Spanish Lessons Available in The Point Lima!

All levels all abilities, from beginner to advanced. Exceptional prices!

Learn Spanish in Lima

Study Spanish with Silvana, an experienced teacher who holds a degree in foreign languages of the National University of Trujillo, and has six years experience working for several language schools in her hometown and in Lima. Choose the type of program you like, private and group lessons (maximum 4), all levels, hours from 9am to 2pm (for later times please ask), intensive or extended courses, she provides different Spanish levels based on your current ability. Whatever the level of Spanish you have and your expectations, the time you have at your disposal for the lessons she will provide a tailor-made Spanish lesson for you. If you wish for example to carry out an intensive two-week Spanish course or just some basic lessons Silvana will certainly allow you to find the ideal option for your Spanish lessons. 

The materials will be provided by the teacher with a minimum extra charge, who better than a native Spanish speaker to help you learn?   

Rates:

30 soles per hour per student

20 soles per hour for up to 3 students

15 soles per hour for up to 4 students

Packages also available, for information please speak to Silvanna

For more information email the hostel direct Lima@thepointhostels.com

Living in Peru Interview the Point Hostels Owner Tamir Bazaz

The most renowned English language online magazine in South America has interviewed The Point Hostels owner Tamir Bazaz. Click image to read the interview.


They even managed to find a normal photo of Tamir!

Top 10 Restaurants Lima

As a foodie and traveller I have been to many places in the world as a food tourist, i have tried cuisine around the world from frogs legs in France to Shitake beef in Japan and eaten in some of the best restaurants around. However I am far from snobby eater, and will happily eat street food with the locals. 

I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed with food in South America it seemed a very run of the mill affair with rice, beans a little heat nothing to write home about. That was until i came to Peru, in my opinion Peru has one of the best cuisines in the world with a huge variety of ingredients and techniques, this broad range of ingredients is mainly due to the huge array of climates to be found in Peru (80 of the worlds 120) and the migration of people and customs to Peru.

A Brief History of Peruvian Food

The history of the varied menu goes back to the Incas who harvested many types of potato and corn, then the Spanish came with their slaves and bought all sorts of new animals (cows, hens, rabbit etc) as well as a large array of fruit and vegetables all of which flourished in Peru. Along with the Spanish came the African slaves who had their traditions particularly Anticuchos, Italians and French bought their influence and then more recently the Chinese and Japanese arrive. So now it is impossible to go 1 block in Lima and not see a Chifa. 

Good food is everywhere in Peru from street corner to extravagant diner, In Lima in particular you will find some amazing restaurants at pocket kind prices: so here is my top 10 restaurants in Lima from humble lunch menu to 5 star dining.

My Top 10 Restaurants in Lima

1) Edo Sushi Bar: The best sushi in Lima a small chain with great décor and fantastic food. Try the selections for S./98 and you will not be disappointed.  This place gets busy for dinner so book in advance or head for there for Lunch. Its on Calle Berlin so easy to find. Directions from The Point, take bus from Grau (2 blocks from hostel) to Kennedy park walk down pizza street and you will find calle berlin.

Top class sushi in Edo

 2) Don Kike, lunch menu: I have eaten in more almeurzo restaurants in South America than I can possibly remember, I think I can remember around 4 of them. This is one of them, for 7 soles you get starter, main, juice, bread and strange for an almuerzo friendly service! No grunts and slapped down plates actual service! Maybe it will catch on... The portions are good, they will happily give you extra bread and juice and the food is packed with flavour. All the traditional Peruvian dishes are tasty and portions are generous too, the restaurant is 3 blocks from the Point Lima on a small avenue from Grau, opposite BCP.

3) Rafa: A strange restaurant located in Barranco stuffed full of old antiques and photos of the owner travelling all around the world, it can be hit and miss but the set menu for S./10 can be incredible value one time i had Cream of Vegetable soup, Mushroom Pasta served with Bread and Juice and even fruit for dessert for just S./10 truly epic value. Located just 1 block from The Point Lima this has to be checked out if staying there.

4) Punto Azul: Cheap food, Good portions very good seafood for the money. This place is however always packed and 2 times i have gone and not been able to get a table.

