Living in Peru Podcast

This week we want to talk about trips gone wrong. Of course, there is always something good that comes out of these experiences. Especially in Peru, that has so much to offer. So many destinations, so different one from the other. But also so many potential problems. Until recently traveling in Peru as a backpacker was something done only by the brave or the irresponsible. Nowadays the country is more secure, so it's not so adventurous as it used to be.

Interview with Vivian Adebayo, a Regional Federal Benefits Officer. She is the expert on all matters related to US social security, which is a common question and issue for many US citizens in Peru. Additionally, many may qualify for federal benefits and not know it yet! Maybe you are eligible for social security or federal benefits and don't know it.

In Peru is particularly difficult to have a business. In order to expose this, we talked to three diferent expats that have their own operations going on in Peru. One comes from Argentina and has actually two very different businesses. The second one is the guy who started Living in Peru. And the third one is an American artist living in this country.

Think about this. If you go a place many times, it makes sense to leave a good tip, because the waiter is going to remember you and try to be a better waiter next time. But if you go to a place once -and only once-, why tip? To discuss this we have a guy and two women. The first one is a Colombian that once was a waiter himself. The second one is a Peruvian with a very specific case that justifies tipping. The third one is an expat from Costa Rica who just doesn't belive in tipping.

It's always difficult to make new friends, but it's specially difficult if you are in a strange place. Making friends can be an important part of surviving if you are an expat. Not only because you need the connections to get a job or stablish a business -like we talked about in the past weeks-, but also because it's nice to have somebody to talk or to hang out with.

This week we talk about getting a job. In Peru, the job market works in mysterious ways. Or so it may seem. The fact that there is so much informality and that we lack some important institutions, make it difficult for somebody that comes from a more formal country to find a nice and cool job. Unless, of course, you learn the rules..

Every week we will cover a different aspect of living in this country. Last week we talked about the experience of arriving to Peru. The reasons to come and the reasons to stay. This time we will talk about something that exists in all the world, but whose application is quite unique over here: The experience of taking a taxi in Peru.

Welcome to the Living in Peru podcast. What we are going to do for the next 10 episodes is to explore the experience of living in this country, through the eyes of people that came from other parts of the world to live here. Mostly we will talk to foreigners and expats and tourists. And a couple of times we will talk to Peruvians that have spent a lot of time abroad and now are back.