Evening star., 1947-09-28


average American doesn't expect
much from a dollar bill. What. he
needs in order to appreciate the full
potentialities of buck is a brief
visit to South America, where the
United States greenback really ac-
complishes something.
Particularly is this true in Peru
where the monetary unit is the sol
which is divided into 100 centavos
Formerly the official rate of ex-
change was 6.48 soils to the dollar
but when I was in Lima few weeks
ago one could get IA soils on the
free market Since my return I have
learned that the demand for the
dollar is such that it brings IT soils
To lesser extent, the same situa-
ton prevails in Chile. There the
dollar is supposed to represent 80
pesos but early in August was able
to get At. Now I understand the
dollar is up to SIS pesos. Things cost
more, however, in Santiago than
they do in Lima, and the Peruvian
capital is more than $500 miles
closer to the United States.
Lure for Travellers.
With prewar-scale resumption OF
tourist travel to Europe seemingly q
long way off. historically fascinating
Peru, once the center of the mighty
empire of the Incas, could prove q
potent lure for travel-minded North
Americans in the next year or so.
Well aware of this prospect is the
Corporation Nacional de Turismo,
created only last year by act of the
Peruvian Congress. Already it has
done wonders in providing facilities
for travellers, constructing modern
hotels in places of tourist interest,
training English-speaking guides
and hotel stats and cutting red tape
to a minimum at customs. 1t also
has done well in publicizing Lima S
many attractions.
Also aware of Peru's tourist posi-
bility is Pan American Grace Air
ways, better known as Panagra
Since Panagra instituted its new
DC-6 service to South America late
in July, one can fly from Miami
to Lima in less than II hours, in
cluding a 45-minute stopover at
Balboa In the Canal Zone. The
dogs need only 2O1a hours for the
Manufacturers Aires fight.
The air traveller arriving at Lima
tambo Airport learns quickly that a
dollar has some standing in Peru
because the limousine ride to the
Bolivar Hotel in downtown Lima
cost only 4 soils. The next surprise
is a very good room with bath in
the city's best hotel for less than So.
More Bargains Appear.
My first real inkling about the
good things in store, however, didn't
come until the day after my arrival.
Then I went to the Bolivar bar and
ordered whisky sour. What was
brought me looked like a whisky
sour and it tasted mighty good, but
not exactly like a whisky sour. When
I saw the check sol, 80 centa-
vos, which included the tip-I was
certain a mistake had been made
because that was less than Is cents.
Later I learned that the waiter
had misunderstood and had brought
me was a pisco sour, whose chief
ingredient is pisco. a Peruvian
brandy made from white grapes.
also learned that many North Amer
leans living in Lima come to prefer
it to our bourbon
Food, clothing and other articles,
especially anything in silver, are
equally inexpensive. Among my pur-
purchases was a hand-crocheted
tablecloth for 40 soils, or about
$40 at the exchange rate I accepted,
It would have cost at least three
times that in the United States.
Taxicab transportation Is dirt
cheap, and the interurban fare from
Lima to Callao, the Pacific seaport
8 miles from the capital, is only
30 centavos.
Lima's climate Is amazing-per-
petual springtime. When resident
speaks Of rain, he refers only to the
fine drizzle frequently evident in the
winter months of June, July and
August. Sometimes this is strong
enough to moisten the pavements,
but it never Is wet enough to call
for raincoats or umbrellas. The sea-
sons are reversed in Lima, since 1t
Is II degrees below the Equator.
In the winter. Lima's favorite re-