The most interesting thing that I have purchased here in Peru is probably what I didn’t buy. In downtown Lima, there’s a market place known as Polvos Azules. Polvos Azules is a collection of several small shops that all sell brand names for cheap prices. I’m a totally ignorant shopper, so I can honestly say that I have no idea if the merchandise is counterfeit or not. I imagine so, since the prices are so good. Anyways, there’s so much nice stuff there! My friend got a Jansport travelling backpack there for only $100. I was eyeing the endless aisles and aisles of shoes. Converse, Adidas, Nike, Puma…everything. It was so hard to not buy anything! There’s a chance I will return in December for some Christmas shopping.
Using Peru’s Nuevo sol hasn’t been difficult at all. The exchange rate has been steadily improving against the dollar, so I like to withdraw in USD, and then change money on the street as I need it. Soles come in bills and moneda, or coins. The coins include S./ 1, S./ 2, and S./ 5 coins. I prefer carrying these coins since they’re easier for me to keep track of.
Budgeting also hasn’t been too difficult. Disclaimer: I’m a pretty ambitious budgeter. I have Excel spreadsheets all over the place. Before coming to Peru, I calculated what I would need in Boston in spring 2016, and deducted that from my savings. What I was left with was my Peru budget. I don’t spend money easily here, and I always take the cheapest transit, tours, and treks. Every trip that I’ve gone on, I keep a detailed list of what I spend. This lets me see where my money is going, and helps me budget future trips since I know what I’ll realistically spend. So far, here’s what I’ve spent on my trips:
- Paracas and Huacachina (sandboarding in the desert!): $107 (3 days)
- Iquitos (the AMAZON): $319 (4 days—the flight was $175, that’s what really pushed up the price)
- Huaraz (Andes trek): $145 (4 days)
- Mancora (beach in the north): $282 (5 days—this trip included a $100 flight, as well as another $50 to Peruvian Airlines since we missed our flight and had to rebook…way more expensive than it should have been!)
Today (like, in eight hours) I’m leaving for Arequipa, Puno, and maybe Chile if I have the time. For the six or seven days, I’ve budgeted that I shouldn’t spend more than $350…we’ll see if this works out!
