http://enperu.blogsyte.com/Living and travelling in PerúPhotos and Text are Copyright © Stuart Starrs 2006-2007Photos may be used with my permission. Contact me.  Peru’s government has dropped plans to open up uncontacted Indians’ reserves to oil exploration. The latest round of concessions, announced this week, do not include any of the uncontacted Indians’ reserves.The move appears to be in response to a storm of criticism from Survival and Indian organisations in Peru. Survival had urged the Peruvian government not to permit exploration in such areas because it could lead to the tribes’ extinction.The decision represents a U-turn for Perupetro, the state body responsible for negotiating exploration rights. Perupetro spokespeople had previously suggested the uncontacted Indians did not exist, and that exploration in their reserves would be permitted.According to reports, a Perupetro spokesperson stated this week that none of the new areas include ‘reserves for uncontacted tribes in order to avoid confrontation with local communities and environmental organisations.’However, part of one of the new concessions, although not a reserve, is inhabited by uncontacted Indians, and elsewhere in Peru oil and gas exploration remains a huge threat. French company Perenco has recently acquired the rights to work in the northern Peruvian Amazon where at least two uncontacted tribes live, and companies Repsol-YPF, Petrolifera and a consortium led by Pluspetrol all work in areas inhabited by the Indians.Survival International’s director, Stephen Corry, said today, ‘Perupetro's decision is the right one – from both a legal and humanitarian point of view – and we hope this change of heart is permanent. However, there remain other areas inhabited by the Indians where exploration is still going on. These areas must be made off-limits too, and the companies should withdraw in accordance with international law.’For further information contact Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.orghttp://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=558Thu, 08 May 2008 12:38:50 GMTWhat river has the highest volume of water in the world?Answer - The Amazon, with 1/5th of the world's river water, more than the next ten combined.What is the longest river in the world?Answer - The Nile Amazon, at 7062km/4388m long - 391km/242m longer than the Nile.In an expedition organised by the Geographical Society of Lima and led by Polish explorer Jacek Palkiewicz, the origin of the Amazon river is now confirmed to be in a remote location in Arequipa, starting at a creek by the name of Apacheta on the Nevado Quehuisha mountain.It had previously been concluded from the 1990 expedition that the nearby Nevado Mismi was the source of the river. Confirmed by a Brazilian team and the US's National Geographic in 2000, this still made it about 100km/60m longer than the Nile and officially the world's longest river.The new placement now unequivocally confines the Nile's place as longest river to the dustiest of old history books.From 5150m/16896ft above sea level, on the slopes of Quehuisha, water flows unbroken to the Atlantic ocean 7062km away.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=557Wed, 07 May 2008 14:24:55 GMT Perhaps Arequipa's signature entrée is the Rocoto Relleno. The rocoto is a chilli of Andean origin used for over 5000 years - one of the first to be domesticated. It looks very similar to a bell pepper but as one of the world's spicier chillis, you can bet it doesn't taste like one. In fact is is about 50 times spicier than a jalapeño.Rocoto Relleno is essentially rocoto stuffed with minced meat.The top of the rocoto is carefully cut off and the seeds and insides removed.You must then place the bottoms and tops in water with sugar and vinegar to be boiled - boil the chillis 2 or 3 times with fresh water to lower the level of spiciness.Ground beef and pork, both fried beforehand, are mixed with chopped onions and sliced hard-boiled eggs, seasoned with ají panca chilli paste, cumin, salt and pepper.The rocotos are filled with the mixture, a slice of mozzarella cheese is placed on top, the the tops of the chilli are place decoratively on top of the cheese and all is then baked for 15 to 20 minutes and served immediately.More on rocotos and a recipe can be found on Canela & Comino.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=556Sat, 03 May 2008 12:05:43 GMTA street in Arequipa gets repaved for the up-coming APEC conference in the city.Peru is hosting a glut of international conferences this year, from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits to the Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union summits. Vast sums of money are being spent renovating the major thoroughfares of cities that will host meetings, such as Lima and Arequipa.