A Few Thoughts...

It is great to be back in Peru. As some of you know, I was here last May for a couple weeks. Being a traveler on my own is giving me a different prospective on this country, especially since I am able to compare it to a neighbor that I recently visited. The differences between Ecuador and Peru are becoming more apparent each day. The first major difference that I noticed has to do with the indigenous presence in each country. Peru definitely seems to be more proud of their indigenous heritage and seems to work harder to preserve it and make sure that outsiders recognize the pride that Peru has for its history. One way in which this is apparent is in the appearance of the indigenous women. In Ecuador, I could not help but notice the gloomy look on the faces of the older indigenous women in the cities. It was as if they were just waiting for time to extract the last traces of indigenous culture from Ecuador. Many times we saw indigenous women in the traditional dress accompanied by their daughters who had adopted the modern style. It seemed to me like the generation of the mothers will be the last to hold strong the indigenous way of life. However in Peru, and especially in the mountain town of Huaraz where we find ourselves now, the indigenous women seem to wear their pride not only on their faces, but also in their clothing. While the Ecuadorian women wore darker and more drab colors, the Peruvian indigenous walk around with brighter skirts, taller hats, and daughters and sons still in the indigenous clothing. It is also evident that Peru takes more interest in its history because so many opportunities to learn about Peruvian history are made available to the traveler. Ecuador did not seem to have so many archeological sites and ruins. I am not sure exactly why this might be, but Peru definitely has more to offer for those wanting to learn about the ancient cultures of the country.

Another difference that I have noticed has to do with the children in each country; more specifically, the children on the street. In Ecuador, you could find the poor children working on the street, as shoe shiners for example. In Quito, there were even Institutos educativos por el niño obrero (Educational Institution for the Child Worker). These schools would teach little boys and girls how to make a living on the street by shining shoes or mending clothing. There were also a good number of children selling candy and gum. Peru also has its share of children selling odds and ends but I have not noticed many children doing actual work in the street. Instead of having little boys approach me when I´m sitting on a park bench asking me if I would like my tennis shoes shined as in Ecuador, now the little children come up with dirty faces and cupped hands begging for money. I´m still not sure which is worse. While in Ecuador, I thought the idea of a school to teach street children how to work was atrocious. But I think living their childhoods begging in Peru might be worse and a school for working street children might be one of those grim necessities.

These are just two differences that I have seen so far. The other two girls might have different opinions on these subjects but this is just a commentary from my point of view. Also, there are other differences such as the lanscape and food. Peru has a huge asian influence from years ago when Chinese immigrants came over to work on the railroads. This means that Chifa (Asian/Peruvian) restaurants are just as common as real hard core Peruvian cookin´. The one common ingredient in Chifa and Pervuian is RICE. I am finding it increasingly difficult to avoid rice. It´s not that I dislike rice, but I dislike having rice thrice daily. Just recently I began going back to my gringa eating habits and eating my kind of food. The latino fair was just not agreeing with my intestines. Now I have my daily dose of yogurt and apples and granola and veggies...and ice cream.

Huaraz, the city where we are currently, lies in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range of Peru. According to our books, this range has the second highest peaks in the world next to the Himalayas. Soon we will embark on a two-day trek of the Cordillera. Renting tents is possible without spending over three dollars and the trails are manageable even for the inexperienced trekkers that we are. From our hostal, you can see the snow-capped peaks in the distance. Also during periods of coudless skies, it rains! Actually, it is nothing more that the previous night´s snow being blown down over the city from the mountains but it is a neat feeling to be rained on when the sun is beating down on you. We have met another french canadian from our hostal who has been giving us good tips for our adventure to the Sacred Valley and Cuzco. This will take place after our stop in Lima and perhaps some surrounding coastal towns. Right now it is actually raining. The real rain comes in at about three in the afternoon every day and doesn´t really stop till nine or so. It also gets REALLY cold at night. I had to ask for an extra blanket from the Señora who owns the hostal and she told me that I must have a calcium deficiency because there is now way that it is THAT cold at night. Who knows..she might be right. My Señora in Spain was able to diagnose my kidney infection just by looking at me. They know things...I don´t know how but they are medical doctors without the degrees and years of schooling.

I for one, love the mountains. I think Hallye and Heather might prefer the beach any day over the mountains but I am the other way around. I do enjoy our time at the beach and I know they also like the mountains but I definitely prefer mountains.

The other girls will also be blogging today so I will leave some of the story for them to tell. Hope everyone continues to enjoy reading.