Only drink bottled or previously boiled water. Be careful with raw vegetables and fruits. Avoid eating from street vendors. Rest on the first day of your arrival to the Highlands, and consume light meals to prevent altitude illness (soroche). Drinking coca tea is recommended. If you travel to the Highlands or to the Jungle, make sure to carry insect repellent and a raincoat. To obtain medical services, contact the staff of your hotel or travel agent. Banks Money exchange. Banking hours in Peru are normally from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, most banks open for the public half day on Saturdays. In the streets of the main cities there are teller machines installed by the different banks. It is recommended that money should be exchanged in hotels, banks and authorized money exchange offices (Service hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., approximately). The exchange rate against the US Dollar is variable. Inquire before changing your money. For exchanging other currencies inquiry at money exchange offices. Lodging Travel agencies. There are lodging establishments of various types and cost. In the high tourist season (June to October ) it is recommended to make advanced reservations for your whole trip. Travel agencies can facilitate your travel throughout Peru. Hire the services of those accredited with the National Tourism Board or Sunat (Goberment Tax Administrator) in Lima. Do not hire services offered by individuals appearing in the vicinity of airports and main squares, as this method of selling is prohibited. Taxis and public transportation. It is recommended that taxis should be from taxi companies (which are requested by phone) or those authorized by the municipalities (in Lima they are painted yellow and some of them have a lighted sign over the roof). Taxi meters are not used in Peru, therefore the price must be negotiated before going into the taxi. Ask where you are staying about the average fares to your destination. At airports, it is advisable to hire the services of taxis authorized by the management authority. Tranportation by air by land. There are flights and connections from Lima to all the main cities of Peru except for Huancayo, Huaraz and Ica, where you can go by road using inter-provincial buses. The inter-provincial bus service covers all destinations in Peru, except for certain cities in the Jungle. Inquire into the comfort available depending on the fare paid; and whether or not the service is non-stop. The tourist rail service covers two routes: *Puno - Cusco - Puno. *Cusco - Machu-Picchu - Cusco. Always make reservations in advance!!! Domestic flights: S/. 20,50. International flights:: US$ 31,00. Payment to be made in cash before boarding the flight.

GENERAL DATA LOCATION: The department of Loreto is located in the north-eastern region of Peru. AREA: 368 852km2 CAPITAL: Iquitos (104 masl) ALTITUDE: 70 masl (Amelia) Lowest town. 220 masl (Balsapuerto) highest town. AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 28º C (36º C maximum and 17º C minimum). RAINY SEASON: December to March. ACCESS ROUTES BY AIR: There are daily flights from Lima (1 h and 45 minutes flight). There is also service from the cities of Tarapoto and Caballococha. HISTORICAL OVERLOOK Iquitos, the capital of the department of Loreto, was founded in 1 757 as San Pablo de los Napeanos, and is the first port on the Amazon river. A portion of its territory is inhabited by various tribes and nomad and semi-nomadic groups who speak diverse languages and have different customs. Sharing the same challenging habitat, these people developed very similar means of living, mainly based on hunting and fishing. The first western settlements were established by Jesuit missionaries who made their way into the most remote corners of the forest and founded towns such as Borja, Jeberos and Lagunas, among others. Later, commerce between Peru and Brazil increased until, in 1 880, Iquitos really took a big step towards prosperity with the rubber extraction fever. Evidence of the economic heyday of those days are the buildings that can still be seen in the city. Oil was first exploited in 1 938. Current oil reserves are considerable and Iquitos has important projects for the use of its forest resources. There are many native groups living in the jungle today, many of which are in permanent contact with civilization. These groups live mainly along the banks of the Amazon, Napo, Ucayali, Maranon and Nanay rivers. ATTRACTIONS IN THE CITY OF IQUITOS Casa de Fierro. (Iron House) Corner of calle Prospero and calle Putumayo, facing the Main Square. Open: Monday to Sunday 8:00-20:00. This iron house was entirely made in the Belgian workshop Les Forjes D´Aisseau. Rubber industrialist Anselmo del Aguila bought it at the Paris International Exhibition in 1 889. Once disassembled, it was sent to Iquitos during the rubber years. Port of Belen Located on the banks of the Itaya river, the port is an important supply center with substantial ship movement. The houses that make up the quarters of Belen are built with simple material over piles to preserve them from the high water level the rainy season. The Amazonian Museum Malecon Tarapaca 386. Visits: Monday to Sunday 8:00-21:00. Reconditioned building home of 80 life-size sculptures depicting the different aboriginal communities of the Peruvian jungle