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=555Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:21:26 GMTAccording to Microsoft, in 2007 the software industry in Peru lost $59 million to piracy. Much is lost of course, but the truth is that S./10 spent on a CD at a market stall is not S./900+ lost to Microsoft or others. The software industry's pressure on the Government to crack down on piracy, unlike that from the movie industry, is likely to cause them far deeper losses as customers are forced to discover free alternatives. News of universities in Peru taking advantage of these free, “open source” alternatives might mean this change is already on the way, potentially saving the Peruvian economy hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Thousands of graduates highly-trained in open source technologies might lead to Peru's institutions rejecting hard-sold and expensive lock-in agreements with companies such as Microsoft when the same software, often of equal or greater quality, is available for free. El Comercio reports that universities in Abancay, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cerro de Pasco, Chiclayo, Huancayo, Lima, Piura, Puno, Tacna and Trujillo, are now giving classes and workshops in open source alternatives. Christian Palacios, who is organising the Fourth Latin American Festival of Open Source Software that is funding these workshops, laments that this change isn't happening fast enough. “Indecopi (Peru's competition and intellectual property department) does not tell users what the alternatives are, they only pressure them into buying proprietary software like Windows.” Because the alternatives are so little known, Palacios goes on to explain, even colleges implicitly encourage students to buy pirated proprietary software when free alternatives exist. These students, accustomed to what they have been using, ripple out this dependence into the economy creating huge costs for what is still a very poor country. Despite countries such as Russia, China, even Germany and other European nations taking advantage of free alternative software to lower costs in government and industry, Peru still hasn't cottoned-on. Hopefully this will soon change.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=554Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:12:39 GMTA regular tourist stop, the Molino (mill) of Sabandia is located 8km from the city of Arequipa. Built in 1785 in white sillar volcanic stone, its architectural style is very in-keeping with the region.Stone grinding wheels for wheat processing were restored in 1973 and continue to work well, powered by running water from the nearby river.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=553Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:16:12 GMT  Living on the altiplano – the Andean plateau – are the South American camelids. Llamas and Alpacas have found themselves domesticated by humans and have lived this way for as much as 6000 years. Guanucos and Vicuñas on the other hand still exist in the wild and are heavily protected by law. They are all somehow able to thrive on the tough vegetation and harsh extremes in temperatures that we find at these altitudes. Although these species are distinct, they are close enough to interbreed.In fact, it's probably due to the work of ancient humans that the four exist.Pre-Inca cultures used camelids for food and clothing before beginning to herd them. By the time of the Incas, systemic breeding was taking place. Distinct breeds of llamas and alpacas had come about, and these were separated further into colours and fur lengths.When the Spanish arrived in Peru, they found civilisations based on textiles. Textiles were used for everything, from clothing, to currency and even bridge construction. Debts, rewards and miltary salaries were paid in woven textiles with ever more complicated paterns.To the native peoples, alpacas were considered divine gifts from Pachamama, given on the condition that humans were to care for them and respect them. The Spanish, however, were only interested in gold. They slaughtered alpacas and llamas in an effort to subjugate the native people, banning their traditional weaving and uses for alpaca fur. It is estimated that as many as 90% of all alpacas and llamas in South America were killed and left to rot. Carefully bred herds, divided by colour and quality were killed or dispersed.The animals we have today are the descendants of those hidden by natives out of the reaches of the Spanish conquerors. http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=552Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:20:44 GMT  Peruvians in the United States are pleased as fellow Peruvian Amparo Alam won a cook-off competition on the show Ultimate Recipe Showdown on The Food Network. In the Chicken category, the 51 year old mother, originally from Lima now living in Utah, entered her dish as "Peruvian Herb-Roasted Chicken". Citing it as her mothers recipe, something she enjoyed as a birthday treat as a child, the chicken is roasted after being marinated with fresh Peruvian lemons, cumin, basil, garlic and the magical Peruvian chilli, huacatay. Accompanied by fried sweet potatoes, her dish soundly defeated the other eight competitors entries, winning 99 of the possible 100 points available.The crisp spicy chicken won her $25,000 and her recipe is now on the menus of T.G.I Fridays restaurants across the United States. "What's great about this dish is that it just screams 'Friday's'," said Scott Randolph, of T.G.I. Fridays R&D. "We are very excited to bring America's greatest recipes to our guests," said Mike Archer, president of T.G.I. Friday's USA. "These are