Everyday Life in Peru
Traveling alerts our eyes to the wonder of every day tasks and events around us. Even though every country has it’s own regional differences, when you walk down a street in America, you are walking down a street in America. Often our eyes become lazy to what’s in front of us. When one walks down a street in a new country our senses pick up on everything. All of a sudden the sidewalk pavement doesn’t look like the same sidewalk pavement we walk on every visit to the grocery store in our home country. We might notice a slight texture difference. Maybe it’s a little more slippery than what we’re used to back home. Maybe the grey is slightly darker. But we notice the pavement. Plain old boring pavement. That’s the power of travel – the ability to make pavement exciting.
In the city of Puno, cars and buses drive on the road just like in America, but somehow the pavement looks a little different.
Through this post, here is a brief glimpse into every day life in Peru.
Cars, trucks and buses of all types drove down the street as kids rode their bikes.
Pigs crossing the street was an every day occurrence for locals.
Everyone carried on as tourists walked up the hill to the market while dogs crapped.
This dog seemed quite pleased to showcase his masters artistry. This stall owner and perhaps this dog are probably here nearly every day of the year.
Phone lines are upgraded and repaired. Say what you will looking at this photo, but don’t judge too quickly. Where my parents live in rural Western New York State, they cannot get high speed internet. Yup – living in the United States as I write this to you now, it is literally impossible for them to get high speed internet through their phone lines. There is also no cell service at their house. On a good day, they can drive up the hill and maybe get a bar. Even if this work crew didn’t have a big fancy truck, they figured out a way to fix the lines and we had high speed internet all over Cusco.
City squares and parks got decorated for holidays and festivities.
People prepared ready for big parties – I can only imagine that this fooseball tournament got pretty crazy.
We visited ancient sites learning that the Inca’s put these holes in the rocks as hand holds to pull themselves up into these shelters. By leaving what was originally a giant step, it would have made it easier to barricade the entrance and block off the door should someone try to attack.
Just as communities came together for celebrations, they also came together for funerals.
The meat market gots decorated for Christmas.
Donkey’s hee-haw. This donkey was so funny. He was a very nice, well looked after donkey at the bottom of Colca Canyon. When walking by he was so alert and looking around we stopped to photograph him. As I was snapping pics he kept hee hawing and carrying on. I felt bad we didn’t have a treat to reward him with.
Beautiful sunsets pass by locals such as this one at the top of Colca Canyon.
Cakes in window shops! Cakes in window shops!
Oh my goodness, best, worst thing ever. I wanted to eat them all. But couldn’t possibly, or could I? Well, either way, I don’t know how anyone could walk by this window and not think of these cakes as art.
One thing traveling all over the world has shown is the presence of multi-national corporations in even far flung destinations.
In a lot of areas we visited, municipalities simply didn’t have a strong public works cleaning department. Chris and I talked about this often and at length – especially after seeing a dead dog in this river bed. What would America look like if we didn’t use our tax dollars to fund public trash services. How many headlines do we read about groups like the Nature Conservancy organizing a volunteer clean up day and collecting tonnes of garbage from a river? The world over, first, second and third, trash is a problem.
Getting ice cream in the hot climate was a regular occurance. Theses sellers would peddle around these little bike-ice cream carts and everyone peers in and picks out what they would like. Chris was in the back-left using his height to his advantage to gaze into the ice box full of goodness.
If there is one thing Peruvians love, it was going to their parks. The sight of this nice, green grass here was a rare occurance. Often times grass fields were down to the dirt because so many people love to recreate in these open spaces.
There was always someone selling something.
I had to get blue cotton candy to match my blue shirt and try it out. It tasted like cotton candy.
It was through that ordinary act of trying blue cotton candy that I realized the moment had become bigger than eating sugar in an airy form on a stick. It became a chance to feel like I was doing what the locals were doing. Because at the end of the day, we all want to feel like a local. Being a local brings the comfort of feeling like we’re not in some far off land where everything is scary and everyone is different than ourselves.It reminds us that we are all much more a like than we are different. Whether we are in our own back yard with family and friends or thousands of miles away, I believe we are all seeking that feeling of being accepted. I think it’s easy to glorify travel for the sake of one big adventure, yet it’s the quiet moments of every day life that unite us and remind us we are all human.
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If you go:
Book a ticket to Peru and just go.
We barely touched the surface on Peru and plan to go back. Some areas we really enjoyed where Colca Canyon, Cusco, Hiking the Inca Trail.
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Peru’s a VERY colorful country and everything sure looks different than here in the states! (I don’t think your donkey could’ve eaten a treat because he doesn’t look like he has any teeth) Thanks for the ‘adventure’ through a beautiful place.
Peru was such a colorful country. I couldn’t get over all the beautiful colors. It certainly was a different culture – and I am just realizing I didn’t put any pictures of Peruvian food in this post. The food was outstanding in Peru.
OOOHhhh!!! I just love the artisans’ wares! I would be detained at these stalls for a very long time! So colourful and warm! And made with their hands and their hearts!
Yes, we did spend a lot of time in those stalls. One lady was so happy when we came back to buy more socks from her that she gave a little llama key chain as a gift. It was pretty neat to watch the person making the same thing you are buying, ie socks or my alpaca travel blanket. That blanket was one of my most favorite travel items. Kept us warm on so many air conditioned overnight buses!
Thanks for a lovely stroll from another part of the world. And a positive spin for everyday
life of local folks. Guessing local folks would dislike out large cities and love our small
towns. How vital craft skills are for these folks.
Thanks. Every day life is beautiful. It’s awesome to be able to take in the experiences. As for cities, it’s hard to say. I think it’s no different than what we’ve seen with a lot of farming in America, the young people are moving away from small towns and going to bigger cities with different job opportunities. But yes, you are correct, craft skills are so vital and especially the ladies are almost always knitting or sewing – on the bus, waiting for the bus, waiting for food, sitting at their stalls, sitting in a park. Everywhere and all the time.
I have to agree with your donkey comment, didnt that picture make you laugh, of course he may have enjoyed some of that cotton candy!
Haha, next time I will have to hike with cotton candy just to see if donkey’s will like it! 😉
I have to agree Rose, those stalls are so very colorful they just draw you in and leave me smiling. Great pictures of civilian life!
Oh my gosh, any one studying color theory or interested in colors should go to Peru. They colors are so bright yet intense, a parallel to their beautiful culture as a whole.
I am just wondering how successful Starbucks is with the locals since it is pretty expensive or do they mainly appeal to tourists.
Good question Christine, I can’t really answer with any facts. My observations say that all sorts of different people, locals and tourists went there. I know when I pass by a McDonalds, KFC or fast food joint like that, those places are always jam packed full. Starbucks seemed to be the same.
Nice post Tiffany. Peru seems like such a nice place to visit. I think Max would have looked wonderful in thT Christmas get up the other little doggie was wearing. =)
We did just have a marvelous time in Peru. And yes, Max would have looked amazing in a hand made Peruvian sweater! 😉
the donkey reminded me of one of my relatives awesome place simple like we should all be with the exception of the dead dog and garbage sometimes I think we should all go back to the simpler life less stress and we would all be in charge of our own selves friends and family helping and bartering
Haha – I hope that is a compliment to your relative! You know, last night I just watched an amazing documentary called 180 (degree) South. It was about protecting land in Patagonia. Just gave me goose bumps. Bartering it such an awesome way to do business – it seems to bring out a lot more honesty. You going to more inclined to give someone a fair deal so when you need something from them, they in turn will return the favor and be fair to you.
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