GENERAL INFORMATION
Passport
Travelers with a US, Canadian or European passport do not need a visa. Visit (www.embassy.org/embassies/pe.html) for entry requirements. All you will need to have is a current Passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the date of your departure. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months following the end of your trip for entry into Peru. If it expires sooner, you must get a renewal.Languages
The official languages of Peru are: Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. In the Cordilleras many people speak Quechua the ancient Andean Language. In Huaraz some travel agencies and hotels is possible to communicate in English.
Vaccines
Before you come to Peru you must to check with your doctor regarding what vaccines are currently being recommended for travelers that are headed to Peru . If you only think to carry on activism in the Cordilleras you will only need vaccines for this area, but if you are thinking to visit other places such as Amazon, of course you will need special vaccines that you doctor will recommend you.
Weather and climate in the Cordilleras
The climate and weather in Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash are determined by the relationship between the moist air coming from Amazon basin to the east and the drier desert air to the West. The climbing and trekking season in the dry season, which runs from early May until September (Andean summer). During this period the weather cycle is very stable with several days of good weather.
A typical dry seasons day begins with cloudless dawn at 6:00 a.m. and soon becomes warm. On a windless day the noon temperature will frequently be over 20°C at 4000m in the valleys. The temperature will plummet during the brief twilight, before the sun sets at 6:30 p.m. and there will normally be an overnight frost above about 4500m.
Information about the climate can be found on the internet :
www.senamhi.gob.pe
www.weather.com
Money
The official money of Peru is the Nuevo Sol .
The US dollar is accepted in most commercial centers , restaurants, service stations and Casa de cambios in Huaraz like in other principal cities of Peru. It is equally possible to change Euros in the Casa de Cambios (Change money House). Most establishments accept the more well-known credit cards : Visa, Master Card, Diners and American Express. The use of Travelers checks are limited, of course that can be changed in the principal banks and Casa de cambios.
Safety
Make a photocopy of your passport and entrance visa. Don't carry your
passport with you
(if possible). Only the immigration police is authorized to ask for the
original passport and
even then you can ask to present it in a police station. Carry objects
of value on you discreetly , do not carry large sums of money and watch
your bags and luggage. Do not walk in poorly lit areas or alone, late
at night.
