Lima Warning or Danger Tips by Pinkykitty

I think every minute somebody is robbed in Lima. I have been a victim twice.
These are my recommendations to avoid being a victim:
Don't wear expensive wristwatches or sunglasses or hats. Don't count your money in public. Ladies, don't carry a purse, use a waistpack instead. And if you do have to carry a purse, hold it with both hands. Don't place your wallet inside your back pockets and don't place your backpack on your back, place it on you chest instead, because thieves have knifes and they can cut your backpack open. Always look around and see who's following you. Don't receive papers from strangers and don't go out to drink with strangers (they can drug you). Don't go to bad areas, remain in the good areas such as San Isidro, Miraflores, Monterrico, Surco, and La Molina. Unfortunately you can't avoid downtown Lima because of the attractions. So be alert while you're there. If possible, avoid taking buses and taxis on the streets. Ask your hotel to call a taxi for you. Inside the taxi, be alert. Sit in the back and don't roll down your windows. If somebody does something to you, don't expect the passersby to help you because they won't. In Lima, you're by yourself. If you need help, look for the cops wearing white shirts, they are the cops for tourists or go to your country's embassy.

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Don't drink tap water or fruit juices. Don't eat uncooked vegetables or fruits. If you want to eat fruits, wash and peel them yourself. Sodas, bottled water, hot teas and coffees are fine. Take an antibacterial hand gel with you (those ones that kill germs without having to wash your hands).
When walking on the streets, pay attention. Pedestrians don't seem to have any rights on the streets. Cars can run over you even inside a parking lot. This last warning may not be a health issue, but the drivers in Lima can send you to the hospital just as fast Salmonella can.

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February is Carnival Month in Lima. During that month avoid walking in bad and medium-bad areas, and if you do go to those areas, be careful. Carnivals in Lima aren't like the ones in Venice. In Lima, they throw you water, paint (yes, with lead), white powder, and sometimes even pee. Why? I don't know. It's crazy. You see people with hoses, buckets, and balloons filled with water. Lima is a desert and water is scarce, but that doesn't stop them from wasting this precious element. Carnivals are celebrated on the weekends of February, specially on Sundays. So be very careful.

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