Relevant Information

LOCATION

The school is conveniently located next to the main post-office, Internet cafes, banks, money exchanges, etc. It is about four blocks from the main square, the Plaza de Armas, the central meeting area of Cusco (a great place to people watch!). There are many restaurants, cafes, cathedrals and museums nearby. Classes are held in rooms decorated with typical Peruvian "artesania."

ACADEMIA LATINOAMERICANA DE ESPAÑOL
Cusco - Peru
Street Address: Plaza Limacpampa 565
Mailing Address: Casilla Postal 126, Cusco, Perú
Telephone & fax: + (51-84) 243 364
Cellular Telephone: + (51-84) 9 690 293
E-mail: info@latinoschools.com

ATMOSPHERE

Student's nationality: Mostly from U.S. and Canada, Holland, and other parts of Europe. 60% Europeans and 40% North Americans.

Age Group: The majority are university students, independent travelers and professionals (some retirees also).

HOMESTAYS

Our host families: Families belong to Peru´s middle class, although students should take note that living standards in Peru are generally lower than in Europe or North America. Family homes are located in neighborhoods usually no more than a 10 minute bus ride to school. Participants choosing to stay with a family should recognize that a certain degree of flexibility will be required to adjust to the Peruvian customs and way of life.

Distance to school: One or two within a 20 minute walk. The rest are a 10-15 minute bus ride or 5-10 minute taxi ride to school.

Number of students per home: 1 or 2 depending on time of year. Maximum 3. If the student request to be alone in the homestay, every effort will be made to arrange that.

Groups of families staying together: Can accommodate up to three people in private rooms or 6 in shared rooms within the same family.

Private or shared room: Private, unless otherwise requested.

Meals included: 3 meals per day (Note: dinner is a light snack, such as crackers and coffee).

Private bath: Some available. The rest have bathrooms shared by only one or 2 other people.

Extra homestay nights: Yes, possible. But try to arrive Sunday and depart Saturday from the host family. Anything outside of this time frame is considered extra homestay time.

Laundry service: Provided by host family once a week.

Apartment rental: There are inexpensive accommodations that give the school special deals. Not apartments but apart-hotels.

OTHER

Weather: Year round it is cold at night (30's to 40's) - No homes have heaters. High altitude! Day temp. ranges from high 60's to 70's. April to Sept is the coldest time day temp. high 60's & 30's at night. Rainy season is from October to April.

Cultural events, festivals: June 2 & 3 Corpus Christi (Catholic event with indigenous influences), June 24th Inti Raymi (Theater spectacle based on Old Inca tradition of adoration of the sun, the winter solstice), July 16th La Virgin de Paucartambo (local cultural religious event close to Cusco), November 2 & 3 Todos los Santos, Dia de la Muertos, December 24th Christmas Eve.

Important advice: Cusco is a hopping city with a happening night life, enjoyed by many an international tourist. Use common sense!! Beware of petty theft in crowded places. Don't walk alone late at night. The most common theft is done by fraudulent travel agencies suckering naive tourists for nonexistent services!!!.

Organized activities: Organized trips or activities are offered & included in cost 2-3 times/week. Such as: city tour, cooking class, dance class, parties, videos, lectures, trips to museums. Student just pays for own transportation, entrance fee, etc.

Weekend trips: The school can help students who want to travel independently or as a group with outside tourism agencies. Sometimes the school organizes weekend trips. Usually 2 professors go on these trips.

Gyms, sports facilities?: There are a few gyms in Cusco that allow short-term memberships. About $15 USD per month.

Email access: Not offered at school. There is an Internet café a few doors down from school, and many more throughout Cusco. An hour is less than $1 USD.

Airport pick up: Cusco pick-up is included. Your host family will pick you up from the airport. If there is a complication in meeting a student at the airport, or if the student does not want the pick-up, they should take a taxi directly to their homestay.

IMPORTANT: Additional airport pick-up option in Lima- only if student has to spend the night in Lima due to connecting flights or if the student cannot obtain his or her Lima to Cusco flight. Lima Package includes: Lima airport pick-up, transfer to hotel, one night in hotel, transfer back to airport, Lima to Cusco one-way airfare and Lima airport assistance. Extra hotel nights available.

IMPORTANT PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

Passports, Visas and Important Documents

When traveling anywhere in Latin America you should always carry your passport or a copy of it on your person. It is a good idea to bring photocopies of other essential documents also (airline tickets, important prescriptions, etc.) stored in a separate location.

