TAXIS: ¿Cuanto cuesta irme a _(fill in the blank)___?” This is what you should always ask before getting into any taxi especially in Peru. Now, it is widely understood that a cab fare around the centro should only cost 3 soles maximum but once you get outside the main neighborhoods, the prices goes up a sol or two. A cab ride, even to the farthest neighborhood should only cost 6 soles maximum. As a resident of Cusco for over a year and half now I feel like I have a good grasp on how to deal with taxi drivers. Here is my advice:

1. Always ask how much the cab ride is going to cost before you get inside the taxi with the phrase “¿Cuanto cuesta irme a _______?”

2. Try and use exact change. It’s a lot harder for a taxi driver to argue with you when you give him the exact amount of what the cab ride should cost (3 soles around the center of town.)

3. If you do have a bill make sure to ask if the driver has sencillo or change. “¿Tienes sencillo para diez (10) o viente (20)?” If he doesn’t, find another taxi.

4. Argue for the correct fair if you know enough Spanish. My typical rant after getting a ridiculous gringo price is as follows: “Por favor, es bastante alto. Solo quiero ir a _fill in blank___ y no debe costar tanto.” If he continues to go with the price I continue with the following: “Si yo fuera peruana, me cobrarias tanto? Como va a robarme? Yo vivo aca.” Now, if this doesn’t work I say adios and wait for the next taxi to come my way. One of the great things about Cusco is that a taxi is more common than a privately owned car.

5. If you are going out late at night make sure to call a taxi. I like Taxi Turismo or Taxi Express in Cusco. Make sure to tell them exactly where you are and when they ask for your name give them one that is super easy for them to pronounce like Maria, Elena, Sara, Jose, Juan, o Marco. I can’t even tell you how many times they get my name wrong. The other night was the first time Taxi Express got it right. It was a joyous occasion.

6. In terms of safety, many people will tell you not to take a Tico (the type of car in the picture above) unless it has a sign above it and it is a radio taxi. Forget how they are more or a less a metal box with no protection if you get into an accident. You are more than welcome to only take radio taxis or station wagons, but if you are in a rush and it’s during the day, I wouldn’t worry too much about taking a Tico. Just in case, you can always make a note to look for the license plate number painted on the inside of the car door and for the sticker of license from the municipality in the front window. However, if you are coming out of a club at 3am in the morning I wouldn’t take anything other than a radio taxi. There are tons of them in the plaza de armas late at night.

7. Expect to pay a bit more late at night. I usually pay 5 soles maximum to get home from the Plaza de Armas late at night. The taxi drivers are working late hours and it is a small increase to pay to get home safely.

8. No matter how long you live in Peru, if you are a foreigner, you will always be treated as a foreigner by taxi drivers. Not every driver will be unfair but many will assume you are just a passing tourist and don’t know any better, which is why I hope this blog entry will help anyone who may be coming to Peru and specifically Cusco. I was once given the price of 15 soles to get from my friends house back to my place. I let the driver have it and when he didn’t back down I said “let me out, you are a thief”. It’s important to stick up for oneself and no one deserves to be played by any taxi driver.

COMBIS: If you are looking to get a feel for how most Cusqueñans get around, I would highly recommend getting on a combi and going for a cramped and bumpy (but cheap!) ride. I would also recommend it to anyone who is planning on living here a while. Although taxis are pretty cheap, they do add up. It will only cost you 60 or 70 centimos to take a combi and you can take one almost anywhere. If anything you can just get a kick out of riding a combi called Batman or White Christ (Cristo Blanco). The only problem is, there is no guide that you can buy to help you out like the GuiaT in Buenos Aires.  You just have to ask the cobrador, the person who opens the door and asks for your money, if the combi is going where you want to go. If you have the time, you can just hop on one and take it until it loops back around to where you started. Now, if you are a tall person you might not want to deal with the space problems, or lack thereof. If you are lucky you will pick up a combi like the one below which is made for people above the height of 4 feet.

However, most look like this, a minivan with a slightly (and only slightly) higher ceiling.

