Practical information

Telefonica:
For calls within Peru you can use the Telefonica phone boots. Telefonica is the national (land line) telephone operator, however the market is opning up for more competition. You can either pay with coins or with a 147-card. To use these cards you have to dial 147 first followed by the secret code on your card.

For long distance calls, international and within Peru, it�s cheaper to buy a ¡Hola Peru! card, also from Telefonica. To use these cards you have to dial a number first first and then the secret code on your card.

For international calls you can use the collect call numbers which you will find in the Telefonica office at Av. el Sol, the main street of Cusco.

Other operators:
You can use some cheaper alternatives to make international calls without using the national telephone operator. For instance you can call through the internet in various Internet Cafes, using Skype for example. You can use cards from other operators like Perusat or Americatel, or go to the many "locutorios" you will find on every corner. These shops use services such as net2phone to make cheap international phonecalls.

Mobile phones:
You can buy a SIM card with a number you can use in Peru. However you have to have a tri-band phone. You can als buy a mobile phone, there are 3 operators, Telefonica, Claro and Nextel.

As a students you get a discount card from the school, which allows you to have discounts in restaurantrs, bars, travel agencies etc.

With an international student card (ISIC Student card) you can get al lot of discounts in South America.

In Cusco you can buy the Boleto Turistico that allows you to visit more than 15 archeological sites and museums. You get a 50% discount when showing your ISIC student card. You can buy the Boleto at the museums in Cusco listed on the ticket and at the maimn office in Av. El Sol 103 of. 102 (Galerias Turisticas) Telf. 22-7037 Open from: 8:00 until 15:00, Saturday and Sunday util 13:00. More information on http://www.cosituc.gob.pe/.

In South America there is a network of Hostelling International. When you have a HI-card you can get discounts on hostels, on travel and more.

The opening hours of the school correspond with the hours of the group classes.

You won't pay for any lesson not had on days the school is closed. We are closed on:

The rainy season normally occurs from December until February.
        The maximum temperature is around 30� C.
        The average temperature during daytime between 23� and 25� C.
        The minimum temperature is around 10� C.
        The average rainfall in this season is 1000 mm per year.

From March until November the weather is generally sunny, during the day hot, during the night cold. So you�ll have to bring summer as well as winter clothes with you.
        The maximum temperature is 32�C
        The average temperature during daytime between 17� and 18�C
        The minimum temperature is 4.4� C
        The average rainfall in this season is less than 500 mm per year.

This is the forcast for Cusco:
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You can also check the Peruvian Meteorological institute for weather forcst of whole Peru.
 

To change your US Dollars for Nuevos Soles in the street. There are a lot of Cambistas at Avenida Sol. (see the map of the center of Cusco).

There are also a lot of cash machines (ATMs) that accept all the networks such as Plus and Cirrus. Interbank and Banco de Credito Peru (BCP) are good options, also on Avenida Sol.

If you are using Traveller Checks, you can cash them at various Casas de Cambio.

In Cusco you can use your MasterCard in cash machines. In general though, Visa is more accepted in South America.

The school only accepts US Dollars or Nuevos Soles (only cash).

In Cusco a lot of private owned places close for 2 or 3 hours during lunch time.

Shops, Pharmacies and Casas de Cambio are open from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00

Banks are open from 9:00 to 16:00. Some banks are also open on Saturday from 9:00 to 12:30

Peru's illiteracy is about 7%. There are some 3 million indigenous people on a total of 27 million in Peru. Two million of these 3 million indigenous people do not speak Spanish, but Quechua or Aymara. The people in Peru are generally very friendly, and receive you very warmly.

You always have to be very careful though with your belongings. Do not walk about with a lot of money, keep an eye on your camera, etc. When traveling, keep your personal documents, passport and money with you, favorable on your body (see the tips on Security later on).
 

Toilet
In South-America you cannot flush toilet paper down the toilet, this to provide the toilet / sewage system from getting stuck. You can deposit your toilet paper in the waste buckets.

Heat system
The houses in Cusco donnot have a heating system. Thus important to bring your winter clothes and to use some extra blankets at nigh, especially in June / July.

