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MISCELLANEOUS ... cond't |
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Taxis: Taxi fares need to be bargained, get an estimate before you ride, the cabs are not metered. |
Rail: The Central Railroad, the world's highest railroad, goes from Lima to La Oroya, where it branches north and south. The northbound line goes to Cerro de Pasco and the southbound to Huancayo. The Southern Railroad also runs between Arequipa to Lake Titicaca and Cuzco. Services are cheap, fairly comfortable, but not particularly safe. Fall asleep in the second-class part of a night train and you could be robbed. |
WEATHER AND CLOTHING:
Because of Peru's varied topography, its climate is varied also. The jungle areas are always hot and humid with rains throughout the year. In the Andes, the temperature tends to be warm during the day but cold at night, with a rainy season between December and April. The temperature on the coast and in Lima rarely rises above 80ºF, 28ºC in the summer (December to May) or falls below 57ºF, 13ºC in winter (June to November). It seldom rains in Lima, but the city is often shrouded in a damp, grey mist during the winter months. Lightweight cotton clothing and sun and insect protection is recommended for the jungle, and plenty of layers of both warm and cool clothes for the Andes. |
MAIN LOCAL FESTIVITIES |
| January: 18th - 20th Lima: Celebration of the founding of Lima by the Spaniards in 1535. |
| February: 8th -14th Puno: Virgen de la Candelaria. Procession through the streets of the town and many local contests with musicians and colourful dancers. Cajamarca Carnival: Costumes, dances and music for a week. Lima: District of Surco, Procession. |
| March/April: Ayacucho: Easter week celebrations. Cuzco Easter: Procession on Holy Monday. Tarma: Night processions over carpets of flowers made by local people. |
| May:
Feast of the Cross, all over the Andes region (First days of May) |
| June: Cuzco: Corpus Christi - Procession of the consecrated host, second week of month. 24th. Cuzco: Inti Raymi (Feast of the Sun) - The whole of Cuzco celebrates this ancient and colourful festival for a week. Contests and parades of dancers in native costumes. Much folk singing and dancing. The main event is held against the backdrop of the Inca fortress at Sacsayhuaman. |
| July: 16th Paucartambo: Feast Day of the Virgen del Carmen. Festivities during the whole week. |
| August: 2nd week Arequipa: The most important annual event in Arequipa with folk dances, handicrafts fair and fireworks. |
| September: 23rd Trujillo: Spring Festival. |
October: 18th Lima:
Festival of the "Señor de los Milagros" (Lord of the Miracles), patron saint of Lima. Enormous procession followed through the streets of Lima by thousands of people.
Begins The Bullfighting Season at the ancient bullring, the Plaza de Acho. |
November
Lima: Ends the Bullfighting Season at the ancient bullring, the Plaza de Acho. |
| December: 24th Cuzco: Festival of Santuranticuy. Toy fair. |
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS |
| January 1 New Year - March/April Easter Weekend starting with holiday on Maundy Thursday. Easter Monday is not a holiday. - May 1 Labour Day - June 24 Inti Raymi - June 29 St. Peter and St. Paul - July 28 & 29 National Holidays; Peru's Independence - August 30 Santa Rosa de Lima - October 8 Battle of Angamos - November 1 All Saints - December 8 Immaculate Conception - December 25 Christmas. Also half day holiday on the 24th |
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