real recipes from real people and their creations have inspired menu items that are only available at Friday's."T.G.I. Friday's have every reason to be ecstatic. Peruvian food makes waves wherever it is introduced. http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=550Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:28:33 GMTDesigned by a well known frenchman, Gustave Eiffel of tower fame, the Puente de Fierro (or Bolivar as it is sometimes called) was built in 1882 to be used as a viaduct for the train route to Cusco. At 488m long it was the longest in the world at the time, until some years later it was beaten by a Scottish bridge. Even today, not including suspension bridges, it is still the 7th longest bridge that exists.The bridge crosses the river Chili in La Arboleda in southern Vallecito, a nice residential area. Photos are, as always, attached.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=549Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:41:02 GMT  The city of Arequipa was founded in 1540 by Garcí Manuel de Carbajal, who in the nearby fertile lands of Huasacache built his mansion. Huasacache, in the valley of the river Socabaya only a short distance from the city, passed through various hands over the years until it was bought by Jesuit missionairies.The Jesuits made many additions to the home, most notibly several new rooms and an adjoining chapel. It became a place for retreats and meetings. When the Jesuits were expelled from all Spanish territories in 1767, the land and the mansion were confiscated by the local government and sold at auction for 68,965 silver pesos.After being sold and bought again, the lands and mansion passed into the hands of another famous family, that of Juan Crisóstomo de Goyeneche y Aguerrevere, a captain of the Spanish army. It was a family in which it stayed until 1947 when his descendants parcelled and sold off the land.In 1978 a group of enthusiasts of Arequipeña architecture bought the mansion, now laying in ruins, and over many months restored all that was lost. It has since been open to the public as a tourist attraction.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=547Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:15:14 GMT  Arequipa's "Old Bridge" began life on the 11th of June in 1577, but it took until 1608 to be completed at a cost of 150,000 silver pesos. The city was in need of a way across the river Chili from the city's center, and Spanish architect Juan de Aldaná oversaw the project during all this time. On the near side, the bridge fuses with the picturesque houses on the river's edge, from which you can appreciate the bridge's structure.In recent decades, the look of the bridge and surrounding area has changed dramatically. The avenue "La Marina" has since been constructed, and the river has lost some of its breadth to make way. The bridge itself has been widened somewhat to incorporate walkways and new railings.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=548Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:09:33 GMTAs the Inca Mayta Capac passed with his soldiers through the valley in which modern Arequipa sits, some asked to stay behind. "Ari quepay", he said. Yes, stay.   The Spanish, when they arrived in these lands, often pronounced local words badly and named their new city the Villa Hermosa de la Asunción del Valle de Arequipa. Only Arequipa stuck.Beneath the Misti volcano, the colonial city took on a unique look. Built from the white volcanic rock found in the area, the city quickly grew to be very beautiful. Its splended white colonial buildings are still to be seen around the centre, some painted in Spanish colonial colours.The photos attached are of the plaza, and surrounding buildings.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=545Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:13:16 GMTThe following article by C. J. Schexnayder, posted on his blog Andean Currents, is available in full here.The plight of Afro-Peruvians has long been overshadowed by the conflictbetween the Spanish and Indian cultures but there is reason to believethat could be changing....Current estimates put the black population in Peru between 5 and 10percent of the estimated 28 million residents of the country. Bycontrast, between 44 and 70 percent of the population of Brazil – about200 million – are black....Many of the blacks who were brought to Peru by the Spanish were not originally from Africa but from other colonies.As a result they had already been assimilated into the Hispanic culture– a fact that placed them in an uneasy social position above the nativeIndian populace....Today, Peru even celebrates Afro-Peruvian Culture Day on June 4, the birthday of famed folklorist Nicomedes Santa Cruz.A little more about Black Peru here.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=542Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:06:09 GMTThe Cordillera of the Widow may get its name from its black colour, or from a complex story passed down from pre-Hispanic and pre-Inca beliefs involving the death of creator-God Pachacamac (Pacha Kamaq), wife of mother-earth Pachamama.This cordillera is the source of the river Chillon that runs to the Pacific ocean, and is on the border of Lima. Crossing it can take you towards Junin or Pasco.Immediately below the peaks, lagoons form. Crystal clear, at their bottoms you can see various strange colours. These are from the many minerals that make up the rocks, which are washed down to the coast allowing the valleys to be green and fertile.