Experiencing Peru

Culture

Peruvian culture is primarily rooted in Amerindian and Spanish traditions, though it has also been influenced by various African, Asian, and European ethnic groups.

Peruvian artistic traditions date back to the elaborate pottery, textiles, jewelry, and sculpture of Pre-Inca cultures. The Incas maintained these crafts and made architectural achievements including the construction of Machu Picchu. Baroque dominated colonial art, though modified by native traditions. During this period, most art focused on religious subjects; the numerous churches of the era and the paintings of the Cuzco School are representative. Arts stagnated after independence until the emergence of Indigenismo in the early 20th century. Since the 1950s, Peruvian art has been eclectic and shaped by both foreign and local art currents.

Peruvian literature has its roots in the oral traditions of pre-Columbian civilizations. Spaniards introduced writing in the 16th century; colonial literary expression included chronicles and religious literature. After independence, Costumbrism and Romanticism became the most common literary genres, as exemplified in the works of Ricardo Palma. In the early 20th century, the Indigenismo movement produced such writers as Ciro Alegría, José María Arguedas, and César Vallejo. During the second half of the century, Peruvian literature became more widely known because of authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa, a leading member of the Latin American Boom

Peruvian cuisine is a blend of Amerindian and Spanish food with strong influences from African, Arab, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese cooking. Common dishes include anticuchos, ceviche, humitas, and pachamanca. Because of the variety of climates within Peru, a wide range of plants and animals are available for cooking. Peruvian cuisine has recently received acclaim due to its diversity of ingredients and techniques.

Peruvian music has Andean, Spanish and African roots. In pre-Hispanic times, musical expressions varied widely from region to region; the quena and the tinya were two common instruments. Spanish conquest brought the introduction of new instruments such as the guitar and the harp, as well as the development of crossbred instruments like the charango. African contributions to Peruvian music include its rhythms and the cajón, a percussion instrument. Peruvian folk dances include marinera, tondero, danza de tijeras and huayno.

Business Customs

Peruvian society is conservative therefore business dress is conservative meaning suits and ties for men and dresses and suits for women are the norm. The currency is the Nuevo Sol. As of January 2007, the exchange rate was 3.25 soles to one U.S. dollar. The metric system is used for weights, measures, and mathematical expression. It is customary to exchange business cards at the initial meeting.

For further information, business travelers should note that the “Foreign Service Posts: Guide for Business Representatives” is available for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402; tel. (202) 512-1800; fax (202) 512-2250. Business travelers to Peru seeking appointments with U.S. Embassy Lima officials should contact the Commercial Service in advance. The Commercial Service can be reached by telephone at (511) 618-2442 or 434-3040; by fax at (511) 434-3041, by E-mail at: Lima.Office.Box@mail.doc.gov, or see our website at http://www.buyusa.gov/peru/en/.

Travel Advisory

The U.S. Department of State issues Consular Information Sheets for all foreign countries, including Peru. This document may be obtained via the Internet, at website http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_998.html, or from the Embassy website http://peru.usembassy.gov; from the Consular Affairs Bureau, Office of Overseas Citizen Services, Department of State, Room 4817, Department of State, 2201 C. Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20520; or from the U.S. Embassy at the address: Contacts, Market Research, and Trade Events. Travel information in general is also available at the telephone number (202) 647-5225, or fax (202) 647-3000. Useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in the Department of State pamphlet “A Safe Trip Abroad.” This publication, as well as others such as “Tips for Travelers to Central and South America,” is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 20402.

Visa Requirements

A valid U.S. passport is required to enter Peru. Tourists staying less than 90 days do not require a visa. It is recommended that business travelers to Peru travel on a tourist visa provided they are not reimbursed for their services while in Peru. However, if any compensation is earned and paid while in Peru, a business visa is required and a tax declaration must be processed before departing Peru. This process takes approximately three days. Travelers should contact the Peruvian Consulate General Office in Washington, D.C. at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036, telephone number (202) 462-1081, or the nearest Peruvian consulate for visa information. There are Peruvian consulates in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Patterson, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

In general, the Department of State recommends that all U.S. citizens traveling overseas register with the American Citizen Services Unit, Consular Section, of the U.S. Embassy. Travelers may register their stay in Peru online at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs. The U.S. Embassy in Peru is located on Avenida La Encalada, Block 17, Monterrico, Lima. The American Citizen Services Unit is open from 8:00 am to 12 noon on weekdays, except U.S. and Peruvian holidays. Prior registration will facilitate the replacement of a lost or stolen U.S. passport. The loss or theft of a U.S. passport overseas should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The Embassy telephone number is (511) 618-2000. In case of an emergency after working hours, U.S. citizens should contact the Embassy at 618-2936.

