Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [448]
A few internet cafés allow you to hook up your laptop to a cable connection at the same rates charged for using one of their terminals. Consider bringing along a portable USB flash drive, which will enable you to seamlessly transfer files between your laptop and any other computer equipped with a high-speed USB port, and can also be used to store photo files uploaded from your digital camera memory cards.
Click here for useful Peruvian websites.
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LAUNDRY
Self-service laundry machines are available in only a few major cities. This means that you will likely have to pay someone to wash your clothes, or wash them yourself in the sink – a practice that’s forbidden at many accommodations. The best hotels offer on-site laundry services and dry cleaning, but these can be expensive. Most towns are equipped with plenty of lavanderías (laundries) where you can leave your clothes overnight, or drop them off in the morning and pick them up later the same day. Some lavanderías charge per item (which can be expensive); others, by weight (a better deal). Rates average S6 per kilogram.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Your own embassy is of limited help if you get into trouble with the law in Peru, where you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. If you are the victim, the policía de turismo (tourist police; Poltur) can help, and usually have someone on hand who speaks at least a little English. There are Poltur stations in more than a dozen cities, with the main headquarters situated in Lima (Click here).
Be aware that some police officers (even tourist police) are corrupt, but that bribery is illegal. Since most travelers won’t have to deal with traffic police, the most likely place you’ll be expected to pay officials a little extra is (sometimes) at land borders. This too is illegal, and if you have the time and fortitude to stick to your guns, you’ll eventually be allowed in without paying a fee.
Definitely avoid having any conversation with someone who offers you drugs. In fact, talking to any stranger on the street can hold risks. There have been reports of travelers being stopped soon after by plainclothes police officers and accused of talking to a drug dealer. Should you be stopped by a plainclothes officer, don’t hand over any documents or money. Never get into a vehicle with someone claiming to a police officer, but insist on going to a bona fide police station on foot. Peru has draconian penalties for possessing even a small amount of drugs; minimum sentences are several years in jail.
If you are imprisoned for any reason, make sure that someone else knows about it as soon as possible. (If you are a member of the South American Explorers Club, they can be helpful in this regard. See boxed text, Click here.) Being detained in prison for extended periods of time before a trial begins is not uncommon. Peruvians bring food and clothing to family members who are in prison, where conditions are extremely harsh.
If you think that you were ripped off by a hotel or tour operator, register your complaint with the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi; 01-224-7800; www.indecopi.gob.pe, in Spanish) in Lima.
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MAPS
The maps in this book will take you almost everywhere you want to go. The best road map of Peru is the 1:2,000,000 Mapa Vial published by Lima 2000 and available in better bookstores. The 1:1,500,000 Peru South and Lima country map, published by International Travel Maps, covers the country in good detail south of a line drawn east to west through Tingo María, and has a good street map of Lima, San Isidro, Miraflores and Barranco on the reverse side.
For topographical maps, go to the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN; Map; 01-475-3030, ext 119; www.ign.gob.pe;