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=544Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:02:09 GMT At just under 4000 metres (13,000ft), Cullhuay is a tiny town in the Chillon Valley and makes its living from agriculture and fishing.Providing passers-through the opportunity to get something warm to drink, oh... a see a mummy discovered in an ancient burial site nearby, Cullhuay is otherwise as quiet (and as friendly) as an Andean town can get.When we were there, a friendly local handed us a large bunch of ruda, to wish us good luck on our trip.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=543Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:59:18 GMT  Trucha, or trout in English, are found throughout the waters of Andean Peru but are not a native species. They were introduced from Canada to supplement the food supply and provide poor Andean communities with a much needed boost of protein in their diets.Despite not being native, trout have not only survived, but thrived in many places across the country. It seems there's not an Andean lake or river in which they were introduced where the trout aren't doing well.I haven't visited Canada or tasted fresh Canadian trout, but the soft pink meat of a freshly fried Peruvian trucha is delicious. If you can eat one just seconds after being plucked from the water, all the better, as I found out in the Chillon valley.Fish farms exist along the banks of many Andean rivers and lakes, mass breeding yet more of this tasty fish species. This one (see photo) in the Chillon valley is typical of those found on rivers. Using the river water itself to fill and filter various tanks for fish of various stages of development, costs are low and fish yield is high.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=540Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:16:50 GMTThe town of Canta sits upon a hill high up in the Chillon Valley of Lima. Sitting on another nearby hill is Obrajillo, and on another San Miguel. This peaceful and picturesque town, green throughout most of the year, is just two hours journey from Lima.Canta (left), Obrajillo (center), San Miguel (center right)The town of Canta sits in a valley as full of history as any other in Peru. Ruins of Inca and pre-Inca civilisation are to be found in the mountains around the town. Canta though, is perhaps most famous for it's more recent history.It was from this city that 150 men prevented the passage of Chilean troops during the War of the Pacific. The Chilean battalion, wanting to pass through the valley towards Lima, were prevented from doing so by locals organised by Coronel Manuel Encarnación Vento.  The people of Canta knew that towns the Chilean army passed through were subject to rape, plunder and mascre. They decided to defend themselves. Knowing the location of the Chileans who where further up the valley, Vento led the Peruvians to engage them. Not knowing when the enemy would be re-enforced, Vento declared that they had to attack "Today or never". Willing to do whatever it took to defend Canta, he added "Pass what may". Thankfully, they managed to drive the Chileans back and protect their town and families from slaughter.Today, with old battles long forgotten, Canta is a peaceful place of simple lifestyles. It's a town of traditional narrow streets and people going about their daily business. Walking down these streets, the smell of freshly baked bread from the local bakery often filled the air.Nearby, smaller towns are waiting to be explored.Join me, exploring more of the Department of Lima, here.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=541Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:42:53 GMTThe rock art at Checta may be as much as 5000 years old, some say more. Carved onto rocks above the Chillon valley in the department of Lima, the petroglyphs hold the yet uninterpreted secrets of some of the most ancient Peruvians.  Once cared for by the elderly Doña Consuelo Livia, who dedicated more than 60 years of her life to protect these stones, they are now mostly left abandoned by Peruvian authorities, only a sign on the highway points to the location in the hills of the unsupervised artefacts.Depicting all sorts of yet undetermined acts and ideas, the rock carvings are the only clue remaining to the people who used to inhabit this valley millenia ago. Some are obvious; fish, people animals. Others are of strange shapes.Attached to this entry are some of my photos. For more lower-quality photos and an introduction to Doña Consuelo, click here.For a geologist's story of his stay with Doña Consuelo in 1994, click here.