No Hablo Espanol: An American's First Few Days in Lima

           Anticipating the difference between everyday life in America and everyday life in Peru could have only been achieved, for me at least, by living the experience first hand. After arriving in Lima late Friday night, I was introduced to a culture alien to my own. English is very rarely spoken amongst residents; traffic is chaotic but void of wrecks; and haggling is possible when purchasing from street vendors. These changes, amongst many others, explain the culture shock that I am experiencing, and will continue to experience while visiting the various museums and sites of Peru.        

         

          Today we went to the Plaza de Mayor, San Marco Museum, and the Basilica Cathedral, as well as the Archbishop's Palace. At the Plaza de Mayor, we observed the Cathedral, the building where the Peruvian Congress meets, and the Archbishop's Palace. At the San Marco Museum, we were able to view some amazing Incan-related artwork and potter, and analyze them for any mathematical properties, such as symmetry, patterns, and geometry. One of the objects I analyzed first was a black vase with 8 convex bumps, each an estimated equal distance from one another.

 

          The next objects I analyzed were related to Incan tokapus. The first canvas consisted of a plethora of symmetry; many of the sections, such as the second last pattern, contained a checkerboard pattern, usually in a rectangular shape. Horizontal reflection is present in the top and middle sections of the canvas, and, other than the monkey creature in the section, some for of symmetry was attempted, if not succeeded, in each section.

 

 

          Some of the canvas, however, did not consist of mathematical properties but rather of supposedly random figures that may have had some implied symbolism, or even told a story. The canvas in the middle, for example, does have some symmetry at the beginning along the sides; however, the rest of the images don't hint at any symmetric or even mathematic values, rather attempting to be more of an art piece. The canvas on the left also displays practical no mathematical values; rather, in my opinion, it consists of some event or story amongst the Incans who created the piece. Seeing whether the primary interest of tokapus was mathematical, historical, or for literature will be interesting and exciting.

 

 

          After we visited the San Marco Museum, we headed over to the Basilica Cathedral, where Francisco Pizzaro's bones remain. While none of the paintings consisted of any mathematical value, they were gorgeous and held much historic and religious value. The geometry and structure of the Cathedral interior, as well as the symmetry of the ceiling designs, were also very interesting, and the Cathedral as a whole was an awesome experience.

 

 

 

 

          To finish up the day, we went to the Archbishop's Palace. Much like the Cathedral, the Palace wasn't nearly as focused on mathematical value and precision rather than religious imagery and gorgeous structure, though much of that structure needed to be mathematically in tune in order to be successful. I enjoyed the Archbishop's Palace just as much as the Museum and Cathedral, and cannot wait to experience even more of Peru's amazing architecture, paintings, imagery, and mathematical underlining.