I have this weird, inexplicable curiosity about the Spanish language and their culture. Since my first touchdown in a Spanish speaking country, I decided that I wanted to cover all the Central and Latin American countries. It’s something about the people that always keeps you wanting more. Having visited México and Costa Rica before deciding on my next Spanish adventure, I already knew how hospitable the people can be. One must not assume that all Spanish speaking countries, speak the same exact language (vocabulary), eat the same food (which many people just assume is nachos and tacos) and have the same ‘crazy’ attitude. Each country is an entirely different place with their own culture, that the only similarity they share is probably the same language. Coming from India, I understand the true meaning of ‘Diversity’. It IS one country but each state is as different from each other as actual countries. Similarly, it is the same for these countries.
I did not intend to come to Peru, it wasn’t even on list of places to go mainly because I did not think for it to be possible this easily and so soon. I plan to visit all the most well known and some lesser known UNESCO sites in the world, so far, this project was going great. As we all know Machu Picchu is one of the most famous ruins in the world and the fact that it is in the middle of the mountains makes it all the more mesmerizing to want to visit. And I always assumed that the first South American country I would want to visit would be Argentina. Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of South America with a lot of the European influence still very intact and pr
my very first attempt at travel blogging. Before I get more boring, I shall get on to actually posting about the city/country!
Lima, Peru – First Impressions
WOW, like really WOW. This city would be like nothing in your imaginary city of what Lima would look or feel like. I never had a preconception of what Lima would be like, however, I did have an inkling as Mexico City and San Jose, Costa Rica are very similar in their looks, but Lima knocks it out of the park because this is a very different city. If I want to compare, I would compare it to Houston or Dallas in Texas, USA. Lima is filled with four lane highways and big buildings on either side. Getting out of the airport and getting into the taxi had the feel of Bombay, India (I REFUSE to call it Mumbai) because there are all these taxi drivers chasing you, asking you where you want to go and how much it would be and etc. The taxis are a mixed array of cars, some of them are new 2015 model cars and some are REALLY ancient and makes you wonder how the driver even manages to keep the skeleton of the car together. Passing through the city to reach my host’s apartment gave me the opportunity to see the city in its entirety. There’s traffic here even at 12am, mind you. After experiencing traffic in both Bombay and New York City, I would assume there is nothing more to throw me off and if you think the same way about yourself, please be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. There is traffic constantly beginning at 6am and is actually never ending. And it all is very well developed. You immediately feel at home because of how balanced the city is in terms of development.
Street Observations
The first thing that hits you straight is the value of 1 Nueva Sol (Peruvian Currency). You can pay 1 Sol for practically ANYTHING. From paying for a bus ride to a place that’s 20 minutes away to a full meal from a street vendor. I really enjoy how much 1/3rd of a dollar can buy me. It’s a luxury I don’t have in America and is a dying occurence in India as the cost of living is rapidly increasing with the booming economy and inflation.
The cars! Peruvians have cars that come from all over the world. They have cars and models that you would find in India as well as cars I see in America. It’s a truly amazing range of cars. Also they drive really fast and rash here. There is no such thing as ‘yielding to pedestrians’ or following lane manners. It’s literal lunacy trying to drive here even if you are an experienced driver.
The dialect of Spanish- it is quite different from the Central American countries and Mexico. Some examples would be ‘ habitacion’ (room) in Mexico is ‘ ambiente’ in Peru or the other difference for the same word, ‘camion’ is truck in Peru but is a bus in Mexico. So there are a lot of different vocabulary. I speak a little Spanish and understand a lot more but I would never catch these differences as I am not a native speaker or a second language speaker but someone like that would definitely catch these.
Public Transportation-
There are so many modes of travel that one can choose from here. There is the mototaxis which is basically the auto rickshaw we have in India, which is a three wheeler vehicle, that’s a loose cross between a car and a bike. And you have the taxis, as I previously explained, the comfort of the ride ranges from completely comfortable to being sandwiched between the two doors of the car. However, what fascinates me the most is the buses. There are so many different types of buses in Lima that your head will be spinning trying to understand how it all works. Honestly though, it is extremely simple, convenient and cost-effiecient. You just need to be highly careful with your personal belongings and make sure you pick the right bus that goes to the place you’re looking at. I am usually really OCD and these buses look like they are gonna fall apart anytime but once you take your first ride, you are pretty much sold on how convenient it is.
These are just some small observations I have made so far in the city. In my next post, I will talk about the different neighborhoods, foods and put up some pictures! I hope you enjoyed my first post ☺
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