Lima, Peru

[filthiestfis]

Has anybody been to Lima, Peru and what was it like? I hear theft is a common crime, did you feel safe?
Has anyone been to pueblo libre, specifically?

[dzug]

It's a mixture of extremely rich areas and slums with the latter predominating. Fairly polluted (traffic fumes) everywhere.

I wouldn't say felt unsafe - a bit paranoid maybe, but I wasn't robbed and no-one tried to sell me anything other than handing out a leaflet for a strip club. At least I think it was a strip club.

Not heard of Pueblo Libre.

[Rev Sermon]

I was in Lima in 2005. We were advised that certain areas were tourist areas and relatively safe but other areas should be avoided.
I think that like most parts of the world, it is sensible to avoid the darker, more run down areas of town, in general the areas that look relatively affluent tend to be fairly safe.
We certainly never had any problems.

[bongerman]

I was there for four hours in 2003 (as I changed planes) and got tear-gassed by riot police in the main square as things were getting politically hot!

Situation is better now but it's not a great place to visit; there are much nicer places in Peru.

[JonnoGenie]

I went in 2000, en route to and from Cuzco, and spent a few days in Lima. It is a funny place, under a fog half the time it seemed. On one day we visited an open air piazza where the OAPs were having a Sunday afternoon tea-dance by the sea, full brass band the lot. All a bit of a time-warp.

I do remember being very alert to crime in Peru, but that is par for the course in South America in my experience. We had no problems in Lima, but were very closely eyeballed by a group of three guys in one of the tourist street running off the main square in Cusco (about to do the 'Oh you've got ketchup on your jacket, let me help you wipe it off' diversion theft).

p.s. No idea where pueblo libre is, but the name alone sets of some alarm bells!

[filthiestfis]

Thanks guys, you're all really helpful. Anyone else been to Lima or thereabouts in peru?

[JonnoGenie]

I did a bit of Googling, and looked in an old guide book of mine. Pueblo Libre is a suburb, where the anthropology museum is. I'm sure it is like much of the rest of central Lima. Some time on Google should fill you in.