i rented out a room (but with private access, not sharing anything, etc.) for a few months in lima for like $300/ month... i don't know exactly how much a studio apartment would cost, but i think you could probably find something pretty nice for $600 or under... the area you will probably want to be in is miraflores which is a bit more expensive than other parts of area but still doable

i dont know what the download speeds are for the internet, it was definitely slower than back home but still quite reliable and i usually didn't have too many problems.

you don't even have to get a visa for peru... you will just get a tourist stamp in your passport for 90 days when you arrive... the two border run options are down south to the peru/chile border (the town you will get to on the peruvian side is tacna) and then you can cross the border and a few hours come back over... you get a stamp for usually 90 days (in rare cases 60) but you can request for up to 183 days and usually you they will give it to you. i got it twice before without any problems just asking, if you speak a bit of spanish you should be able to do it... the other border option is going up north to ecuador... lima is kinda in the middle so neither one is much closer than the other and it does make for a long trip, but all in all in my experience the renewing the entry stamps in peru was pretty simple

hey guys. this thread appears to be pretty dead but i{ll try it anyway

i{m ihaterivers on stars

ill be in lima for 5 days around april 5th 2013 and i{m looking to chill for a few days with anyone from the area. preferably with a decent poker mind or fun to go out for drinks with. i have been backpacking for a few weeks and lima is on my list of places to stop at

Has anyone managed to get bank account set up?

I think it's fairly hard without a Carne de Extranjera, due to new drug laws. You might me able to do so in an international bank, and you should be able to get an account in a "Caja" (like Caja Huancayo).

Costs of a border run aren't bad. Like $40 round trip bus to get to Tacna or Piura (it's just damn long). Plane is more like $90 round trip.

You can get internet of any speed, but high speed is more expensive here. I have a cheaper Claro connection (80 soles = 30 dollars) per month, and I definitely notice slowness. But it's never caused me a problem playing poker - it's reliable.

Hi, I'm Mike and I'm 30.

I will be attending the LAPT Lima and may end up staying there for about six months.

Weighing costs/ability to play online and it just seems to make sense.



A couple questions for those in Lima if that's okay......

1. I speak no Spanish but have some French, I'm somewhat intelligent but have always had a problem with retention......

is it true that this dialect of Spanish is the easiest to say 'pick up'.....

and did anyone move there cold without any spanish and what were their experiences with that.....

how long immersed in the culture until their language skills were somewhat passable I guess is what I'm asking if they did move there with no Spanish....

2. My budget is about 800 a month for rent......would i be able to find an all inclusive studio type deal near the Atlantic City Casino with that (three or four block radius) or would I have to go more to the southern side? I'd like to be in Miraflores for sure centralized right by the AC

With a 1000 rent budget could that pretty much give me my pick of the area?

Is my best bet to book a hotel for a week and then look around once I get there....I'm looking at some corporate rentals and they start at about 1300 but that seems way to high from what I've been reading?

Are there any realtors one of you could recommend to find a place?

3. Are there particular places where Americans congregate? A bar or something of the sorts.

And also is the group of American poker players down there tight knit (as in know each others names and maybe a passing hello) or is it everyone for themselves down there

4. Rough guesstimate....how many American card players would you say frequent the casinos down there (frequent being once a week)

5. And most importanlty......Are the drinks free when you play?????!!!!!


Thanks and I will be looking forward to your replies!

Hey thanks for the bump Mike, never saw this thread. I'm in Ecuador now, going to LAPT Colombia and gonna live there again for ~2 months, then headed down to Lima and will probably stay there for a couple months as well. Ecuadorian and Peruvian spanish seem the easiest so far in my travels (~2 years wandering around central and the top of S. America, but had a Peruvian gf for a bit). You get out of it what you put into it though. Weeklong immersions with locals who don't speak english have gotten me more conversational than years of memorizing words and conjugations for a test and then forgetting them the next day. If you dedicate the majority of your time to it I think you can be conversational in a month starting from scratch - but it really hurts your brain and nobody does this.

Anywhere you go I DO NOT recommend getting a random realtor unless you know them through a friend. Prices for gringos just skyrocket in general. Check the Sunday paper and start making phone calls, and also just walk around and call the numbers on for rent signs. Alot of the places you'll want to be in are fairly easy to spot (highrise condo's, nicer communities)...so just talk to the guard and get a number to see if anything is available. Others may know good classified websites that are Lima-specific, and although it's nice and comforting to research first... you never know until you go. I generally get to a new city, stay in a hostel for a few days and start asking around.

G3r4ld0X is a nice local MTT grinder that's from Lima and may help ya out. He'll be at all the LAPT stops.

