Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Larry J. Pittman

Living in California, I spent much of my life in a car. When I moved to Peru, I resolved to change my ways. I had several good reasons. The first was my expanding waste-line. All my pants were starting to get tight. I needed to get out of the car and get moving.

My other motivation was feeling that it is difficult to connect with a community when you are whizzing by at 65 miles per hour. However, that is the nature of life in a society where the car is king.  I wanted to get to know the people in my neighborhood and to have a feel for what is going on.

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I too lived in los angles and now am retired to northern florida, my wife and I have a apartment in Chocarilla and really enjoy spending our couple of months a year there.I have thought many times of moving there, how did you do this ? and what are some of your experences? It looks like you live in Barranco , I love that place. Thanks

Having recently retired and finally disposing of my time to do whatever
is pleasant and meaningful for me as well as for others; i have contemplated in chasing the sun every year by spending the summer months in each location, my question is if you know of someone who

has or is doing this and their thoughts.

Most of my family are still in Peru.

Thanks

I live in Panama City Florida (Northwest Florida)... and am looking for my retirement home in Lima. I to am conditioned to the small town life. If you don't mind, let me in on your secret abou "smal town" Lima. Thanx

Hi Larry,

Thank you for insights about livint in Peru.  They are very helpful.  Indeed, Barranco is a very pretty town.  You chose well.  I also live in California and.  I was in Peru in April to visit family and to scout places to live since I am planning to return.  For the previous comments, there are a few other peruvians ex-pats, and Americans that would like to return to live in Peru.  Maybe we all should get together and form a webnet club to exchange tips and experiences.

Thank you,

Neri

Hi Larry,
I am one of you guys.  Now that I am a semi-retire, my husband and me decided to go to Peru during the summer.  Great decision, we bought a beach house and we are enjoying our summers.  I am amazed to know that there are a lot of ex-pats, like me, that are returning to live in Peru.  I like the idea to start a webnet club, lets put something together.  This might be great to see us in Peru.  My husband does not speak spanish, but he loves Peru,the culture, the people and the food.  He was surprised to find a lot of people that speaks english.
Maybe next summer we can meet.
Charo

Dear Charo,

I am so glad to read your note and to know that you and your husband are living in Peru already.  I would like to return next year and try it for a couple of years.  Well, now it's two of us to start our ex-pat club!  Maybe others will join us.  We all have so much to give.  I need to find out if we can have a sort of a blog page as part of this newsletter.  We can exchange views, experiences, discuss the pros and cons of living in Peru, look into doing volunteer work, places to go visit in Peru, where to eat, where to shop, discuss about culture, music, etc.  It would be great to meet in Peru!

Best Regards,

Neri

"Hi Larry,
I am one of you guys.  Now that I am a semi-retire, my husband and me decided to go to Peru during the summer.  Great decision, we bought a beach house and we are enjoying our summers.  I am amazed to know that there are a lot of ex-pats, like me, that are returning to live in Peru.  I like the idea to start a webnet club, lets put something together.  This might be great to see us in Peru.  My husband does not speak spanish, but he loves Peru,the culture, the people and the food.  He was surprised to find a lot of people that speaks english.
Maybe next summer we can meet.
Charo"

I am planning to do the same I can't wait to go back and enjoy all those beautiful things that our country offer. Lima is a nice city where you can do things and relax. I think that there are more than 101 reasons to feel proud to be peruvian. Let's share all the positive and pray for the negative Peru is a bless country for that we are too.

We deserve the best and working together we can help to give a good impresison about Peru and peruvians. Of course, if we talk about food our food is the best in the world.

Celeste

Celeste,

More the merry!  Let's plan in meeting in Peru next year.  I never doubted that Peru was a great country with a lot to offer.  And I agree that we should share the positive aspects of the country.  I know that all ex-pats only talk about Lima because it is where all the services and many nice towns are located, but let's don't forget about the rest of Peru.

 I was born in Chulucanas, Piura, and last April I decided to spend a couple of weeks visiting Trujillo, Chiclayo and Mancora.  Mancora is where I spent the best time.  I took Morning and afternoon walks on an empty, clean, beach contemplating that beautiful Pacific Ocean.  Lima really wasn't in my mind at all. 

