If you are considering Peru as a place to live or work, just buy this eBook.  The emphasis is on clear and practical advice, knowledge which could only have been acquired by a foreigner living in this remarkable country.  It has a most comprehensive section on applying for residency and visas. As the author says, if you tried to find all the pertinent information from other sources, it would take a lifetime and even then it wouldn’t be complete!

With a well constructed overview of the culture, geography, climate and a brief history, this book will help you to understand modern day Peru. Wipe the cultural slate clean, put your own 21st century expectations to one side, start off with low expectations and you will be rewarded with a wonderfully eclectic way of life.

Tommy Almgren cleverly and concisely navigates you through the paralyzingly bureaucratic process of visa applications, setting up a business and opening a bank account.  Remember there are no shortcuts, the people you deal with will not think laterally, and have no authority other than to follow the letter of the law.  “On one hand you will have to learn that rules are to be followed 100% or the whole system breaks down. On the other hand, you have to know that no rule is 100%”.  In this, Peru is not dissimilar to most other Latin American countries.  Just accept the basic caveat, that when you ask, because the rules are so complicated and confusing, you will never get the complete picture.

As a white skinned, blue eyed foreigner, you will be viewed as a walking, talking ATM machine, so, bear that in mind at every chance meeting, every negotiation and every deal. Be wary of taking people on trust and then you won’t feel let down later.  Include the “manana” factor into every plan you make, social or otherwise.

And learn to speak Spanish; outside the capital, Lima, you will be hard pushed to find any English speakers.

Once these basic tenets have been absorbed, you will find the Peruvians to be proud and polite people. The family is the backbone of the culture, with a moral obligation for each family member to support the unit.  Women generally stay at home and the men go to work…equality is a long way away here.

With its culturally rich heritage, and its stunningly beautiful landscape, Peru has a great deal to offer. It is, as the author says, a gem, but in order to unlock its secrets, you have to think Third World, and then you won’t be disappointed.