Once you get on a combi it is not required that you pay right away. You can go a whole ride until you get off without paying your fare. If the cobrador calls out “pasajes, pasajes” that means you should get your coins out to pay. You don’t get a ticket like you would in Lima so you hope that the cobrador remembers who you are and that you paid. If you are a foreigner, you will have no problem being remembered.

In order to get off, you must say “baja” when the cobrador calls out the street or the area where they are going to stop. Sometimes the cobrador will not call out the stop and you will have to call out “baja” so that he knows to have the driver stop. Make sure to speak up.

Finally, if you are going for a joy ride on a combi, don’t go between the hours of 6 and 9am, 12-2pm and 6pm-8pm. Those are the rush hours and combis tend to be packed.

The great thing about Cusco is that it is not that big and if you do get lost, you are no more than 20 minutes away by taxi from your hotel or home. Happy traveling!

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The Karikuy Blog

Hola, Karikuy readers! It´s a pleasure to meet you.  My name is Kayla and I am a copywriter whose been working and living in Lima since July.  Though I´m not part of the internship program at Karikuy, Julio graciously agreed to let me contribute to the blog. I first traveled to Peru in the summer of 2008, when I studied abroad in Cusco through La Pontificia Universidad Cátolica´s Spanish and Incan Archaeology program (administered through AIFS).  For me, that summer was an unforgettable introduction to Peru: I not only visited the commanding stone structures of Machu Picchu, but also several Incan ruins in the outlying area, including Pisac, Maras, Moray, Tipón, and Sacsayhuaymán.  While the program was short (only 5 weeks), I always recommend it to college students interested in Incan history and culture because it focuses on hands-on experiences rather than classroom lectures.  Plus, it gave me some much needed practice with the Spanish language, which at the time I could write and read well but couldn´t speak with confidence.

View from my hotel rooftop in Cusco: ¨Viva el Peru Glorioso.¨

My first trip to Peru in 2008 to study Incan archaeology included a trip to Machu Picchu.

Apart from brief flings with Canada and the Bahamas, Peru was the first country I visited outside of the United States, and in this way, it became my first travel love.  Though I visited other Spanish speaking countries (Argentina, Spain) in the years following my study abroad experience, I always felt tied in Peru and nostalgic for that summer in 2008.  I knew I needed to come back. Fortunately, during my last semester in graduate school I came across an opportunity to become a copywriter for a website in Lima.  For all you native English speakers seeking temporary employment here in Peru, I suggest Jobs Abroad and the Expat Peru forum, which have been huge aides to my friends and me in our respective job searches.  My current contract includes five working months and three weeks of paid vacation, which so far I have used to visit the cities of Arequipa and Huaraz.  My final trip is yet to be determined, but if all goes well, it looks like I´m headed to Iquitos for a jungle tour.

Walking Barranco´s beaches on an unusually sunny day in Lima.

While I, like many Peru-bound travelers, was at first unenthusiastic about spending my days in gray, gritty Lima, I have been pleasantly surprised to discover the city´s charming attributes—delicious food, hospitable people, and must-see sights like the San Francisco Monastery and the Magic Water Circuit.  Of all Lima´s 43 districts, my favorite place to spend time is Barranco, known as ¨the bohemian district¨ for its vibrant arts and nightlife culture. Despite what the guidebooks may tell you, there´s a lot to say about Lima.  I can´t wait to start sharing my experiences here with you in upcoming blogs!

Related posts:

1. High in Cusco (It’s Elevated)
2. Lima, Peru – Here we come!
3. Cusco: the Altitude and the Atmosphere

The Karikuy Blog

De Paseo por Cusco conozca Pisac Visítenos en www.depaseo.usmp.edu.pe, aquí encontrará guías de viaje, contactos, videos y muchas novedades.

