peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

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Cuzco & the Sacred Valley 8 C u zC O
Avoid walking by yourself late at night or very
early in the morning. Revelers returning late
from bars or setting off for the Inca Trail before
sunrise are particularly vulnerable to ‘choke
and grab’ attacks. For tips on avoiding theft and
other common scams, see p537.
Don’t buy drugs. Dealers and police often work
together and Procuradores is one of several
areas in which you can make a drug deal and get
busted all within a couple of minutes. Drink spiking
has been reported. Women especially should
try not to let go of their glass or accept drinks
from strangers.
Take care not to overexert yourself during
your first few days if you’ve flown in from lower
elevations, such as Lima. You may find yourself
quickly becoming winded while traipsing up and
down Cuzco’s narrow streets. For more advice
on altitude sickness, see p552.
Embassies & Consulates
Most foreign embassies and consulates are
located in Lima (p532). The following are honorary
consul representatives in Cuzco:
Belgium (%25-1278)
France (%23-3610)
Germany (%23-5459)
Italy (%22-4398)
UK (%23-9974)
USA (%984-62-369)
Emergency
Policía de Turismo (PolTur, Tourist Police;
%23-5123; Plaza Túpac Amaru s/n; h24hr) If
you have something stolen, you’ll need to see
these guys to get an official police report for
insurance claims.
Immigration
Oficina de Migraciónes (Immigration Office;
Map p204; %22-2741; www.digemin.com.pe;
Av El Sol 612; h8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri) Can
renew tourist visas and replace a lost Tarjeta
Andina (tourist card) – be prepared for a lot of
red tape.
Internet Access
Internet cafes are found on almost every street
corner. Many hotels and cafes offer free wireless.
Internet Resources
Andean Travel Web (www.andeantravelweb.
com) More than 1000 pages of information and
recommendations.
Diario del Cusco (www.diariodelcusco.com)
Online edition of the local newspaper (Spanishlanguage).
Municipalidad del Cusco (www.municusco.
gob.pe) The city’s official website.
Jack’s Guide (www.jacksguide.com) Good
bilingual information for visitors and calendar
of events.
Laundry
Lavanderías (laundries) will wash, dry and fold
your clothes from around S3 per kg. They’re
every where, but cluster just off the Plaza de Armas
on Suecia, Procuradores and Plateros, and
on Carmen Bajo in San Blas. The further you get
from the Plaza de Armas, the cheaper they get.
Left Luggage
If you’re going trekking for a few days or even
just on an overnight excursion, any hostel will
store your bags for free. Always get a receipt,
and lock your bags. The bags should have identifying
tags showing your name and the drop-off
and expected pickup dates. For soft-sided bags,
we recommend placing them inside a larger
plastic bag and sealing them shut with tape.
Then sign your name across the seal, so that
you can tell if your bag has been opened while
you were away. It’s best to keep all valuables (eg
passport, credit cards, money) on your person.
Trekkers are required to carry their passport
with them on the Inca Trail.
Medical Services
Pharmacies abound along Av El Sol. Cuzco’s
medical facilities are limited; head to Lima for
serious procedures.
Clinica Pardo (%24-0997; Av de la Cultura
710; h24hr) Well equipped and expensive –
perfect if you’re covered by travel insurance.
Clínica Paredes (Map p204; %22-5265;
Lechugal 405; h24hr) Consultations S60.
Hospital Regional (%23-9792, emergencies
%22-3691; Av de la Cultura s/n; h24hr) Public
and free, but wait times can be long and good
care is not guaranteed.
Traveler’s Clinic Cusco (%22-1213; Puputi
148; h24hr) A private clinic with swift bilingual
service and on-call doctor, deals mostly with
altitude sickness patients and travelers’ illnesses.
It’s a 10 minute walk from San Blas.
Money
ATMs abound in and around the Plaza de Armas,
and are also available at the airport, Huanchaq
train station and the bus terminal. All accept Visa,
most accept MasterCard, and many will even allow
you to withdraw from a foreign debit account.
There are several big bank branches on Av El Sol;
go inside for cash advances above daily ATM limits.
Casas de cambio (foreign-exchange bureaus)
give better exchange rates than banks, and are
scattered around the main plazas and especially
along Av El Sol. Moneychangers can be found
outside banks, but their rates aren’t much better
than casas de cambio and rip-offs are common.
Banco Continental (Map p198; Av El Sol 368;
h9:15am-6:30pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-12:30pm
Sat)
BCP (Map p198; Av El Sol 189; h9am-6:30pm
Mon-Thu, to 7:30pm Fri, to 1pm Sat)