Is it safe to live in Perú?

Amigos:

After reading several of my posts, the question arises naturally: could anyone live safely in Perú? The answer is not a simple one: if you are native to this country it would be easier, safer, but nonetheless free of risks if you don't follow the "common sense" (the less common of the senses) rules; as anywhere, you have to know the town, the city or the metropoli where you live; but .... if your skin and the color and shape of your hair or eyes signals that you are a typical caucasian citizen (or japanese, malayan, indian, etc., etc.) and, worst than that, your spanish is more "spanglish" or "portugnol" (spanish-portuguese) and so on, then ... beware where you roam in the cities, specially the larger ones.

In my case, I am over 6 feet tall and, in spite of the light tanned color of my skin, there are some places outside of Lima (where I live) that many people tend to realize that I'm a foreigner (arab perhaps?); it may be because the typical peruvian is a little over 5 feet tall (when I played basketball in Iquitos, a nice city in the jungle of northeast of Perú, I was called "the giant player from Lima": they didn't know that if I stayed near Kobe Brian or "Magic" Johnson I would be seen as a dwarf!).

So, if you look, per say, as japanese, and talk "japagnol" (japanese and español or spanish) the "cream of the cream" of the criminals would spot you from miles away if you strand inadvertly over our streets. You'll be approached easily by hords of "gentle" people trying to sell you the skeleton of the "young Francisco Pizarro", who founded Lima in 1523 (he died at the age of 56, I think, in Spain), or offering themselves as tourist guides in a taxi in Lima, for some ridiculous 100 american dollars the hour, and the like.

If you plan to visit, make some businees or establish in my country, you'd better get the advise and help of someone who really knows the daily security problems here (such as ..... me!!!; that was too obvious, or not?).

Yes, it is safe to live here if you respect the rules, if you keep a low profile, if you don't wear innecesary jewelry or drive a impressive new car on the wrong places, or exhibit a dozen credit cardas when you pay your bill at the hotel or restaurant, etc.

Then you'll be able to enjoy the friendliness of peruvians, the beauty and gentleness of our girls, the unequal flavors of our incredible cuisine, visit safely many wonders we have here to show (as The Lost City of the Incas: Macchu Picchu, The incredible Amazon River, our part of the jungle, The largest Mud City of the World or Chan-Chan, The "out of this world" Nazca Lines, and so many others.

You have to know that President Bush recently signed the Free Trade between the USA and Perú, so the chances of making big business here are unequal!

Hoping you'll visit us soon,

JSR