including Brazil and Venezuela. The building also holds 40 photographs of early 20th century Iquitos. (National Historical Museum). The Amazonian Library Malecon Tarapaca 354 (third floor of the Prefecture). Visits: Monday to Saturday 9:00-17:00. One of the finest libraries specialized in regional issues in the Americas. Originally, it was a single-story building, the second floor being built in the year 1 903. To be noted is the series of big windows, protected by rounded bar iron gates. OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OF IQUITOS Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve Located 150 km from the city of Iquitos upstream the Amazon river and about 18 hours by peke peke (*), the reserve is in the area of confluence of the Maranon and Ucayali rivers, in the provinces of Requena and Loreto. This is the largest national reserve in Peru, the second largest in the Amazon Basin and the fourth largest in South America. It spreads across a total of 2 080 thousand ha irrigated by the Samiria and Pacaya rivers, home of a large flora and fauna biodiversity. HANDICRAFTS There is a great variety of handicrafts, such as pottery with geometrical designs, hand painted cloth and a series of artifacts made using the region’s natural resources. GASTRONOMY Typical dishes: -Chonta (palm sprouts) salad, -Tacacho con cecina (mashed roast or fried green banana mixed with lard and cured meat). -Inchicapi (chicken soup with peanuts, cilantro and cassave) -Cecina (delicious cured beef or pork meat). -Patarashca (roasted fish wrapped in banana leaves). -Juane (steamed rice tamales seasoned with turmeric and stuffed with chicken chunks, wrapped in bijao leaves). Noteworthy is the large variety of tropical fruits such as papaya, melon, aguaje, taperiba, banana, cocona and guava. The traditional drinks are: -Masato (drink based on crushed cooked cassave fermented with sweet potato or sugar). - Chuchuhuasi (eau-de-vie based on a bitter, astringent root, very popular in the entire Jungle region). FESTIVITIES Feast of San Juan. (June) The influence of John the Baptist as a symbol is very strong in the Peruvian jungle because of the importance of water as a vital element in the entire Amazon region. This is why this feast is celebrated with typical bands and the region’s traditional dishes. (*) Peke Peke: motor-driven canoes that have become the most common means for mass transportation in the Peruvian Amazonian region. They can carry up to 30 passengers. Despite they are slow and very noisy, they are very inexpensive. Ideal for short trips. SERVICES • Airport • Health Centers • Police Stations • Handicrafts Markets • Post Office

GENERAL DATA LOCATION: The department of Lima is located in the central part of the country, comprising a coastal strip. (facing the Pacific Ocean) and the highlands towards the east. AREA: 34802 km2 CAPITAL: Lima (154 masl) ALTITUDE: 3 masl (Ancon) Lowest town. 4278 masl (Tanta) highest town. AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 19º C (25º C maximum and 13º C minimum). There are no rains in Lima, the season with the highest humidity is winter which runs from June through September. ACCESS ROUTES BY LAND: Lima is linked by the Pan-American Highway with all the cities on the coast as well as with the coastal cities of Ecuador to the north and Chile to the south. The Central Highway, the Marginal Highway and penetration roads provide access to most cities over the highlands and the jungle. BY AIR: Lima is connected with the world’s most important cities. It is the gateway to Peru’s major destinations through Jorge Chavez International Airport. HISTORICAL OVERLOOK The city of Lima, also known as the City of the Kings, was founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18th, 1 535 on the banks of the Rimac river because of the excellent strategic and geographic conditions of this valley. Lima, whose name comes from the Quechua word Rimac, which translated into Spanish means talker, began its rapid growth amidst the testimonies of the millenary cultures that developed in the entire area. During the Viceroyship, between the sixteenth and seventeenth century, Lima became the most important and powerful metropolis in Spanish America, and the cultural and commercial center of the region, until the creation of the Viceroyship of Rio de La Plata in the 18th century, which took up the famous mines of Potosi. Already in 1 821, following a series of intense political movements, General San Martin proclaimed the independence of Peru. Thus the Republican period of the country had begun. Today, Lima is a modern city that offers a wide array of attractions which, united to its rich past, provides visitors with a harmonious synthesis of all this historic richness in its many museums, traditional quarters, restaurants, handicrafts galleries and night life. ATTRACTIONS IN THE CITY OF LIMA Plaza Mayor or Main Square The urban center of the city, it houses within its perimeter three of the most important buildings of colonial times: the Cathedral, the Palace of Viceroys, presently the Government Palace also known as the House of Pizarro, and the City Hall. A bronze fountain which dates from the seventeenth century is placed at its center. The Cathedral Located in the Main Square. Visits: Monday to Saturday 10:00-16:30. Built on the same place as the original 1 555 building, it was