See ya there in a couple months, I'm looking forward to Peru!!

My knowledge of Lima is pretty incomplete but I'll give this a shot:



1. I speak no Spanish but have some French, I'm somewhat intelligent but have always had a problem with retention......

is it true that this dialect of Spanish is the easiest to say 'pick up'.....

I find them relatively easy to understand compared to people from other places.

and did anyone move there cold without any spanish and what were their experiences with that.....

how long immersed in the culture until their language skills were somewhat passable I guess is what I'm asking if they did move there with no Spanish....

Depends entirely on how much effort you put into it. If you work your ass off, you could be speaking pretty well after 6 months. If you never try, you could live there for years and not be able to communicate basic ideas.

2. My budget is about 800 a month for rent......would i be able to find an all inclusive studio type deal near the Atlantic City Casino with that (three or four block radius) or would I have to go more to the southern side? I'd like to be in Miraflores for sure centralized right by the AC

With a 1000 rent budget could that pretty much give me my pick of the area?

I was there in August of 2011 and my friend had a very nice 2br apartment located at the edge of Miraflores (that is, badly located in Miraflores) for $800/month. I'm pretty sure he found it online and that it was targeted at foreigners. That's the only data point I have.

Is my best bet to book a hotel for a week and then look around once I get there....I'm looking at some corporate rentals and they start at about 1300 but that seems way to high from what I've been reading?

I'd be more inclined to find a place online for the first month and then figure out your long-term plans from there, but it probably doesn't matter much which way you do it as long as you're not committing to anything long-term without seeing it first.

Are there any realtors one of you could recommend to find a place?

No idea.

3. Are there particular places where Americans congregate? A bar or something of the sorts.

Not sure exactly what you are expecting, but my experiences in South America have been that there are cool bars in cool neighborhoods that foreigners like to go to (often owned by foreigners), and locals like to go there too. My impression of Lima was similar. Couldn't tell you anything specific, but using resources like wikitravel and couchsurfing should help you out.

And also is the group of American poker players down there tight knit (as in know each others names and maybe a passing hello) or is it everyone for themselves down there

In all sincerity, I would first be asking "Are there any poker players in Lima?"

4. Rough guesstimate....how many American card players would you say frequent the casinos down there (frequent being once a week)

0

5. And most importanlty......Are the drinks free when you play?????!!!!!

Never been there, but I'd be surprised if they are free.

Thanks for the reply........if anyone else who is living out there or recently moved out there who was in my situation....

on what site can i create an account and buy in on?

ill have passport....an id card......probably a lease agreement......no bank account but will be depositing through western union or prepaid debit card, looking for wu cashouts ideally (but realize that i will most likely have to trade)....

i know stars is out with regards to creating an account due to the bank account thing

if any one can let me know it would be much appreciated.....

i plan on pushing my move up and hope to be there by may 20 for the latin series of poker

Hey Mike, Im staying in Peru right now (not Lima) but been there quite a few times. I would suggest staying in a hotel for a few days when you arrive, and like Boliver said walk around during the day in neighborhoods you are interested in and take down numbers, should be plenty to choose from.

To get an idea of prices/options you could also look online. Here's a good site you could start with http://www.doomos.com.pe/ci/lima/alq...s_en_lima.html

I wouldn't get my hopes up about live games at AC, i've been there prob. 5 times, there are games that run, but usually certain days of the week, at night, and only 1-2 tables. However you might get more action closer to the LSOP. Drinks are free, and they also give you free food.

As far as you spanish goes, I would deff. start practicing. There aren't a lot of locals who speak english, and I would say that most of the taxi drivers speak none.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Cuidate

Hi,

Something short but worth to read if u plan on coming here:
Im married and we have lived here for the past 3 months, finally leaving in 5 days cant wait.
This is the most awful place i have ever been to and i have traveled a lot. I dont know whats wrong with you if you come here to grind live only(awful players but stupid rake) or online which is possible but even the biggest/best service provider here "Claro" has had some big disconnections and ive lost quite a bit of money because of that. There are many other places to choose from Costa Rica, Panama etc.
Only good thing here is the beautiful nature and it never rains.
Lived in Miraflores near Kennedy park, minutes from ocean/beach.

Not recommended if coming only for poker and long-term.