Hot water
Normally hot water works with electricity here and is only available in the shower. Water get instantly warm, you turn it on when the water is running. However hot water, or even water is not always available, that is a common problem.

Taxi
Agree on a price before taking a cab out the center. In Cusco the fares IN the city are S/ 2,50 to S/3 during daytime. At night the tariff is S/ 3,50 to S/4.
 

There are a lot of domestic flights leaving from the Cusco airport Alejandro Velasco Astete, 15 minutes by taxi from the city center. There is 1 inernational destination to La Paz, Bolivia operated by AeroSur.

There are two train stations, 1 in Cusco and 1 in Poroy, 30 minutes from Cusco. The trains to Machu Picchu leave from the Poroy station. Trains to Puno and Arequipa leave from the Wanchac station, located on Av. Pachacutec.

You also can travel by bus.
There are different sites in Cusco where buses, or mini-vans leave to villages near Cusco, and 1 large one for longer distances.
The inter-provincial buses arrive and leave from the main Terminal Terrestre in Micaela Bastidas, 10 minutes by taxi from the city center.
There are many services to many destinations. You can choose between a economic service, special, bus-cama (more luxurious, sometimes with a terramozo (steward) and meals included). The price of a bus-cama service is of course more expensive but the service is a lot better, leaving and arriving at time at least. The last couple of years, Peru improved the conditions of its roads, however some parts may be bad, especially during rain season. You can always ask for the conditions at a tourist office.

You can ask the school for traveling tips, we are willing to help you with your travel plans.

The bus stations in Peru are named terminales terrestres and sometimes in other cities you have one especially for North- or Southbound.

Keep a copy of the school address and the place where you stay with you in case of an emergency.

Carry a minimal amount of money with you and do not wear expensive watches or jewelry.

Be careful walking alone at night.

Carry your personal papers, your passport and money with you (best to use a money belt) when traveling long distances. Be careful in busses at night.

Ignore paint or similar smears on your clothes, it is just a way to distract you.

Ask for identification when a plain police officer wants to see your personal papers. You shouldn't give him your documents until you are at a police station.

Do not take candy, cigarettes or drinks from strangers, they might be drugged. 

Take care of the necessary vaccinations, your family doctor can advice you on this, especially when you want to travel to different countries. It is recommended that students purchase health insurance. You should have a vaccination against typhoid, polio, tetanus and hepatitis.

If you are going to the jungle a yellow fever vaccination is required. Also take malaria pills with you when you want to visit the jungle, but educate yourself about the side effects (there is no malaria in the Cusco area!).

There are a lot Farmacias (Pharmacies) where you can buy medicine available without a prescription.

Be careful using mayonnaise in restaurants. The Cusquenian people often prepare it using fresh and unprepared eggs. You might be infected with the salmonella bacteria when eating it causing diarrhea. Also be aware of sauces which might be prepared with unboiled water.

Soroche or altitude sickness:
In Cusco you might have to adapt to the altitude (3300 meters). Symptoms are headaches and shortness of breath.
If you experienced problems before with altitude, it is best to travel first from Lima to Arequipa (by plane or bus) and stay here for one or two days before continuing to Cusco. Arequipa is situated 2000 meters above sea level.

When you have some trouble with the altitude in Cusco, it is best to rest , to drink a lot of fluids (coca-leaf tea) and avoid alcohol and heavy meals. There is a medical station at the airport for visitors that have immediate problems with the altitude.

in Cusco there are various private clinics with a lot of connections with travel insurance companies. for example Clinica San Jose, Hampi Land, and MAC salud.

It is nice to bring a gift for your guest family, it can be helpful to make the first contact

Try to accept and understand the habits and customs of your family.

You are free when to go and come since you have your own keys. However communicate with them in advance if you are going to skip lunch or if you are going to arrive at a different hour.

When you want to use family belongings such as the fridge, ask them.

You can use the family telephone only to receive calls, when you are calling collect or using a telephone card. Just advise them.

When you want to stay longer with the family just advise the school.

Keep your bedroom tidy, so that the family can clean your room.

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