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=539Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:29:01 GMTLIMA, Peru (AP) — Hugo Chavez has been accused of using Venezuela's oil riches to meddle in Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Nicaragua. Now, Peru's president says the Venezuelan leader may be doing it here by funding militants and anti-poverty centers that preach populist revolution.In recent weeks, Peruvian police have arrested nine people the government alleges are militants bankrolled by Venezuela. And the head of a Congressional investigatory committee accused Venezuela of supplying funds to outreach centers he says agitate against the government.President Alan Garcia supports the ongoing investigation into the centers.Venezuela and allies Bolivia and Ecuador "want to destabilize Peru so that our country adheres to their type of thinking, so that Peru fails," said the government's lead anti-terrorism prosecutor, Julio Galindo.Venezuela vehemently denies the allegations, and denies funding Peruvian militants or the anti-poverty centers. Venezuela's ambassador in Peru, Armando Laguna, said the government should "ask me to leave Peru" if it finds proof.Continue... http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=538Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:08:12 GMTThe Chillón valley is the northern most of the three main valleys that end/begin in metropolitan Lima, the others being the Rimac and Lurin valleys.As with all valleys leading into the mountains from Lima's desert coast, the Chillón starts sandy and dry but soon starting turning green the higher up you go, especially during the Andean rainy season which is yet to finish.The small town of Santa Rosa de Quives, home to Lima's very own Saint Rosa when she was young, lays along the way to the town of Canta, as doing ancient petroglyphs carved into rocks above the valley. Past Canta, continuing along the valley, you pass trout fish farms, ancient ruins, forests of Puya Raimondii, small Andean towns and you eventually reach the cordillera of the Andes at 4500masl and the lagoons that sit below.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=537Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:27:52 GMTHuayco is a Peruvian term for the flash floods that occur regularly during the rainy season in the Andes. Often they are regular but minor, such as the one that affected me yesterday in the Chillón valley, blocking the road with mud, boulders and a torrent of water for several hours. Other times they can be more violent, washing away bridges and even towns.  Yesterday for instance, while I was stuck for hours 52 kilometres from Lima thanks to my relatively minor huayco, the district of Chanchamayo in Junin suffered a huge huayco that washed away the road. 12 hours later help was yet to arrive for stricken travellers. That's usually the way it is; locals having cleared some of the path so cars can pass one by one (in exchange for a small tip from each) long before anyone from the Government shows up to help.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=536Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:49:50 GMTThe Morro Solar of Chorrillos was the scene of a battle, was once an exclusive beach resort in the 1800s and nowadays is home to an observatory, some monuments and the exclusive Regatta's club.Photo: Peru Pepo      The Morro Solar as seen from MirafloresJutting out into the Pacific Ocean, the Morro Solar can be seen all along the city's coast. It's history began as home to Peru's indigenous - as the settlement of Armatambo, long since destroyed and forgotten. After the conquest the area around the hill became known as Chorrillos and country retreats were built by Viceroyals. Later during Peru's struggle for independence Chorrillos was used as a port - an alternative to the Spanish controlled Callao. Chorrillos eventually became more developed, the sea-front malecon was built and connections to elsewhere by road and train were constructed. Still, Chorrillos was little more than a fashionable seaside resort with large residences owned by the wealthy - the area around the Morro Solar had some of the nicest beaches.When Chile invaded Peru for it's mineral wealth in the War of the Pacific, they were determined to reach Lima to ensure complete capitulation. Peru had amassed a huge army that was positioned across the desert from Chorrillos to San Juan. A series of battles took place in which the superior tactics of the Chileans saw a Peruvian defeat and the end of the war. One of these battles took place on the Morro Solar, now home to monuments to the dead. Defeat on the Morro Solar lead to the destruction of Chorrillos as Chilean troops burned and pillaged their way unopposed towards Lima (see also Surco, Barranco).Today, as well as monuments of the battle you will find hundreds of radio towers serving the whole southern half of Lima, the height of the Morro, of course, being an ideal place to transmit from. The radio towers are accompanied by the Planetary Observatory, the first in Peru, made by engineer Víctor Estremadoyro.More high-tension steal towers form the shape of a huge cross where the morro meets the sea. The cross, lit up during the night and shining across the ocean, was built to welcome Pope John Paul II on his visit to the country. Next to the cross there is also a statue of the Virgin Mary that is regularly visited by devoted Catholics.At the base of the Morro Solar is the exclusive Regattas Club, where if you have the money to pay the yearly fee, you have access to various club facilities. Away from the ocean but also at the base you will find the other extreme, invasions - homes built with no permission out of cheap available materials. Near here you will find the cevicheria Sonia and below, on the beach, a pier, fishing boats and more restaurants - continuing the area's fishing and sea-ferring history.