Can you elaborate more why think it's "awful". As far as internet, I live in a much more rural place than Lima, and my internet is very reliable, so I don't understand how you can say it's bad. You usually get what you pay for, so if you bought the cheapest internet, there's your problem.

im not dead set on peru (there or maybe cuenca) but ive heard the food is amazing, the weather amazing, the people amazing, the sights amazing

and the cost of living is just unbelievable coming from Chicago

its just me, no kids, no wife

i could use a little culture shock and im secure financially so the real question is 'why wouldnt i want to go to peru?'

grinding online and going to the AC for some drunken poker fun a few nights a week and eating three course meals for five bucks sounds pretty good to me....unless ive got my priorities wrong......

If your going to be staying in Miraflores, things are actually much more expensive compared to the rest of Lima. They know this is where most of the tourists, and upper class stay so everything is more pricey. Your also gonna get gringo taxed on everything, taxis, housing, and anything without a set price. You definitely want to be staying in Miraflores though, because it's the safest.

As far as the food goes, it's amazing, definitely the best food in south america.

Food you have to try:
-Pollo a la brasa (the best chicken in the world)
-Lomo Saltado (beef, onions, tomatoes with french fries)
-Anticuchos (beef hearts, might sound wierd but soooo good)
-Aji de gallina (chicken in a pepper cream sauce)
-Cebiche (fish cooked with lemon)
-Cuy (if you can get past the thought)(guinea pig)
-Chifa(peruvian x asian cuisine)

If you have any other questions about Lima, and or Peru in general, feel free to PM me.

i cant wait...i was thinking about maybe going to a peruvian restaurant before i go but i think im just going to go in blind!

since this seems like the place to ask and may be useful for others, I'll post instead of PM


recommendations for a part of Lima to live for awhile BESIDES miraflores?
Could just be a misconception, but I'm comparing Miraflores in my mind to something like Poblado in Medellin (have not yet been to Peru at all). Not sure if you're familiar with medellin (if not - GO, now!!!!), but poblado is a wack place to live with skyhigh prices for restaurants and a very uppity, elitist attitudes especially during the week when its not party-time. Pretty sure cdubbz has been there and other great options in medellin would be laureles/envigado/sabaneta/estadio...

I'd prefer a nicer condo in an upper middle class neighborhood than to be surrounded by uppity business folk, rich locals, and gringos, basically. Can always cruise to miraflores to party on the weekends I'd suppose.

(I could be completely wrong and miraflores is awesome, but places like poblado I just don't like after a couple weeks). Looking for more Brooklyn than Manhattan...more Long Beach than Beverly Hills - if ya get what I'm sayin kinda.

Barranco: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barranco_District

Probably the best comparison to Medellín would be Envigado, as Barranco is adjacent to Miraflores but further from downtown and with lower population density, but still has nightlife and probably a fair share of the gringos.

fwiw, I thought that El Poblado was completely unlivable but I'd stay in Miraflores if I were to move to Lima. Reminds me more of a half-dead Recoleta (in Buenos Aires).

And as I've alluded to previously, I don't really know Lima very well but I'm answering questions since this thread has been pretty dead. Anyone with more knowledge should feel free to correct me on anything I say.

I would also reccomend San Isidro, very nice neighborhood but still pricey (less than miraflores though), i'm sure you could find something your looking for there.

Boliver -- If you want something on the coast, that's more laid back, I would reccomend some beach towns in the north of peru. I stayed in Huanchaco, which is about 8 hours by bus north of Lima. Really laid back, surf/fishing town, cheap food and cost of living. Paid $350 a month for a nice apartment with all utilities and internet.

I've lived 2 times in Lima. ///

Miraflores is where you wanna live as a standard.

Barranco is more "hip" and in the coming. Alternative place to going out when you get bored of Miraflores.

San Isidro is the "nicest" part, but its more a living area and as such not recommended unless you plan on cooking for yourself and stay more at home.

Surco has never been mentioned but for micro stakes grinders perhaps a good alternative. A friend has taken me to a Ceviche place there and not only was it better, but also like 30% of Miraflores prices. Not a shocker that it was cheaper, but i usually don't buy the "secret places only locals know bull****".


Lima used to be insanely cheap. I've been there 2011 and you would get world class food (it's still world class) for $10-$15. When visiting in 2012 prices have risen quite a lot and while it's certainly not expensive, prices are similar to Buenos Aires.

For one of the supposedly best restaurants in the world you pay $50 for a 3 course meal. In the big picture, still cheap. I love Peru.

Taxis are not regulated and many random people turn their cars into taxis. As such they are insanely cheap with all the pros and cons attached. You gotta negotiate and speaking Spanish helps.