5) La Linterna: I love pizza, but all too often pizza is terrible and expensive. It really is hard to find good pizza in the world, thin base, punchy tomato sauce, fresh basil, good stringy mozzarella, basil, oregano this should be the start then the world is your oyster. Luckily i was recommended this place by a student of mine and it is great all of the above s well as great pasta and very reasonable prices incomparably better than doughy dominoes or greasy pizza hut. Directions from The Point take any bus "Arequipa" from Grau and stop at Angamos S/.1, then bus from Angamos heading right and down Camino del Incas S/.1.

Best Pizza in Lima

6) Astrid y Gaston: The pinnacle of Peruvian gastronomy is Gaston Aculios flagship restaurant it was  recently voted one of the best in the world. I was lucky enough to eat here last year and the food is absolutely fantastic, expect to pay 25-40 for a starter and between 50-100 for a main. Located in Miraflores, Take a Bus from Grau for S./1.

5 star dining in Lima

7) San Ceferini: Huge portions and Menu don’t mean poor quality in this traditional looking Trattoria that is packed with interesting artefacts including vintage guns, bottles and farming equipment. Dos de Mayo in Sanisidro, Bus from Grau to Dos de Mayo and then its 6 blocks west.

San Ceferini

8) Arabica Coffee bar: Not strictly a restaurant but gets a mention for its delightful homemade desserts, the cheesecake (baked), carrot cake and pie de mango con chocolate blanco (sure there is a shorter name) are to die for and the coffee isn’t bad either, service is very non plus though.

Carrot cake and Cheesecake in Arabica

9) Any chifa restaurant: I have still not found a favourite chifa I usually go for a menu for around 9 soles which is such good value when i think how much this would cost in the UK. A winner usually seems to be wanton soup and pollo enrollado. I have heard that Gaston Aculio has opened a Chinese restaurant so I will be checking that place out very soon. Location, Everywhere!

10) Pardos Chicken, Polo a la Brasa franchise, great chips, succulent chicken, good salad and nice sauces make this a winner, the basic ¼ chicken is just S./14 drinks are pricey but the chicken and anticuchos are great. Location Various

Honourable mentions

La Gloria - High class dining big on flavour small on portions.

Bembos - The Peruvina Mcdonalds, check out the mushroom burger here.

Dishonourable mention

This is perhaps the worst restaraunt in Lima and certainly the worst chifa in Lima. Bad and rude service, dirty and expensive. Do not go here at any price.It ocupies a prime location just off Kennedy Park (near la lucha and flying dog) and because of this thinks it has to make no effort with its food, do not ever, ever go here!

Bad Bad and more bad, this place is awful

Do you agree or disagree with me? Please post comments or questions here.

Thanks for reading, David

www.thepointhostels.com

Edwin The Point Lima Nightlife guide

If you have been to the point Lima and chose to party with us you will undoubtedly have met Edwin, he is the friendly fun Maradonna look alike in the hostel who knows Lima´s night-life like the back of his hand. After partying in our bar Edwin and the staff will take you to the hot spots in Lima and with us entrance is free even into VIP areas, Edwin takes care of everyone, sorts out any issues and makes sure everyone gets home safely.

Fun and Sexy Limeans Know how to have fun

The legend himself

Edwin and the staff, Ronaldhino getting in the shot as well

Nightlife is a big part of travelling in fact for many people its the most important thing, friends are made, relationships formed, you can hook up with the locals and more. Lima has some of the best night-life on the continent and The Point  with Edwin is quite simply the best way to experience it.

Book your bed now at www.thepointhostels.com 
For information on romance and dating in Peru and Lima Click Here!

Best Market in South America?

Markets are a big part of South American culture, from San Telmo in BA to Polvos Azules in Lima, markets prevent the perfect place to buy gifts, meet the locals and absorb the culture. Often however they are tourist traps and as authentic as Chinese takeaway so here is my opinion on the best market in south America

Forget about the witches market in La Paz, about 30 mins and 30 cents in bus or 15 minutes and 30 Bs in a taxi outside of la paz brings you to the mercado 16 Julio, at el alto, on Thursday and Sunday this is a heaving market with stunning views of La Paz the market has just about everything from turtles to car parts. But for me its a second hand clothes fans dream, shirts, jackets, suits, t shirts leather jackets, all for rock bottom prices.

