock’s discotheque:
Plan to arrive no earlier than 11.30 p.m. The place opens much earlier but the girls start arriving after 12.00 p.m. Except for the staff, 98% of the women in this disco are working girls. The disco does not control the girls who work there or their prices; they are basically independent freelancers. The entrance fee is in the 20-30 soles range depending on the night.

Procedure:
Walk in; look and feel like you own the place. Ignore any invitation to be seated. Walk around and calmly survey the room. You are the hunter here so do not act like the hunted. You have the cash and that puts you in charge. Do not let the girls intimidate you no matter how aggressive they are or how large their tits. Select a seat. Buy a drink; this will cost S/10-30 depending on what you are drinking. Ignore any chicas attentions. Outright reject any walk-ups by saying “No gracias.” As a general rule, the aggressive chicas are the ones you want to most avoid as they are the hardened pros. You are, ideally, looking for out-of-town girls or students looking to supplement their income (and there are plenty of those in Lima).

Look around. Identify primary and secondary targets. Walk over and introduce yourself. Make some small talk:

Como te llamas? What is your name?
Vienes aqui con fruecencia? Do you come here often?
A que te dedicas? What is your day job?

Make an offer making sure you specify your exact requirements. What you want exactly and how long do you want her for. Here is another useful phrase: “Toda la noche”, which means you want her to stay the night.

Clearly state that she will be shown the money beforehand but not paid until after service is rendered. If she demands money upfront that is usually a sign of a poor service provider or a hardened pro; drop her immediately and move on to your next target.

Hint: Always negotiate in soles never in dollars.

Seal the deal by buying her a drink. Ladies drinks are typically S/10-30 (No special prices for ladies drinks).

Hint: There is no drink purchase requirement to take a girl out.

Once you have arrived at a deal, tell her you want to leave and she should collect her stuff from the cloakroom. Tell her that you will wait for her at the bottom of the stairs. Leave for your hotel or apartment. Do not take the taxis outside the disco as they will charge you double the going price. Walk a little distance from the club, wait for a taxi to drive by and wave it down. It should cost no more than S/ 5 to your hotel/apartment if it is located in Miraflores.

c. Contacting a local expatriate from one of the boards:
Meeting girls is a bit like fishing and nothing beats local knowledge. I strongly suggest that you hook up with one of the local expats who lives in Lima. They are bound to know a young single mother or a young university student who needs some extra cash to make ends meet.

At this point, I should make it quite clear that I personally do not like introducing guys to girls, especially when dealing with guys I do not personally know. Why? If the guy is bad to the girl…the girl blames me: “How could you introduce such a person to me?”. If the girl is bad to the guy, he blames me: “Why did you line me up with a girl like that?”. I am the guy in the middle and all I get out of it is potential grief. I would rather that the guys who want to meet girls come to one of my parties. After the party is over, girls will exchange contact details with the guys they like. Any arrangement from then on is between two consenting adults and has nothing to do with me.

There is also some local Expats on some of the boards who will be more than helpful helping foreign guys find local girls.

d. Night Clubs or Strip Clubs:
Ref: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&...,0.181274&z=13

There are at least 9 reasonable strip clubs in Lima.

d.1 - Club 69
Calle Jean Paul Sartre 190 (Ex Calle Uno)
Surquillo
Alt. Cuadra 18 Av. Angamos
Tel: 225 8294 & 225 8218
Hours: Mon-Fri - 7:30pm onwards, Sat - 9:00pm onwards
http://www.clubsesentaynueve.net/69club.html
Hint: Club 69 is located in a dangerous part of town and extra security precautions should be taken when visiting (such as arranging for a trusted cab driver to pick you up for your return ride).

d.2 - Casanova
Miguel Seminario 365
San Isidro ALT Del Puente Canaval
Moreyra en la Via Expresa

d.3 - Suites of Barranco
Av. República de Panamá #250V
http://www.suitesdebarranco.com.pe/home_a_ing.htm
Hint: This club has received some poor reviews lately.

d.4 - Emmanuelle
Rivera Navarrete 465
San Isidro
Tel: 422 5055
Hours: Mon-Sat - 9:00pm onwards
http://www.emmanuelleclub.net
Free entry pass for Emmanuelle.
Hint: One of the best clubs in Lima at the time of writing.

d.5 - Moonlight
Cuadra 18 Av. Angamos

d.6 - Madonna Club

d.7 - Goldern Peppers

d.8 - Platinums

d.9 - Eclipse
Augusto Tamayo 158
Espalda de Centro Comercial de San Isidro
+51 1 440 4913
http://www.
Free entry pass for Eclipse.

e. Street-walker locations around Miraflores:
There are various locations for street-walkers in Lima. I will 0nly focus on Miraflores. Parts of central Lima have a large, cheap street-walker population but I consider central Lima too dangerous to visit, especially at night when most of the action occurs.

