Help for non-Spanish speakers...

Hi Clam. RT here.

Yes, you're right -- this board is a great resource for us non-locals.

I also agree that Lima is more Spanish-centric than many other Latin American countries, but -- with a little effort -- you can be successful without Spanish skills. Your choices will be fewer without at least basic Spanish, but you can certainly get by.

I can't offer any advice for Cusco, but if you go to the many Banos Turcos throughout Lima (there are some discussed in my Field Reports as well as in this forum, you can get by without any Spanish.

At the Cavin Spa, for example, you can ask the towel boys where the 'masajes' are (just say 'masaje?' -- you're not the first gringo that's ever been there, trust me). You pick your girl, and then the routine is the same in any language on earth. When you flip over, you make your intentions known (or she will -- they're pros), and just negotiate on a price (usually 150 Soles for full service). The girl has also dealt with non-Spanish speakers before. Just get her to write down the price on a piece of paper, and you're good to go. They will never discuss dollars in any of those places, so there's no problema there.

Also, most of the girls at Tequila Rock in Miraflores can speak enough English to get the job done. That club is VERY gringo-heavy, and the girls know that their best work tool is their command of the English language.

The girls that cruise Pizza Alley also speak enough English to take care of business. It's their job, and they get the drill. The discussion varies on the relative beauty of the Pizza Alley girls, but if you're patient, you can find a chica who meets your requirements.

Rates at Tequila and Pizza Alley should run (after negotiations) from US$40-50 for short time to US$100-125 for all night. People with better Spanish skills might get a lower price, but don't count on it. The girls will talk dollars, but if you can change the discussion to Soles, you can do better.

Last, some of the girls who advertise on sites like ChicaTops and NenasPeru speak some English (at least enough to get your name, hotel, and tell you the price). You may have to call a few of them and keep asking, but you will succeed that way, too. These girls' rates run in the neighborhood of 120-160 Soles per hour.

And then very last, if you need to call one of the agencies, you can find ones that will charge US$80-100 to send a girl over. Granted, it might be the very same girl that a Spanish-speaker can have delivered for 150 soles, but the comfort of setting up the date in clear English might be worth it to you. Don't be afraid to negotiate either price or time. US$100 is a lot of money. You have it; the agencies and girls want it, and it is a buyers' market.