Here we are! The wait is over for the 2015 New World Mathematics class. It's only day three, and we have gotten ourselves lost, walked miles due to a lack of buses (most likely our own mistake), and discovered some unbelievable foods that I never knew existed. I already have a hundred stories I could tell and a list places I must revisit.
I am not very well traveled yet, but I can say that I already like Lima, Peru much more than Santiago, Chile. Lima is beautiful and the people are very, very friendly. And I can understand the Spanish so much easier!
Throughout this month, our living situation is going to change a lot. For this first week, we are staying at Villa Rica. It's a small little hotel that fits the requirements of a few students pretty well, minus the touchy wifi. There's no air conditioning, so it can get pretty toasty (even in Peru's winter). The window is always open which means there are some bugs. The flies seem to know exactly where your ear is when you're attempting to sleep and we all wake up with a couple bug bites. The shower does have hot water, thank goodness, but the temperature is either boiling hot or ice. You consider yourself lucky to get lukewarm for a couple minutes. In my opinion, the benefits of our hotel outweigh the cons. We are staying in a very non-touristy area which means no one around here speaks English! It's perfect Spanish practice. The area is clean and the people are so friendly. You can pretty much stand in front of our hotel, walk in any direction, and find something intersting. There are a lot of museums around here and the architecture is beautiful. After just a short 20 minute (about 32 cent) bus ride we can get to Miraflores, a pretty tourist location.
Of course, the first thing to do when arriving in a foreign country is to scout out some good food. Personally, I am not a picky person, but I have found things I don't necessarily love. On the other hand, I have found some amazing foods that I will attempt (and probably fail with my cooking skills) to recreate because the idea of not eating it for another few years is scary. About three blocks away is a stand on the side of the road called Mr. Taco. I know it sounds American- stick with me. My first and second time at Mr. Taco I ordered a Completo. Burger patty, ham, cheese, over-easy egg, and some little tiny French fry things all cooked to prefection. It was an eye opener for sure. At the local grocery store they have liters of drinkable yogurt. It sounds strange but it's very good for you and delicious. I get a bottle very time we pass a store. My new favorite smell is fresh baked Peruvian bread. You usually smell the bakeries before you see them. The breads are very good, and the ones with chocolate are even more so. And who doesn't like carbs right?
A question I was asked more than once by friends while I was planning this trip was the drinking age. Yes it is eighteen. Yes the guidelines for the class say I can drink. So yes, I had a couple. Pisco Sours are a mandatory Lima beverage, and there is a reason for that. They are great (and strong). Another drink that was recommended to me was Cusqueña beer. These are pretty average beers, but something about them definitley stands out and makes them very tasty.
At first, the driving seems chaotic and a bit suicidal, but you soon realize that all the honking means much more than 'get out of my way' and 'I'm pissed'. Taxi drivers honk at you to communicate they are vacant and intersections that are void of all lights or signs run smoothy because they honk to tell each other where they need to go. But on top of that, there is almost zero pedestrian right-of-way. You can cross any part of any road at any point unless there is a vehicle coming. They do not slow down and they certainly do not stop.
I am sure I am missing many points that I would like to share, but I can't think of much else right now. We are about to walk around and find some place to eat dinner and then crash to reenergize for tomorrow. ¡Buenas noches!
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