If your going to be travelling in taxis, I would strongly advise only taking registered taxis. These are going to have a fixed company sign on top of the taxi, as well as a license with the taxi drivers picture hanging from the rear view mirror. There's so many taxis in the city, that if you have to wait an extra minute or two to find a legit one, I would do it. It's way to easy for an unregistered taxi driver to call/text one of his friends who are waiting in a dark alley and rob you, then disappear. I have always taken the cheapest taxi I can find, and this happened to me last week.

yeah....ive read that you should grab a taxi at a hotel or if you see other tourists hopping out of a cab that looks licensed you should be okay.....

some horror stories of people being tied up for days on the outskirts of lima or even in apartments right in the city while thieves drain their bank accounts of their daily limit until it is all gone.....

arrange for a pickup at the lima airport as this scam also frequently takes place at the airport when scammers prey on tired travelers offering them cheap rides to the city....book before you get there...have a guy holding a sign with your name on it

.....the few extra bucks for this pickup and the few extra minutes to wait in a hotel line for a taxi are worth it......and be wary of people being overly friendly or interested in your daily acitivites/regimen without any provocation.......they look at you and see dollar signs......

Great advice above concerning Barranco, San Isidro, and Surco. All true from what I know. Also, it is true that the only real security issue in Lima is taxis. Bad things do happen and for that reason I would walk as much as possible and only take registered taxis. I wouldn't feel dangerous sleeping in the street in Miraflores, passed out drunk in Park Kennedy, not that I would ever do something like that. But I would be scared ****less to have my girlfriend take a taxi across the city at 2am.

I just wrote a PM, but then I saw this thread was active so I'll repost it with a few additions:

The safe districts are:

Tier 1: San Isidro, San Borja, Miraflores
Tier 2: La Molina, Jesus Maria, Magdalena del Mar, Surco, Barranco near the ocean

I would generally stick to those until you know the city better.

Miraflores and Barranco have the most bars/nightlife (and Miraflores has all the poker rooms). San Isidro is the business district. San Borja is very quiet and residential. Parts of Surco near Benavides are basically Miraflores-lite (and an easy combi ride to downtown), but Surco is huge, and there are isolated and shady parts, too. La Molina is very nice with walled houses where the celebrities/super-rich live - best price/quality ratio of housing, better weather (less fog in the winter), but it's also way out in the boonies with only one road in (with terrible traffic at commuter ours), so you'll be isolated.

If you want to play live poker, there's no reason really not to live in Miraflores (or if you're a hipster, in Barranco), because the price difference isn't significant compared to other safe districts. I did a rough analysis of the city's rental market and found that for a 70m place, (asking) prices are about:

$756 in Miraflores, $728 in San Isidro, $644 in San Borja
$483 in La Molina, $609 in Jesus Maria, ? in Magdalena del Mar, $644 in Surco, $651 in Barranco

Besides living in exile in La Molina, it's only if you venture to the third tier of safety that you really get discounts: in places like Surquillo, Chorrillos, Pueblo Libre and San Miguel, it's more like $400.

Only Surquillo is really convenient for Miraflores casinos and downtown, though.

The high-speed bus goes easily between Barranco, Miraflores, and parts of San Isidro, so don't rule them out or anything, if you see your dream house. Expect to pay about $600/month all-in (utilities, taxes) for a decent 1-bedroom in Miraflores - it's not that cheap (although being from California, seems like it to me). My girlfriends's sister pays $300/month all in for an apartment overlooking Parque Kenedy (with two roommates). I would look on http://www.adondevivir.com/ (slightly better deals) and http://urbania.clasificados.pe/alqui...idro-en-lima-1
Just walking around and calling signs in windows is also good, and it's a great way to get to know the city.

I used to live right in the Miraflores downtown on 28 de Julio with Larco (neighbors with the Fiesta Casino and within three blocks of the three poker rooms), and it was no more expensive (about $600 all-in) but it was too hectic for me. Miraflores has its residential areas too, though, if you're into parks and trees and things - I'd recommend San Antonio and (a bit farther) La Aurora. You can take a combi down Benavides to the Via Expres for 20c, or just walk 15-30 mins - free exercise!

Just seeing this thread now! Really cool to read having been in SA- Ecuador for a year and a half now. Good stuff. Subbed.

ty all and especially kraft for the responses on where to live once I get there. will def be referring to those once I get down there and start looking for a place. prob start in miraflores/barranco areas and see what fits.

who's all gonna be around for LAPT lima? cantrun, kraft, gareth, kerwinty maybe?

i might make the trip to LAPT lima, not 100% sure yet. i heard about high stakes cash games running during LAPT, does anyone know what the rake in these is?

i really hope its not 5% uncapped which i think is the norm here even for 5/10$ (read different things about this as well). i asked in the LAPT thread in MTTc live but didnt get an answer so far.