Then, you have that clean, white, beautiful Arequipa.  And you cannot be a complete Peruvian if you don't visit Cusco and Machu Picchu.  The Sierra of Peru has many hidden wonders ready to be explored.  Majestic mountains, gorgeous lakes, green countryside.  The diversity of its people is the strenght of Peru.  This is what we need to celebrate.
Neri


 

Hi everyone,I was the first entry in the comments. My wife and I would love to have a get together,we have an apartment in Chacarilla, my wife was born in Mira Flores and and didn't want to live so close to the coast because of the humidity,even tho being from california I would love the views, but I have no regrets about our choice ! I truly enjoy being in Peru,from sitting on our patio across from the park, watching the activities,or on a Sunday morning going to San Antonio for a coffee con leche with a caprese sandwitch.We will be there  this Feb and March see you  then..........Bob

Hi Bob...so glad that I followed your comments and we didn't fall onto
deaf ears. I am still living in Glendale, California and still love the area and volunteering next week at LALIFF the Latino Film International Festival in Hollywood, but, I would love to be in Perù also doing some volunteer work to promote the arts and help the children the same way that I did here to give back some of the many things this country gave me.
Would like to exchange at least phones with all the people interested
in joining this forum.
Mario

I would like to joining the forum please give me more information my e-mail add is celesteestate@aol.com  let's get together in Peru I am planning to go to Lima for New Year's eve.

I love service if there is something that I can do for our children let me know.

Celeste

Hi,
I am so glad to hear that some of you would like to create a forum to stay in touch and probably meet in Peru.  The best is that some of us would like to do some volunteering in Peru!  I think we can create a forum in this magazine and stay in touch.

Neri

Great!! I love the idea.

Celeste

Hi Celeste,

I just created a new discusion thread under Meet Friends on the Forum section of this newsletter under "Expats or friends of Peru that have returned to Peru."  This would be a good way for any American/European or Peruvian expats that are thinking of returning to Peru to live/retire or they are already living in Peru.

Best Regards,
Peru08

This is only the beginning, there are 3 million
peruvians living abroad, if only 20% return it would be
more than half a million people returning over the next
20 years.

most of us are not even close to retirement age unfortunately,
good luck to those lucky ones.

jcw

The way I understand it, not everybody going back is at a retirement age.  I heard that Real Estate prices have gone up the roof in Lima.  Many peruvians that live abroad are purchasing homes there as an insurance due to the economic crisis in USA.

NA

Thanks for all your comments on living in Peru. My first trip was June of this year and I plan to return to Lima mid October 2008 to live. I especially liked MiraFlores and Barranco. My girlfriend is peruvian and we plan on buying a small apartment hopefully around the MiraFlores and Barranco area's. I would like to meet and exchange experiences with whoever is interested. Good Luck and stay in touch.

          Just a good ole boy from Seattle, Russell

Dear Russell,

Happy to know you like Perú and consider moving there. Used to work
for Boeing in California and also like the Seattle mountains and surroundings but, we can't have everything, please, let me know if you find a nice place in Barranco or Miraflores...by the way I grew up in
Miraflores before coming to the U.S.
Take care,
Mario

I am receiving e-mails from Living in Peru telling me that there is a new comment for this side.  I received so far 4 in October and just received today a new one, but when I go to this page I can not find any new comment.  Always appear that the last one was from Mario on sept 16.  I would like to know if any of you are having this issue, because I would like to read those new comments.

charo

You are right Charo...I can't read the other 3 post comments either.
Hopefully, somebody in Lima will take care of this since there is probably another page already,
Thanks for noticing,
Mario

Hi Charo and Mario,

I have the same experience.  Get notifications of new messages and they don't exist.  I have written to Living in Peru about it but I didn't get an answer.  I wonder if they have a webmaster?

NA

Hi to all,
I just sent a notification to the web master.  As you have noticed now we are receiving more  notifications of msgs that do not exist, but this time are coming from people with vulgar names, and I do not like this.  We all were having a very good communication about this feuture and I do not want that this people spoil this page.  By the way I have plans to go to Lima during the second week of January and I am going to stay until the end of March.  I am traveling with my husband (he is american and do  not speak spanish) and he would like to meet the americans that are living in Lima now and of course the native peruvians too!!.  Any suggestions how can we get in contact in Lima with you guys.  I do not feel confortable giving my e-mail via this page.  See you in Lima soon, I can not wait!!!

Hola Charo,

Thanks for acting and fix the problem. Really, a lot of "basura" were thrown into our page and probably discouraging well intentioned people
to make more suitable comments.
Hope you have a great time in Lima; I'm going to Florida for the holidays
and some time next year to Peru.

Mario

Hi everyone, I enjoy reading all your comments. Just moved to Lima, Magdalena area, frome Seattle. My girlfriend is a Native Peruvian and we just pruchased a small apartment here. Please feel free to send me a personal email as I would like to meet other Foreigner's living in Lima or anyone who would like some lnfo.

      Thanx, Russ

OOPS! forgot to leave my email. (russallen7@yahoo.com

Here from Miami where I am spending the Holidays want to wish a Very Happy New Year to all the friends of this column; hopefully, we all be in Peru next year and let's plan for now.
Happy 2009 !!
Mario

Here is my greetings to all of you wishing the best for this coming New Year.  I am already counting my days, I will be in Lima this Jan 5.  For those that are living in Lima now, I will see you at those meetings according to the calendar.
see you,
Charo