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Health and safety

For those coming from altitudes significantly lower than Cusco , the following suggestions are to help ease your adjustment.

To avoid Soroche (altitude sickness)

Symptoms of altitude sickness are: Headache, nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite, insomnia and shortness of breath.

•  Depending on what time zone you are coming from, try to take a four hour nap as soon as you arrive. If not, certainly take things very easy on the first day.

•  Eat light meals after you have slept.

•  Reduce your caffeine intake, your smoking, alcoholic beverages and drink lots of mate de coca (tea made with coca leaves)

•  If you have a headache, glucosamina is available in most pharmacies in town.

•  Symptoms of altitude sickness are: Headache, nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite, insomnia and shortness of breath.

To avoid stomach upset

Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Avoid uncooked (raw) vegetables, salads and tap water.

• If you are affected make sure you rest and drink lots of liquids (tea, or oral dehydration solutions available in pharmacies).
• If the symptoms persist, you may like to visit one of the private clinics in Cusco . One is:

Clinica Pardo, 710 Avenida de la Cultura

Phone: 264162 or Emergency phone 984624186

Safety

Cusco , like every major tourist city in the world, has some problems with robbery but you can be very safe if you take a few precautions.

• Be careful with your personal belongings when going through the Central Market (San Pedro) or in the city centre
• Try not to carry large amounts of money on you.
• If you carry a purse or backpack be sure to carry it securely in front of you.
• After 10pm avoid walking in the city by yourself
• When taking a taxi, take the registered ones (with the phone number on top).

General business hours

9am to 1pm and 4pm to 8pm

Most families take their main meal during the middle of the day around 1.30pm, therefore many businesses are closed between 1 and 4.

Internet access

There are internet cafes all around town, the price is usually around 1 Sole to 1.50 sole for an hour.

Laundry

Lavanderias are all over town, with prices ranging between 3 and 5 soles per kilo for washing and drying without ironing.Phone

Phone

There are Locutorios all around the centre of town where you can easily communicate with home.

Taxi

Taxi around town costs 2 soles until 10pm.

After 10pm and until 6am the taxi fare is 3 soles.

A taxi to the airport is between 5 and 10 soles.

Buses (or combis)

The combis ply a number of useful routes (ie down to the Terminal Terrestre or to the Santiago bus terminal). The price is 60 centavos. Be extremely careful with personal belongings when taking these buses as they are often crowded and known to have pickpockets.

Money

You can change dollars and euros into the local currency at any of the banks or money changers (Casa de Cambio) around the Plaza de Armas or on Avenida de Sol. It is not recommended to change on the street - although many people will approach you.

APUS PERU Adventure Travel Specialists - we support sustainable, responsible and ethical tourism...

366 Cuichipunco, Centro Historico, Cusco, Peru- Email: apusperu@westnet.com.au

© A.Svenson 2005 -10 . The design, content and photographs (except where noted) are 100% original. The majority of our treks were designed by Apus Peru.