Kintu Expeditions:.machupichu tours, tour a machupichu
USEFUL INFORMATION
Peru at glance
Location: In the central and western part of South America facing the Pacific Ocean on the West.
Area: A total of 496,220 square miles, divided into three main geographic areas: the Coast, the Highlands and the Jungle.
Population: 24.5 million of the following ethnic strains: Europeans, Oriental, African, Indoamerican. In Lima: 7.5 millions.
Languaje: Spanish with 80% literacy rate.Quechua is also an official language. Aymara is spoken by people around lake Titicaca and dozens of languages are spoken by the native inhabitants of the Amazon basin.
Religion: Roman Catholic: 95%. Protestant and others: 5%.
Climate:
- Coast:
Winter (May-October) average: 14ºC / 57ºF
Summer (November-April) average: 27ºC / 81ºF
- Highlands:
Temperatures range from 18ºC / 64ºF during the day to 3ºC / 37º F at night. The rainy season lasts from December to March.
- Jungle:
Hot and humid, with sporadic rains all year round.
Currency: The Sol, broken down into 100 centimos. US Dollars are accepted in Peru's larger cities. Credit cards widely accepted: VISA, Diners, Master Card, American Express. Travel checks may be cashed in main hotels. US Dollars exchange can be made at hotels and banks.
Entry Requirement: Valid passport; citizens of few countries require visas. Yellow fever inoculation required for those visiting some areas of the Amazon basin. Passengers traveling through Peru to Brazil also require yellow fever vaccine.
Voltage: 220 volts. Major hotels have 110 volts outlets.
Government: Democracy where the President and Legislative Chamber are elected every five years.
Entertainment, Gambling, Eating: Some Lima hotels have casinos, while hotels in Cusco often feature folklore shows.Restaurants of Lima's districts of Miraflores and San Isidro offer a variety of cuisine ranging from traditional Peruvian "Criolla", to International. Bars and night clubs with live music, criollo, black and Andean music are a specially popular in the bohemian district of Barranco.
Time: GMT-5 hours (No change during the Summer).
Holidays:
- New Years day, January 1
- Good Friday
- Easter Sunday
- Labor day, May 1
- Inti Raymi, June 24, (Cusco only)
- St. Peter and St. Paul, June 29
- Independence day, July 28 and July 29
- Santa Rosa's day, August 30
- Battle of Angamos, October 8
- All Saints, November 1
- Immaculate Conception, December 8
- Christmas day, December 25
Festivals:
Highlands of Peru's main festivals include:
- February:
La candelaria (Puno). The best of Peruvian folklore and dance, including the spectacular "Devils Dance".
- Easter:
Holy Week, celebrated throughout the country, especially in Ayacucho, the city of churches and famous for its religious processions.
- June:
Inti Raymi (Cusco).
Corpus Christi (Cusco).
- July:
Celebration of Virgen del Carmen (Paucartambo, Cusco).
- October:
Great Commemoration of Lord of Miracles (Lima).
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