I might be moving to Cuzco this year for a job... How is it? Has anyone lived there before? If you could share the positive and negative points with me, I would be most appreciative.
[There are 4 posts - the latest was added on Wed 19 May, 15:19]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
Well - i've never lived there but i spent some time there
and i loved it. I met a woman named Sandra who is from
Australia and lives there with her husband. They recently
opened a mountain bike store in Cuzco. She found the going
tough at first but she has wholeheartedly embraced the
culture, as I tried to do when i visited early this year.
She is enjoying it, and doesn't plan to live there
permenantly but certainly for a few more years. I myself
thouroughly enjoyed Peru....it was a truly amazing
experience. It's good that you already have a job lined
up, because the people are very poor and otherwise I think
it would be very hard for u to make a living. I really
liked it there though - the people are incredibly generous
and welcoming.
Just arrived in Lima this morning after spending almost 1
week in Cusco. It is a great town, not too big, not too
small but scattered enough not to make it feel like Quito
where you are 1 gringo out of 1,ooo. There are lots of
cool things to see/do good selection of restaurants(for
S.America) and bars to escape to if you feel homesick, and
the best shopping for handicrafts in Peru, I think. I
would have liked to have stayed longer or even live there
for a few months if I had the time. Cusco was definatley
my favorite place in terms of atmosphere, people, and
variety in Peru. Good Luck!
Was there Sept. 98 for four days before my trip to Machu
Picchu. Personally, I liked my visit but would not want to
live there.
1) Cusco is by far the most popular tourist center in Peru.
If you get homesick, an advantage is that you can always
find a "local pub," a place to dance, or tasty
familiar types of food (if you have O.D.ed on cuy, papas
and sancochado).
2) The whole economy of the place is geared toward tourism,
so if you are having a difficult time struggling with
Spanish, and other things Peruvian, you can easily
get away from this sort of thing.
3) Items one and two are two reasons why I would not live
there. Cusco is a tourist mecca, it is NOT 'tipico.'
It is my opinion that if one if moving to a foreign land,
he / she should try and be a part of it.
a) Learn the language
b) Eat the food
c) Learn a bit about the culture
d) Meet the REAL people -- not just the people who make
money from the touristsam not making a value.
If you want a place that is 'tipico,' consider Ayacucho or
Huancayo in the Andes, or Trujillo, Chiclayo or Arequipa, if
you want a more urban environment. Lima has some
interesting museums, but otherwise, I would recommend that
it be avoided.
4) Cusco is the kind of place where a foreigner gets catered
to, because the place would not exist if it wasn't for
tourism. One could live there, not speak a word of
Spanish or Quechua, and get along just fine. It is much
like new immigrants congregating together in a new land,
so they do not have to adapt to the new country's customs
(except here, the new immigrants are well to do
foreigners).
5) Cusco is at 3300 meters above sea level, or about 11,000
feet. The air is thin, and the weather is unpredictable.
I have visited Peru on two different occasions. It has far
more to offer the visitor than the tourist mecca, Cusco.
I lived in Cusco for a year. I came from a well developed
country and found the worst thing was the lack of water.
Where I was living (with a local family) there was no
running water in the afternoons. It depends where you live
in the Cusco region because most houses are affected by the
water restrictions. Even flushing the toilet is impossible
but there are ways to get around that with a bucket of
water.
But cusco is THE BEST. If I had the funds I would be living
there right now. The people are friendly and warm. When I
arrived I did not speak a word of Spanish after my time
there I was communicating fine (although grammer still
aludes me). The food is brilliant (if you enjoy potatoe and
corn).
Of course I got homesick but there are many tourists around.
I found this a bit of a hassle though. Although I lived
there I was often targeted as a tourist on the streets. It
can get annoying. TOurists can get annoying. But as others
have stated there are plethora pubs and clubs, tourist
hangouts and there are local hangouts.
I swear you will have the best time of your life. If you
have any questions give me an e-mail. I'll help you out with
some tips and hints.
Pez