Spectacular views on the journey to the market

Shirt $1, Shoes $1.5

Stools included piles of American football shirts, suits and shirts, T shirts, Knitwear, Jeans and hundreds of casual shirts. I bought check shirts for $1.50 American football jumpers for $0.75, t shirts for $1 and a collection of 80s style jackets for the upcoming fancy dress party all for $1 each. I came back another day and stocked up on knitwear for around $1 - $2 a piece and then i found a stool with designer aftershave bottles all old and haggard and only about a quarter full but for around $1.5 and then another $2 I bought 2 bottles and i am sure it was genuine most probably stolen items.

Navigating around this market is difficult as it is so huge and being high up it really takes it out of you, the sun is also a factor and I came back like a tomato the first time I went. The locals told me not to go as it was dangerous and I am sad to admit that one of the girls I was with had her purse taken with all money and cards in, which blighted the whole thing. I advise people to go here but to exercise extreme caution and only bring what you are prepared to lose. But don't let this deter you from stocking up on some absolute bargains!

Happy Shopping

Peru Romance Guide

 Peru dating and romance guide

“Sexual interactions between locals and travellers are common” – Lonely Planet 2009

Well that’s about as realistic as lonely planet can get about the realities of travel, and yes it is true and hooking up with locals is all part of travelling. So writes Coelina Johnston with help from Karl Sheedy.

Beware of this devious sex pest

In general dating Peruvian girls and guys is great fun, Peruvian girls and guys are sexy, fun and live for the moment, often paired with there less attractive Bolivian neighbours Peruvians seem to have a bad reputation for there looks among travellers. That is until they go out any Saturday night in Lima or Trujillo and Arequipa and see the scores of beautiful women around. Peruvian men are very "Latino" and can dance well compared to the gringos and show a lot of affection which is always nice. The men are generally smaller than the gringo men and fiercely macho, though to a lot of Peruvian men being "macho" means being sexist, immature, wolf whistling, heckling, never cooking, hating gays and the new thing to show how tough you are seems to be having a silhouette of a soldier on your car, how tough! But as I discovered after time there were also men with handsome Latino looks who were gentlemen as well, perfect!

If you have blonde hair be prepared for a lot of attention (male or female). For some this is great for others it is a nuisance that becomes increasingly annoying. The writer of this actually cut off her blonde hair because she got fed up with the attention, but some girls will love the attention and enjoy every minute of it. Often they will be seen as a rather unattractive girl back home and will relish all the attention from these rampant Latin men.


In Lima you will find the most trendy and beautiful Peruvian guys and girls and because not many travellers hang around too long because its "so dangerous" so it is easy to meet someone just about out anywhere (a friend even hooked up with a policeman) , and as there are lots of universities and money about people often speak English so you may not even need to know Spanish.  People talk about Colombian women (true) and Brazilian women (myth) but no one talks about the Peruvians and they really are beautiful people! Peruvian men may not be as handsome as Argentines or Brazilians but they are a lot better than Bolivian, I can’t think of anyone who has hooked up with a Bolivian man…


There are some strange stories going around in Peru, if you are in Peru a while you will surely hear the word Brichero/a. These are are often mentioned as money grabbing Peruvians who will try and suck as much money from a poor gringo as possible, indeed this can often be the case as people can "punch above their weight" and date a gorgeous girl or hot surfer dude in return for splashing out on them relentlessly. Stories have been passed on of gringos paying for latinas to travel a month with them for free or buying shopping trolleys full of food for their family, stories have even surfaced of gringos paying for some long lost grandmas medical treatment. Some bricheras even have a national reputation as a professional bricheras who never work but just live off gringo/a´s, these can allegedly be found lurking mostly in Cusco and Mancora. Or is all this talk just nonsense... Well probably,  people spend money on their partners all over the world without getting labelled something so why Peru is different is very strange...

In Cucso lots of  girls (gringo hunters or "Bricheras") will approach gringos asking what their name is and if they want to buy them a drink. They have rehearsed these lines well and perhaps know a couple more usually XXX rated lines that you may hear later on. If you want to spend some money and have some fun then this is all very well, there are no victims right? So everyone is happy.There are some strange terms that they use like if “big fish” if a Brichera captures a rich gringo (apparently). Or is all this talk of bricheros and bricheras just nonsense?  travellers are willing to spend money and if they want to spend money on dating then who cares? Who has a problem with it...? Well this bizarre name means even when hand in hand with your Latino partner, wife or husband you may get heckled, often by a lonely insecure man in a passing car, who is clearly a little jealous and without girlfriend.