For information on how to apply for a U.S. visitor visa for foreign contacts who need to travel to the United States, see Embassy Lima’s website:

U.S. Embassy Lima Consular Section: http://lima.usembassy.gov/visageneral.html
State Department Visa Website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/index.html
United States Visas.gov: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/

Please note that each applicant must qualify on their own merits, and that visas cannot be issued solely based on an invitation from a U.S. business or individual.

Telecommunications

The telecommunications industry in Peru has been steadily modernized following the privatization of the national telephone company by Telefonica de Espana in 1994. A long distance phone call to the States is around $ 0.35 per minute while Internet access is widely available at an extremely low cost (70 cents/hr.) through Internet cafes.

Services are being offered such as: ADSL Internet access, CableNet internet access, fixed wireline and wireless broadband services, Wi-Fi hot spots solutions (currently in some districts, hotels and universities) and VoIP long distance service. Telefonica purchased the assets of Bell South and has 63% of the mobile market and 96% of the fixed line market. Some companies and individuals have complained about Telefonica’s customer service and slow installation rate. Other mobile competitors are Claro (America Movil subsidiary) and Nextel.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is working on new regulations such as number portability for mobile phones, interoperability within telecom networks, network infrastructure sharing among utilities service providers to promote Universal Access for the lower income population.

Broadband access through Internet cafes is widely available in all cities and in most small towns. Mobile phones with the following protocols work in the local market: GSM/GPRS 1900 MHZ band (same as U.S.), CDMA1x -request international roaming service with your U.S. provider and Nextel Direct Connect radio service. For travelers to Peru, a BlackBerry device will function if it has GSM/GPRS service, which can be provided by Cingular/AT&T Wireless or T-Mobile in the U.S. For long distance calling there are a variety of pre-paid calling cards with very low cost, as well as Nextel's International Direct Connect with Peru's only all-you-can-eat flat rate for long distance. Long distance Direct Access through credit card numbers for AT&T, Sprint, and MCI WorldCom is also available. International calls can be made through Net2Phone service in most Internet cafes. Major U.S. long distance calling cards are accepted at major hotels.

Transportation

There are a number of Peruvian airlines serving routes within Peru; among them are Lan Peru (a subsidiary of Lan Chile), Taca, L.C. Busre, Aero Condor, ATSA, and Star Peru. Lima is served by three U.S. airlines: American, Continental and Delta Airlines with direct flights to Miami, Houston and Newark, and Atlanta. Lan Peru also provides direct flights to Bogota, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Guayaquil, Mexico, Quito, Santiago, and Sao Paulo; and to the cities of Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. In addition to Lan Peru and Lan Chile, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeropostal, Avianca, Copa, Lloyd Aero Boliviano, and Taca, offer international flights to the main cities in South America. All the companies flying internationally offer regular cargo services to the U.S. and other South American countries.

Public ground transportation is not recommended due to a high incidence of traffic accidents in Peru, frequently involving mini-buses and buses. Taxis are abundant and not metered, so fares must be negotiated before getting into the cab. The Commercial Service recommends using the more reliable radio-dispatched taxis. Transportation to and from the airport by radio taxi or taxi service is approximately U.S. $25. Tips are not expected on short rides. If you lease a car with a driver, a tip is common. While Peru is three times the size of California, the country has the same amount of paved roads as the state of Rhode Island. The Ministry of Transport and Communication (MTC) estimates the total road network has 49,100 miles from which

6,921 are paved, 10,685 mi. are compacted roads, 8767 mi. are gravel roads and another 22,723 mi. are trails. A new entity “ProVias” was formed in August 2002 from the Direccion Nacional de Caminos. Both entities are in charge of new projects for road construction and design, maintenance and environmental impact studies. The financial means for such projects come from three main sources: Ministerio de Economia, Ministerio de Transportes and Multinational Organizations such as the IDB, Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF), World Bank and Japan’s Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Another governmental agency, “ProInversion” has been assigned the task of leading the privatization and concession program for the National Highway Network System. Two (2) highways have been concessioned and there are twelve (12) highway networks pending concession representing an estimated total investment of US$ 2.5 billion.

