Location and Venue
SPIRE 2018 will take place in Lima, the capital of Peru. The area around Lima had already been inhabited for centuries when Spanish troops founded the city in 1535. In 1542 it was made the seat of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, and in 1551 the oldest continuously-functioning university in the Americas was founded there. Lima is located on the Pacific coast and is famed for its beaches and cuisine. October is early spring and the temperatures are usually around 20 degrees Celsius or 68 degrees Fahrenheit, both highs and lows.
There are direct flights from New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Mexico City, Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam and many major cities in South America, and visitors from Asia and Oceania can arrive via Santiago de Chile, for example.
The conference venue will be the Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC) [MAPS], winner of the inaugural RIBA International Prize for architecture and described by the Guardian as “Peru’s modern-day Machu Picchu”, across the street from the Museum of Modern Art and a 15-minute walk from the beach.
Travel Information
Arrival in Peru
You will arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) and it is located in the constitutional province of Callao but it is the natural airport of Lima and the most important in Peru, since it concentrates the great majority of international and national flights in the country.
Getting to the hotel
You must take a taxi cab to the hotel. After you pass immigration and customs at the airport and immediately to your left you will see the authorized taxi counter. Authorized Taxis are listed here [Licensed Taxis]. DO NOT TAKE ANY OTHER UNAUTHORIZED TAXI SERVICE AS IT MIGHT BE UNSAFE.
Taxi fares to the accommodation area should be around US$ 20 – US$ 30 each way and taxis can be shared by up to four people. Make sure you get a receipt from the counter if you need to be reimbursed.
Money Exchange
The currency of Peru is the nuevo sol (symbol: S/.). Nuevo sol banknotes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. One nuevo sol (S/.1) is subdivided into 100 centimos. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimos, as well as larger denominations of 1, 2 and 5 nuevos soles. You can simply withdraw money when needed from ATMs all over Peru. Visa is the most widely accepted debit or credit card in Peru; there will be fees associated with each withdrawal. Or you can exchange your money to nuevos soles in authorized agencies inside the airport.
Accomodation
Food & restaurants
Peruvian cuisine reflects local practices and ingredients including influences from the indigenous population including the Inca and cuisines brought in with immigrants from Europe (Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, German cuisine), Asia (Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine) and West Africa. Without the familiar ingredients from their home countries, immigrants modified their traditional cuisines by using ingredients available in Peru.
Travel Grants
Thanks to sponsorship by eBay and Google, we will be able to offer ten $500 US student travel grants. Priority will be given to presenters, women and minorities in STEM.
Applications for the grants will be due in early August.