(Video cortesía Panorama) Tenía tan sólo 18 años, era su primer embarazo y Maria Magdalena Quispe Farfán decidió entregar a su hija recién nacida a una pareja de esposos suizos. La difícil situación económica por la que atravesaba la obligaron a llegar a un acuerdo con los extranjeros desde su natal Urubamba (Cusco). Pasaron los años y la mujer se arrepintió de la decisión que tomó, pero se tuvo que conformar con observar las fotografías de su niña creciendo que le enviaban desde Suiza. Hoy, 22 años después, Nicole Gartman decidió retornar al Perú a buscar a su madre. No le guarda rencor y tiene muchas ganas de verla de nuevo, finalmente se sueño se hizo realidad gracias a Panorama y al “buscapersonas” David Nostas. La búsqueda no fue fácil, la pista que tenía el “buscapersonas” era una fotografía y rumores de que la mujer trabajaba en el mercado del pueblo. Muchas preguntas y respuestas muy vagas, obligaron al equipo de Panorama y al periodista del grupo Epensa a buscar una radioemisora. Ese fue el instrumento que impulsó a María Quispe Farfán a interesarse. Horas de preparación y conversaciones terminaron en un feliz reencuentro. La impresión le provocó un desmayo, pero finalmente la madre puso abrazar a Nicole en medio de mucha emoción. La historia tuvo final feliz.

Video Producido por La Jirafa, Arte y Comunicaciones. Cusco-Perú. Las imágenes en su totalidad corresponden y pertenecen a Angel R. Romero Pacheco. ramiroangel@gmail.com En el presente video pordemos apreciar una de las danzas mas representativas de las provincias altas del departamento Cusco. Dichas melodías y coreografías, así como también la vesitimenta, son muy típicas de las celebraciones de Carnaval en el lugar donde se realizó el presente registro. Un detalle que siempre ha llamado mi atención, es la presencia del instrumento musical aerófono “Pinkuyllu” de bastante longitud que es usado tanto por los músicos que acompañan la danza como también por los bailarines. Es un instrumento labrado en madera, se trata específicamente de una rama de árbol, que ha sido partida en mitades -finamente, a lo largo de toda su extensión- para labrar y horadar por dentro, en ambas mitades, el “sector acústico” de dicho intrumento, para luego, volver a ser unidas ambas mitades y atadas fuertemente con tendones de llama.

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Cusco, Peru by TravelPod blogger Edmundsa titled “Machu Pichu”. TravelPod is a company of TripAdvisor™. Edmundsa’s travel blog entry: “The train there takes about 2 hours costs about 50 US dollars – expensive like England I suppose, except the trains are more likely to be on time! Obviously that was far too expensive for me. Also, the Inca trail, which does look really good, is fully booked for 3 months. You have to pay lots to do it and have a permit, guide, and horses – the lot. The total cost would be about 0 – I did the Austangate circuit for about !..and that included hot springs and transport there and back (8 hours each way in a bus)! However, from what I have heard, they really look after you on the Inca trail. It is still a hard walk The 2nd day up Dead Womans pass looks pretty steep, but for anyone who hasn’t spent a day under canvas before (like you mum), this type of trekking with an agency I think would be good. The surrounding mountains are amazing. Very steep – similar to the fiords in Norway or New Zealand. Also it appears the Incas must have been crazy. Any tiny bit of land on the side of a massive cliff and they decide to terrace it – hardly seems worth the effort to me. Anyway there are other treks you can do to get there. I met two Irish girls and we walked 28 k down the railway. Of course you are not suposed to do it, but it was fine. You pass by some local villages and it’s a nice walk …

The inauguration of the exhibit in Cusco of archaeological remains from Machu Picchu, which were recently returned to Peru from Yale University, is scheduled for July 7, state news agency Andina reported. Over 300 pieces, which are currently on display in the halls of the government palace in Lima, are expected to arrive in Cusco [...]
Peruvian Times

De Paseo por Cusco ciudad 1 Visítenos en www.depaseo.usmp.edu.pe, aquí encontrará guías de viaje, contactos, videos y muchas novedades.

CUSCO REGION AND MACHU PICCHU AND PERU SLIDE SHOW

Cusco is known to be the one of the most visited tourist attractions in Peru. Every year, the number of tourists discovering the previous seating of the wonderful Inca administration is fast increasing. The beauty of the city with its impressive colonial architecture attracts more and more visitors. The encompassing Sacred Valley, magnificent fertile land [...]
Sacred Vacations