The Central, South and Southeast rail networks were privatized in September 1999. Due to a unique structure of privatizations through traditional Latin American concessioning models and European-influence (separation of infrastructure and operations), two parallel companies were formed in each network.

The concession of the Central railway of 310 mi. and the second highest in the world awarded to Ferrovias Central Andina (FVCA) is responsible for the maintenance and provision of assets, primarily infrastructure and rolling stock. The operating company, Ferrocarril Central Andino (FCCA) is responsible for the running of trains and provision of services to the customers. FCCA provides cargo transportation of minerals, fuels, cement, and food products. It reaches the station of La Cima at 4818 meters (15,807 feet) above sea level and links the Pacific port of Callao and the capital city of Lima with the cities of Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco. FCCA recently started operating seasonal weekend tourist train services from Lima to Huancayo. The Ministry of Transport operates the 84 mi. Huancayo-Huancavelica railroad for passenger and cargo services.

The South and Southeast rail network of 672 mi. is run by Ferrocarril Transandino S.A. (FTSA) and operated by PeruRail S.A. providing cargo transportation and linking most of the tourist highlights of the Andes in Peru. It runs daily between the port of Matarani, the city of Arequipa and the Andean villages of Juliaca, Puno and Cusco. The main products transported are fuel, wheat (for Peruvian and Bolivian consumption), coal, cement, soya flour, coffee, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. PeruRail also provides passenger services offering the routes between either Cusco or the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes and between Cusco and Lake Titicaca in Puno. In addition there is a small railway system (160 mi.) owned by the mining company, Southern Peru Copper Corp. operating Cuajone-Toquepala-Ilo.

Language

Business is conducted in Spanish. Although a great number of executives in the Peruvian business community speak English, promotional literature should be translated into Spanish. Quecha and Aymara are spoken in the Andean highlands. High tech companies like Microsoft and Claro promote their products in the traditional languages.

Health

Peruvian medical facilities do not generally meet U.S. standards, although some private clinics do. However, if visitors take certain precautions about food and drink, the level of risk is manageable. Cholera and other infectious diseases such as hepatitis are present in Peru. Travelers in Peru should always substitute bottled beverages for potentially contaminated water. Avoid ice cubes. Fish, shellfish and vegetables should not be eaten unless well cooked, and all food should be eaten while still hot. Peeled fruits should be safe. Travelers to the jungle areas of Peru should have up-to-date yellow fever vaccine and malaria prophylaxis. There are several clinics in the Lima area which have U.S. trained personnel and up-to-date medical equipment. Since U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States, supplemental insurance is useful, especially to provide coverage for medical evacuation.

Business Hours & Holidays

Lima is situated directly south of New York and is in the Eastern Standard time zone (UTC minus 5), but Peru does not follow daylight saving time. Dates are written starting with the day of the month, followed by the month and finishing with the year. Business hours in Peru are generally from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Breakfast meetings are becoming more common, and business lunches are normally scheduled between the hours of 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Some shops and businesses operate from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., although continuous operation is increasingly common. Business offices, excluding banks, are closed on Saturdays. In the provinces, business hours are usually from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. “Peruvian time” refers to the fact that it is acceptable to arrive a half an hour to one hour late for social functions. However, punctuality is generally expected for business visitors for social and business functions.

Temporary Entry of Materials & Personal Belongings

Goods for trade fairs may temporarily enter Peru by paying a bond - but without paying duties. In addition to normal passenger baggage, a cellular phone (and its accessories) and a laptop are allowed without paying duties. To access Peruvian customs information in English, refer to: http://www.sunat.gob.pe/aduanas/version_ingles/index.html.