Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [451]
The tiny pieces of colored thread and holographic dots scattered on the bill should be embedded in the paper, not glued on.
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Traveler’s Checks
If you carry some of your money as cheques de viajero (traveler’s checks), these can be refunded if lost or stolen. Bear in mind that exchange rates for traveler’s checks are quite a bit lower than for US dollars. With the commissions that are sometimes charged, you can lose more than 10% of the checks’ value when you exchange them, and they may be impossible to change in small towns. Almost all businesses and some casas de cambio refuse to deal with them, so you will need to queue at a bank to change them. American Express checks are the most widely accepted, followed by Visa and Thomas Cook.
Reloadable traveler’s check cards work just like ATM cards, but are not linked to your home bank account. These cards enjoy some of the same protections as traveler’s checks, and can be replaced more easily than a bank ATM card. During your trip, you can add more funds to a traveler’s check card either online or by making an international collect call, or you can authorize someone else at home to do this for you, which eliminates the need for emergency wire transfers. American Express (www.americanexpress.com) offers traveler’s check cards, as do many Visa providers (www.cashpassportcard.com).
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PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO
Indigenous people in remote areas may regard your camera with suspicion. There will be a few who regard the lens as an ‘evil eye’ that can bring bad luck, but there will be many others who are just tired of being photographically exploited for the purpose of a million tourist photo albums. Always ask permission before pointing and shooting. In touristy locations, locals dressed in their finest traditional clothes stand beside their most photogenic llamas and expect a small payment for any photos you may take. Negotiate a price in advance. At markets, you may be able to photograph a vendor and/or their wares after making a purchase.
Print and slide film and replacement camera batteries are available in major cities and tourist centers. Digital memory cards and sticks may be harder to find, so stock up at home or in Lima (Click here). Many internet cafés and photo shops offer cheap CD-burning services that let you download and save files from your digital camera’s memory. If your camera uses rechargeable batteries, be sure that your charger adheres to Peru’s 220V 60Hz AC electricity standard before plugging it in. If you’re traveling to remote areas where electricity is questionable, carry extra batteries.
It’s best to carry film and digital memory cards with you onto airplanes. It’s not advisable to put them into checked luggage because the scanners used for those bags are much stronger and can damage your film or erase digital memory cards. If you place all your film into a clear plastic bag, you may be able to get it hand-checked at security checkpoints.
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POST
The privatized postal system is run by Serpost (www.serpost.com.pe). Its service is fairly efficient and reliable, but surprisingly expensive. Airmail postales (postcards) and cartas (letters) cost about S6 to the US, S7 to Europe and S8 to Asia. Most mail will take about two weeks to arrive from Lima; longer from the provinces.
Lista de correos (general delivery or poste restante) can be sent to any major post office. Bring your passport when picking up mail and ask the post-office clerk to check alphabetically under the initial letter of each of your first, last and middle names, as well as under ‘M’ (for Mr, Ms et al). Ask your correspondents to make sure that your name is clearly printed and to capitalize and underline your last name to avoid confusion. For example:
Margarita SILVA
Lista de Correos
Correo Central
Lima
Peru
For express mail and packages, international couriers such as Federal Express (www.fedex.com.pe) and DHL (www.dhl.com.pe) are more reliable than