rebuilt under the direction of Jesuit priest Juan Rehr after the 1 746 earthquake. Both its facade and interior are austere; its remarkable wooden choirstalls, altars and the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, who died in 1 541, are to be noted. San Francisco’s Church and Convent Jr. Ancash cdra. 3. Visits: Monday to Sunday 9:30-17:30 One of the best colonial architectural complexes of the seventeenth century, it consists of the small square, the convent and the church. The cloisters are decorated in blue Sevillian tiles and the superb Museum of Religious Art contains a valuable collection of masterworks, in addition to the more than 300-year old catacombs. National Anthropology and Archaeology Museum Plaza Bolivar, s/n Pueblo Libre. Visits: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-16:30. An important collection of ceramics, textiles and gold and silver works belonging to the Chavin, Mochica, Chimu, Tiahuanaco, Pucara, Paracas, Nasca and Inca cultures are exhibited in a didactic way. Museo de Oro. (Gold Museum) Av. Alonso de Molina 1100, Santiago de Surco. Visits: Monday to Sunday 11:30-19:00. Private collection belonging to Mr. Miguel Mujica Gallo, it features replicas of gold pieces and jewels from pre-Inca cultures, particularly the Mochica, Chimu and Nasca cultures. It also houses an Arms Museum exhibiting pieces dating back to as early as the sixteenth century. Huaca Pucllana or Juliana Av. Gral. Borgono cdra. 8 s/n, Miraflores (between blocks 5 and 6 of Av. Angamos Oeste). Visits: Wednesday to Monday 9:00-17:00. Pyramidal pre-Inca temple built from hand-made adobe bricks. It has a small on-site museum. OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY OF LIMA Pachacamac Archaeological site located at km 31 of the South Pan-American Highway, about 25 minutes drive from Lima. It was the main ceremonial center in the Peruvian coastline. Its influence declined starting from the fifteenth century when it was conquered by Inca Tupac Yupanqui. The main buildings include the Temple of the Sun and the Acllahuasi, both built during the Inca domination. The principal material used in the buildings, as well as in the entire Peruvian coastline, was mud. The Inca section is the best-preserved part of the archaeological complex (1 440 - 1 533). The archaeological site includes palaces, plazas and temples that have been painstakingly restored and even includes an on-site Museum that houses and interesting collection of Pre-Inca relics. Pantanos de Villa. (Wetlands) This marshy area features a sprawling Reserved Zone of totora reed-lined pools that are one of the main havens on the coast for more than 150 bird classes, including 30 migratory species that fly here from all over the continent. Lima’s last remaining natural reserve spreads across 396 hectares which are an obligatory stopping-point for ornithologists and nature lovers from all over the world. The most important birds can be spotted during a three-hour stroll down signposted trails and strategically-located look-out towers. The Villa Wetlands are located 19 km south of Lima. Access is through Huaylas Ave. GASTRONOMY Typical dishes: - Cebiche (fish filet cut in chunks and marinated in lemon juice, onions and chili). - Escabeche (fish or chicken marinated in vinegar and pot steamed). - Carapulcra (casserole based on sun-dried potatoes, pork, chicken, panca and mirasol chili, garlic and other species). -Cau-cau (casserole based on small cubes of tripe and potatoes seasoned with turmeric and mint). -Anticuchos (beef heart marinated in vinegar and panca chili, cooked on skewers over the grill). -Lomo saltado (sauteed mix of beef, onions, tomatoes, chili and various herbs, served with fries and rice). -Aji de gallina (chicken casserole prepared with milk, cheese, chili and nuts). -Causa rellena (mashed potato paste seasoned with ground chili and stuffed with tuna) -Choros a la chalaca (steamed mussels with onions and a dash of chili and seasoned with lemon juice). -Tacu-Tacu (reheated beans mixed with rice served with a steak covered in breadcrumbs and onion sauce). -Parihuela (concentrated fish and seafood soup). -Sancochado (soup/stew made with meat, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cassava and potatoes). -Pescado a la chorrillana (fried fish served with a sauce made of onions, tomatoes and white wine). -Pescado a lo macho (fried fish with a sauce made of seafood and chili). The typical desserts include: - Mazamorra morada (pudding made with corn starch and sweet potato with dried and fresh fruits). - Suspiro a la limena (meringue with caramel spread and vanilla). - Turron de Dona Pepa (flour and lard dough baked and covered with brown sugar syrup). - Picarones (Fried rings made of sweet potato flour and pumpkin, covered with brown sugar or sugar cane syrup). The traditional drink is chicha morada. FESTIVITIES Month of the Lord of Miracles. (October) This procession gathers the largest number of devotees in South America that pay homage to the “Purple Christ”, with chants and praises while the image is taken out throughout the city. In commemoration of the Lord of Miracles, the Bullfight season is held every year in the Plaza de Acho, drawing many top bullfighters from Spain and other American countries. SERVICES • Airport • Land Transportation • Health Centers • Police Stations • Handicrafts Markets • Post...