The vast majority of relationships between travellers and Peruvians are great fun! and many gringos will find a nice, intelligent and loving partner and maybe long term love in Peru, often Latina girls prefer the exotic more sensitive and inquisitive gringos who don’t try and be “macho” all the time, and the Gringos like the exotic fun loving Latinas. Perfect! Also many girls including this author have found long term love with a Latin lover and have lived very happily, do Latinos do it better? maybe, but i think we are all attracted to something that is different or is it true that once you go gringo/a you never regreso or vice versa?

Inspired by telenovellas Peruvians fall in and out of love all the time, expect to hear "te amo" after dating a girl or guy for a week or so, this can be a bit full on for some travellers but for others its very sweet.  They will also be fiercely jealous and protective of their westerner, is there something in the blood or do they just try to imitate the telenovellas? Who Knows but whatever the reasons, it has to be said that dating in Peru is great and a must do on any single travellers to do list.

Views expressed in this article are personal and therefore not those expressed by The Point.

Bolivia Romance and Dating Guide

Lets face it dating and romance is a big part of travelling so...
No dating scene in bolivia?
Well i have consulted Coleina (the previous love guide writer)  on this and she has told me the dating scene for gringas in Bolivia is a wasteland. It is certainly true that Bolivian people have the worst reputation for looks on the continent, but is this true? There is as i discovered a strain of beautiful women in Bolivia that all seem to live in the same areas and are all too willing to shed their international reputation as ugly and sexless...

So to cut a long story short...somehow I ended up  in Potosi playing spin the bottle with 3 bolivian girls a Canadian and a Danish guy, there were certainly more teeth than people on the bolivian side and I was praying for the bottle to land on my Danish travel buddy, his long blonde hair and nice straight teeth were looking more and more appealing by the second and the beard he was sporting was now just a minor issue. The bottles circles began to slow and then it came to a halt between the Dane and one of the girls "spin again" I begged. But no, my fate was decided, luckily I was spared and just a peck on the lips was my only punishment. We left the bar after a few more nerve jangling spins and I wondered if I would ever find my Bolivian babe.

 

I begged for the bottle to be spun again.

I had heard rumours of beauties in Santa Cruz but by the time I got wind of that I was in La Paz and the "linda latinas" that I imagined while in the rat race in London seemed a million miles away, I then started to learn Spanish and my teacher told me of some places in the rich neighbourhood in La Paz that a filled with hot girls who are ready to shed the ugly Bolivian image.  The rich are rich in la paz, there is for example; a golf course that costs $20,000 a year to join (average salary in Bolivia is $2500 P.A) and huge houses with SUVs parked outside. It really is  a strange neighbourhood, full of TV stars, company owners and even the odd ex-pat and criminal.

Soundbar La Paz

One night i agreed to go with my teacher to an exclusive club in the rich area, the club was called Soundbar and is in the upscale residential area of Calacoto in La Paz, and honest truth this club has the best looking women i have ever seen in my life. Everyone here is clearly very wealth and with drinks costing $10 - $20 its expensive for westerners too. The decor and lights are very trendy and the mood is dark and atmospheric.

Incredible Women in Bolivia

 I soon became the centre of attention for a group of bolivian girls some of which put most Latinas to shame and even had a full deck of teeth that made mine look like the black keys on a piano. I managed to avoid buying them any drinks due to the fact I only had a scrunched up 50 Boliviano note in my pocket. I exchanged numbers and arranged to meet one of them the following week, she was a TV executives daughter and we dated for a few days but then sadly Peru was calling me like a siren and I had to leave the city.

 For women there is not much of a dating scene in Bolivia, perhaps someone could comment on their own experiences? For men on the face of it there is not much going on nevertheless nice girls can be found in some of the mainstream clubs like mongos and even blu house, well, once in a blue moon (excuse the pun) but anyone going to La Paz should experience Sounbar, above all its a great nightclub with awesome music and visuals, but also offers the chance to meet some stunning women.

Karl Sheedy


Karl Sheedy has been a backpacker for 3 years and spent 1 year in South America from 2009-2010. He is from Wales and spent some time working in the Point Lima. His views and opinions are not necessarily those held by the Point.

11/12 - SPORTS PARTY @ The Point LIMA

SPORTS PARTY

@ The Point Hostel Lima

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Run Buckets: S/ 20

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