Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [158]
Dóminos Megadisco (Libertad near Lima; 8pm-late) If you want to see how the locals get down, this is the place for you. Multileveled mayhem, a karaoke lounge, a dance floor that explodes to salsa, reggaetón (a blend of Puerto Rican bomba, dancehall and hip-hop) and rock, and cuba libre (rum and cola) by the jug: it all adds up to a great night, but it’s not for the fainthearted.
Shopping
Artesanías (handcrafts) – from musical instruments and jewelry to scale models of reed islands – wool and alpaca sweaters and other typical tourist goods are sold in every second shop in the town center. For household goods and clothes, head to Mercado Bellavista on Av El Sol (watch out for pickpockets).
Getting There & Away
To get to Bolivia, Click here.
AIR
The nearest airport is in Juliaca, about an hour away. Click here for more information on flights. Hotels can book you a shuttle bus for around S15. LAN (36-7227; Tacna 299) has an office in Puno.
BOAT
There are no passenger ferries across the lake from Puno to Bolivia, but you can get to La Paz via the lake in one or two days on high-class tours with Transturin (35-2771; www.transturin.com; Ayacucho 148) or Crillon Tours (35-1052, 35-1884; www.titicaca.com; Libertad 355), visiting Isla del Sol (Click here) and other sights along the way.
BUS
The terminal terrestre (36-4737; Primero de Mayo 703), three blocks down Ricardo Palma from Av El Sol, houses Puno’s long-distance bus companies. Ormeño (36-8176; www.grupo-ormeno.com.pe) is the safest and has the newest, fastest buses. Cruz del Sur (in Lima 01-311-5050; www.cruzdelsur.com.pe) used to be as good but has slipped in recent times, as the deteriorating fleet fails to be renewed. Tour Peru (www.tourperu.com.pe) is the best of the rest.
There’s an ATM in the terminal, and hot showers are available for S5 at the station’s hospedaje (basic hostelry; Click here). There’s a departure tax of S1.
Buses leave for Cuzco (S20 to S25, six hours) every hour from 4am to 10pm, and for Arequipa (S15 to S20, five hours) every hour from 2am to 10pm.
The most enjoyable way to get to Cuzco is via Inka Express (36-5654; www.inkaexpress.com; Tacna 346), whose luxury buses with panoramic windows depart every morning at 8am. Buffet lunch is included, along with an English-speaking tour guide, who talks about the four sites that are briefly visited en route: Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Abra la Raya and Pucará. The trip takes about eight hours and costs S135 from Inka Express. You may well be able to persuade a travel agency to cut into its commission and sell you a ticket for less.
Getting to Lima takes 18 to 21 hours, depending on how much you pay. Civa will set you back S60, and departs at 12:30pm; all other companies operate luxury buses and cost S110 to S160.
All buses listed above go via Juliaca (S6, one hour).
Local combis to Chuquito, Juli, Pomata and the Bolivian border leave from terminal zonál (Simón Bolívar s/n), a few blocks northwest of terminal terrestre. Head out along Av El Sol until you see the hospital on your right, then turn left and you’ll hit the terminal zonal (regional terminal) after two long blocks.
To get to Capachica, catch a combi from Jirón Talara, just off El Sol opposite the Mercado Bellavista. They leave once an hour from about 6am to 2pm. The journey takes about 1¼ hours and costs S5.50.
Combis to Luquina leave from opposite the Brahma Beer distributor on Manchero Rossi, about 1.5km south of town, every hour or so in the morning.
TRAIN
The train ride from Puno to Cuzco retains a certain renown from the days – now long gone – when the road wasn’t paved and the bus journey was a nightmare. Train fares have skyrocketed in recent years and most travelers now take the bus. The fancy Andean Explorer train, which includes a glass-walled observation car and complimentary lunch, costs S704; there’s no cheaper option. The train tracks run next to the road for a lot of the way, so there’s not a huge difference in scenery. The train is only marginally