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Gay retirement in Lima, Peru

Climate Lima is a desert city; rain at any time of the year is as rare as rocking horse dung. Lima's climate is the result of the relatively cold Pacific Ocean moderating the heat from the tropical sun. During the summer months of December to March the temperature reaches a very pleasant 28 °C by day and 18 °C by night. The days are warm and sunny, but air conditioning is unnecessary and a table fan is all that is needed for the warmer days. The rest of the year Lima is usually covered by a cloud blanket and is more humid (but not excessively so) with temperatures reaching 17 °C by day and 11 °C by night. The further inland you are the greater the possibility of seeing the sun with lower humidity. The only exception to this climate is during the years of the El Niño phenomenon when the coast is much hotter and the mountains have severe storms. Thanks to this climate Lima has hardly any flying insects.

Health facilities There are clinics and hospitals of a good standard although it would be fair to say they are not equipped to the same standards found in North American or European countries. The principal clinic for foreigners is the Anglo-American Clinic in San Isidro. Generally health care is considerably cheaper principally because litigation insurance is not a requirement and also because salary levels are lower. (I know of people that come to Lima for cosmetic surgery because of much reduced fees.)

Services Lima has a plentiful supply of water from reservoirs in the Andes mountains. The water distribution network in the city is reliable and is undergoing continual improvement. Electricity supply comes mainly from hydroelectric sources and is generally reliable, but it is important to note it is 220V so appliances imported from North America may need a transformer. The Spanish company Telefonica has a monopoly of fixed telephone services and call charges are not very cheap. However cellphone service is provided by three companies and is very competitive. Two companies provide Cable TV, with Cable Magico (part of Telefonica) having 80 channels including many in English. Internet services are available, and broadband cable and DSL services are available in certain areas. Internet cafes abound all over the city, typically charging less than $1 per hour.

Political and economic stability. Peru now has a democratic government that is making great efforts to weed out the corruption of the past. It is proving more difficult to tackle the problem of recession in the country. Demonstrations occur regularly in the center of Lima by groups of workers but these are normally peaceful. The currency of Peru is stable and the U.S. dollar is traded freely as a second currency. The banking system had a shakeout in 2001 with three banks closing and this seems to have brought an end to much uncertainty.

Support There are a number of gay expatriates living in Lima, either working or retired (or both). Countries represented include U.S.A., U.K., Germany, Holland, Norway and France. Using good old-fashioned networking anyone with a problem or a question is only a phone call away, or they may be found in one of the popular gay bars in the city.

Language Many younger Limeños (citizens of Lima) speak a little English but a knowledge of Spanish will enhance your experience of the country considerably. Individual Spanish tuition is available in Lima for $6-8 per hour, or in class for about $100 for 35 hours tuition.

Finally, the guys. The gay scene in Lima is thriving and there are plenty of opportunities to meet very friendly Peruvian guys as you may divine from the rest of these pages. If you haven't done so already you should also read my page About Gay Lima. If you have been tempted by my descriptions why not come and pay a visit and take a look for yourself?

Read more about gay retirement in Lima, Peru at Retirement (1)


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This page last messed about with 26/May/2006. The contents of this page are copyright© 1999-2006, Syberian, Lima, Peru. All Rights Reserved. These pages may not be reproduced whole or in part without written permission from the author.
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