Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [54]
Clínica Anglo-Americana (www.clinangloamericana.com.pe) La Molina (436 9933; Av La Fontana 362); San Isidro (Map; 616-8900; Salazar 350) A renowned (but expensive) hospital. There’s a walk-in center in La Molina, near the US embassy.
Clínica Good Hope (Map; 610-7300; www.goodhope.org.pe; Malecón Balta 956) Quality care at good prices; there is a dental unit.
Clínica Internacional (Map; 619-6161; www.clinicainternacional.com.pe; Garcilaso de la Vega 1420 Central Lima) A well-equipped clinic with specialties in gastroenterology, neurology and cardiology.
Clínica Montesur (317-4000; www.clinicamontesur.com.pe; Av El Polo 505, Monterrico; fees vary) Devoted exclusively to women’s health.
Clínica San Borja (Map; 475-4000; www.clinicasanborja.com.pe; Av Guardia Civil 337, San Borja) Another reputable clinic, with cardiology services.
Other medical options:
Dr Jorge Bazan (99-735-2668; backpackersdr@yahoo.com) A well-recommended English-speaking medic who makes house calls to hotels and hostels.
Dr Victor Aste (Map; 421-9169, 441-7502; No 101, Antero Aspillaga 415, San Isidro) A recommended, English-speaking dentist.
Instituto de Medicina Tropical (Map; 482-3903, 482-3910; www.upch.edu.pe/tropicales; Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, Av Honorio Delgado 430, San Martín de Porras) Good for treating tropical diseases. The immediate area around the hospital is safe, but the surrounding neighborhood can be rough.
Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño (Map; 330-0066; www.isn.gob.pe; Brasil 600, Breña) A pediatric hospital; gives tetanus and yellow-fever jabs.
Pharmacies abound in Lima. The following chains are well stocked and open 24 hours. They often deliver free of charge.
Botica Fasa (Map; 619-0000; www.boticafasa.com.pe; cnr Av José Larco 129-35, Miraflores)
InkaFarma (Map; 315-9000, deliveries 314-2020; www.inkafarma.com.pe; Alfredo Benavides 425, Miraflores)
You can have eyeglasses made cheaply by one of the opticians along Miró Quesada in the vicinity of Camaná in Central Lima (Map) or around Schell and Av José Larco in Miraflores (Click here).
Money
Banks are plentiful and most have 24-hour ATMs, which tend to offer the best exchange rates. Many of the big supermarkets also have ATMS. Use caution when making withdrawals late at night.
Lima’s casas de cambio (foreign-exchange bureaus) usually give similar or slightly better rates than banks for cash (although not traveler’s checks). There are several casas de cambio downtown on Ocoña and Camaná (Map), as well as along Av José Larco in Miraflores (Map). Street moneychangers hang around banks and casas de cambio. Those around Parque Kennedy in Miraflores are generally the safest option. Even so, examine your bills closely as counterfeits are a problem. See boxed text, Click here, for tips on how to avoid fakes.
The following are some of the most useful options:
American Express/Travex (Map; 710-3900; www.amextravelresources.com/offices/806; Av Santa Cruz 621, Miraflores; 8:30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) Buy traveler’s checks or replace lost ones.
Banco Continental (www.bbvabancocontinental.com; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-12:30pm Sat) Central Lima (Map; 311-0231; Cuzco 286-290); Miraflores (Map; 241-5645; Av José Larco 631) A representative of Visa; its ATMs also take Cirrus, Plus and MasterCard.
Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP; www.viabcp.com; 9am-6:30pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-1pm Sat) Central Lima (Map; 427-5600; cnr Lampa & Ucayali, Central Lima); José Gonzales (Map; cnr Av José Larco & José Gonzales, Miraflores); José Pardo (Map; 242-5900; Av José Pardo 425, Miraflores) With 24-hour Visa and Plus ATMs, also gives cash advances on Visa, and changes Amex, Citicorp and Visa traveler’s checks. The Central Lima branch has incredible stained-glass ceilings.
Citibank (221-7000; www.citibank.com.pe; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) San Isidro (Map; Av 2 de Mayo 1547); Miraflores (Map; Av José Pardo 127, Miraflores) These locations have 24-hour ATMS operating on the Cirrus,