As with most places, girls who are street-walkers are usually the bottom of the heap. Sometimes a newbie or single mother looking for some extra cash to pay a bill can be found.

e.1 - Calle Pizza
Street-walkers can be found all over Calle Pizza (Bear in mind that it is 0nly 100 yards long.) The best time to go hunting is between 8.00p.m.-11.30p.m., after that the majority of visitors either go home or move on to Tequila Rock’s (see above).

Look for one or two girls sitting alone in one of the many restaurants. They usually face the Calle and wave to you to join them for a drink and talk business, making it pretty obvious what’s what. At the Parque Kennedy end of the Calle is a phone box; there always seems to be two or three street-walkers loitering around there. Buy a beer at the Rustica restaurant, on the corner, and check out the action. Just up the road about, 15 yards from the phone box, is a set of steps that is a shop front by day. It is not uncommon to find two or three girls sitting on the steps, waiting for passing customers.

At the opposite end of Calle Pizza is the Old Pub. It is, in fact, a gringo pub owned and operated by an expatriate. Some of the street-walkers / working girls drop into the bar looking for available gringo customers.

e.2 - Park Kennedy
About 100 yards to the left of Calle Pizza (If you are looking towards the park) there is a night market (in the park) that opens at about 8.00p.m. and closes at 11.00p.m. The market is located in a circular raised amphitheatre. Around the outside of the market you will see alot of people sitting and talking. Any girl sitting alone here is a potential pick-up target. Ask if you can sit next to her and practise your Spanish. Beware that there are usually a lot of young, gay guys who sit around the park exterior waiting to be picked up by guys in cars for sex. These guys are usually wearing baseball type caps. If business is not brisk enough they will be following you around the park trying to offer their services to you.

Hint: Beware the majority of street-walker girls are thieves. If you go to the bathroom while in your hotel room, leaving them alone in your room, by the time you return anything of value laying around will have inexplicably found its way into their handbag. Likewise, if they go to the bathroom anything of value in your shaving case will find its way into their handbag. Be alert and do not take your eyes off of them for a second. If you are drunk, or un-alert for some other reason, it is strongly suggested that you refrain from procuring the services of such providers.

f) Saunas:
There are many saunas in Lima that offer services from body-to-body massage to massage with blowjob or full service. Here are some of my favourites located around the Miraflores area. Ref: http://www.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&...,0.181274&z=13

f.1 - Relax & Vida #1
Av. Carlos Villarán No, 121 Santa Catalina (directly in front of Interbank which you can see from freeway.
Tel: 265-5370, Hours: Mon-Sun 10a.m-10p.m.
S/80 front desk and S/50 tip to the girl
http://www.geocities.com/relax_y_vida

f.2 - Relax & Vida #2
Av Nicolas Arriola, 290,Miraflores
(No sign or description on the building just an iron security gate)
S/60 front desk and S/50 tip to the girl

f.3 - Relax & Vida #3
Ave. Santa Catalina 021 (4to Piso Alt. Cdra. Av. 9 Canada)
Tel: 472-4361
S/80 front desk S/50 tip to girl

Note: Relax & Vida locations offer hand jobs and blow jobs with the massage. Full service is not offered but I understand sometimes can be had; it just depends on the girl and your connection with her.

f.4 - King Spa
Avenida Arequipa in Lince

14. Bus Tours
Visit this web to learn about bus-tours in Lima:
http://www.city-sightseeinglima.pe/

Contact:
Phone numbers 447 7710 / 447 1054 / 989584543
E-mail: eventos@city-sightseeinglima.pe

The tour is a good experience and worth the investment in time and money.

15. Message From The Author

I plagiairized and borrowed from many threads and boards to put this document together. It is by no means complete and I welcome future mongers to update and add to this as they wish. It is just my attempt to save first-timer's to Lima some time and money.

Travel well my friends, stay safe and I hope to see you around...

Google map by: Shadowman (You did a great job!)






MODERATORS NOTE: The moderators of the English Forum would like to thank Sly for his hard work on this post. Note that the opinions above are Sly's. Please direct any comments or input directly to Sly in this thread.

-- RT Gooch​

 

Excellent post!!!