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=535Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:00:21 GMTStop producing coca leaves and abandon traditions established millennia ago by banning your people's coca consumption, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board has demanded of Peru and Bolivia.The coca leaf has been used throughout Andean history to alleviate hunger, for medicinal purposes such as coping with altitude and for religious ceremonial practices. The rural poor chew their way through tonnes of the stuff each year as a means of getting by day-to-day on meagre meals at high altitudes. In the cities people drink coca tea when they are feeling tired on ill. Unfortunately, this same leaf can also be used in mass production to produce the drug Cocaine.The Governments of Peru and Bolivia have condemned the UN's report, criticising its lack of cultural sensitivity and understanding of coca by declaring it's sole use as a basis for drugs.The report suggests that Peru and Bolivia outlaw chewing of coca leaves and production of coca tea. The United Nations also lists the coca leaf... along with cocaine... as being a highly dangerous controlled substance (You'd have too consume many times your own weight in leaves in a short time to have a similar cocaine high).Peru has been cracking down on illegal coca production in a big way recently, putting a lot of effort into reducing cocaine production. Outlawing coca in Peru would be like outlawing hamburgers and crucifixes in the US.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=534Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:13:19 GMTBelow the videos of Lima in 1944 from this previous post I explained how explosive growth in the decades that followed ruined Lima's plans of steady growth, modernity and provision of public services. The disenfranchised rural poor, practically destitute, living off the allotments of their ancestors land now owned by the descendants of the Spanish colonisers, migrated en masse to the capital. In the 1980's, to avoid the further poverty and death caused by the Shining Path and harsh military responses to their terrorist attacks, this migration only grew.How did these people settle in Lima? Where?   The fertile green mountain valleys of the Andes were traded for the rocky desert wasteland that is the Peruvian desert coast. There were no homes for the new arrivals, nor land, nor money to buy either - so they had to invade.It was these invasions, as they are called, that now make up the vast majority of Lima. On the outskirts of the city, people simply claimed the land as theirs and constructed their shacks. Later arrivals built their shacks a little further out, and yet newer arrivals built theirs yet further. As the years past the first arrivals were finally able to buy bricks and mortar. This process continued. People continued (and still continue) to build their houses on any scrap of land they could find north, east or south of the original city and the vast established slums. These slums expanded up the slopes of the Andean foothills and into every little nook and cranny.Eventually, the city felt obligated to provide these people with running water and electricity, while trying not to attract more invaders. Programs were launched to provide municipal services, local Government, police forces and other basic needs. The costs of this are paid out of Lima and central Government funds, and the costs of providing free or cheap electricity and water is a burden felt by all those who have to pay the high charges.Today, these slums are huge. Organised into city districts and fully integrated into Lima, large parts are now considered developed. In the north of Lima for example, where there were once shacks you'll now find shopping centres, gyms and restaurants. The residents, accustomed to not paying tax, run informal or illegal businesses - so despite the huge amount of money that now exists here the roads are still dirty and potholed, there are no green parks and it can often be unsafe. Some consider Peru to have a huge problem with people who believe they don't have to contribute to society, but society ought to provide them with all they need.The vast majority of the slums though have roads that remain unpaved, and consist entirely of buildings that do not meet building codes and do not have permission.The photos above show how Lima's other side looks from the ground, but seeing it from the air is a different experience. Click here for more.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=533Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:29:42 GMT  A sunny day in Miraflores, as new penthouses tower over the up-scale Larcomar shopping mall, which sits embedded in the cliffs of the Coast Verde overlooking the Pacific Ocean.http://enperu.blogsyte.com/blog.aspx?b=531Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:15:41 GMT