• No visa is necessary for citizens of US, Western European countries, South American countries (except Chile and Venezuela), Canada and Japan.
• Obtain a tourist card from the immigration authorities when you arrive in Peru.
• The tourist card is valid for visits up to 30 days (sometimes longer).
• Tourists cards can be renewed at Migraciones, Paseo de la Republica 585, Lima. Also, you can renew tourist cards in major towns like Cuzco or Arequipa.
• An exit ticket is officially required for entry to Peru.
• There is a $25 airport tax on international flight departures from Peru.
• Always call your Peruvian Embassy or Consulate and double check on entry requirements, since they change frequently.

HEALTH

• You should not drink tap water unless it has been boiled or treated with iodine.
• Typhoid, Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A are present - get inoculated.
• Cholera is present - however visitors who follow proper precautions about food and drink are usually not at risk.
• Always have a check-up if bitten by a dog or any animal, because of the possibility of rabies.
• In the mountain cities, be prepared for altitude sickness, headaches, shortness of breath, especially the first few days.
• There have been reports of a TB epidemic. Avoid non-pasteurized dairy products.
• It may be a good idea to take Malaria pills in tropical areas.

Contact your local doctor before you leave if you are not sure about appropriate shots.

Hints on Acclimating to the Altitude

Cusco is 11,000 feet high. It is best to allow yourself a day or two to acclimate yourself upon arrival. Rest, and avoid heavy meals and alcohol. Even if you are in excellent physical condition before arriving there is no guarantee that you will not be bothered altitude sickness. Even individuals in great health may feel a little short of breath in the beginning. Your first few days of acclimating could be a great chance to enjoy the cheap taxi fares in Cusco! There is a medical station in the airport if arriving visitors have any immediate problems with the altitude.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 60 cycles throughout the country. (Except Arequipa - 50 cycles).

Time: 5 hours behind GMT (January to April, 4 hours behind GMT. Exact dates vary every year).

Religion: Mainly Roman Catholic. Indigenous ceremonies and traditional beliefs are often blended with Catholicism

People / Population: The literacy rate is 85.1%. The Indigenous population of Peru is about 3 million. About two million indigenous people speak no Spanish. Their main language is Quecha, the language of the Incas.

Telephone:

• Collect calls can be made to the US/Canada and some European countries at the Telefonica offices.
• You can buy tokens and phone cards for international and long distance calls at the Telefonica offices.
• Faxes can be sent from major Telefonica offices.

For collect calls or credit card calls with a US operator dial the following:
ATT USA Direct 0-800-50-000
MCI Call USA 190 (if calling from Entel outside of Lima) or 011-190 (if calling from CPT in Lima)
Sprint Express 196

Mail :

The mail service has improved since the private company Serpost took over. For an extra 50 cents, letters can be sent "con certificado," which we recommend. Sending parcels abroad is expensive. Staff in the post office will help with all checking and then sew parcels into sacks for a small charge. If you need to send parcels by post to Perú, taxes can be up to 200% of the value.

Tipping

• Hotels : 10% in addition to the 10% on the bill.
• Restaurants : service is included in the bill, but if somebody is going out of his or her way for you, then tip!
• Taxi drivers : usually no tips.

Money and finances

• In 1991, the Peruvian currency (the "Inti") was replaced by the new "Sol" (S/).
• In more expensive establishments, sometimes prices are quoted in dollars.
• Try to break down large notes whenever you can, due to a shortage of change. Taxi drivers are notorious for this. Often they tell you that they don't have any change (a lot of times this is not true). You don't have to accept this excuse.
• Travelers checks can be changed into soles and into dollars at banks.
• You can also change $US into soles at banks and casas de cambio (exchange houses). There is usually no difference in the exchange rate given by banks and casas de cambio. You may exchange dollars 24 hours/day in the Lima airport or in Miami.<<
• IT IS COMMON THAT NOBODY WANTS TO ACCEPT DOLLAR BILLS THAT LOOK OLD OR ARE TORN. NOT EVEN BANKS!!
• Credit cards - Visa (most common), Diners Club and Mastercard are widely accepted in main cities.
• Cash can be withdrawn from your credit card at some banks, in Soles only.

Business hours

• Shops : 9 or 10am - 12.30pm and 3 or 4pm - 8pm. In the main cities, supermarkets do not close for lunch. Some shops are closed on Saturdays and most are closed Sundays
• Banks : 9am - 12.30pm and 3pm - 6pm. Closed Saturdays.
• Business offices : 8.30am - 12.30pm and 3pm - 6pm. ( some 9am - 5pm ).
• Government offices : January - March, Monday - Friday 8.30am - 11.30pm. The rest of the year, Monday-Friday, 9am - 12.30pm and 3pm - 5pm. This changes frequently!

Food, desserts and drinks.

We recommend you to bring the following.