Oh and I need to give a shout-out to my beloved país, el Perú. Tomorrow is Independence Day here. ¡Felices fiestas patrias a todos en el rojo y blanco!
Okay, post time: I wrote this one on paper first, and later am typing it out on the computer, but let’s say I’m still with my pen and paper in the Plaza de Tupac Amaru, not 3 blocks from my home. I’m soaking in the rich sun (or tomando el sol, as they say here) and listening to a radio station that plays huayno, music very typical of the Peruvian cielos, or mountains. Full of Peruvian pride, the songs often give shout-outs to various cities, especially Cusco, and to cusqueñitas like myself:) I am sitting on a bench full of cusqueños who are all at least three times my age, many in traditional clothes. Like me, they are tomando el sol and watching the world pass by...well, some are sleeping (I’m telling you, the sun is so rico here!). About a half an hour ago the plaza was crazy - full of people sporting their Cienciano red, after what I presume was a successful fútbol game for the Cusco team in the stadium only a block or two away. People ran to the statue of Tupac and his caballo in the center of the plaza for some sort of celebratory rally and pick-up trucks with way too many people in the bed drove around the square with speakers blasting music and the passengers blaring horns. So exciting!
Now the plaza has calmed down and there is a certain sense of Sunday afternoon peace. Teenage friends, old men, and families are gathered all over - the benches, the grass, caminando - and the beauty of it is that no one seems to be hurried or rushed. Everyone is simply enjoying the moment, taking in the sun, the fresh breeze, the company, the afternoon. It just seems right, you know? Why must we always be moving, working, being productive? Anyone who knows me knows I am the queen of to-do lists and that I can’t rest easy until I have crossed something off that list. It is not a character trait that I am proud of and the people here have taught me, by example, how to really value the moment, to take a breath and realize the treasure this day is. I pray that I can bring a bit of this back with me to the States.
Also, people here are so much more relaxed about an assortment of things. The best way to explain what I mean is by example, I think. Anywhere you go, you can buy food or tea from women who clearly made them in their homes. In the States, this would require special permits and Health Department checks, but it’s so common here. Kids roam a lot more freely here, without parents worrying about what happens if they fall or get lost. There is not the tight reign on them like back home. You can drink in the streets (obviously within reason) without a problem. Like I mentioned earlier, there are unmarked holes and other obstacles the size of Texas in the sidewalks that would most definitely draw legal problems and headline news back home. No soap or hot water in the bathrooms? Cool it, kid. You will be fine, I promise. Oh and people share food, drinks, silverware, etc much more freely without worrying about spreading germs. I don’t know how to explain what I am trying to say, but everything here is just so much more relaxed. People do not freak out about cosas q pasan and, as a result, in my humble opinion, the atmosphere is so much more calm and enjoyable. Why be so tense worrying about things that could happen when you could just live life as it happens? Again, a lesson I am learning from la linda gente acá.
And I probably sound like a broken record by now, but the people are so warm and friendly. It is incredibly easy to make friends here because in general, the people are open and amable. Whether a sister or a stranger, everyone is ‘linda’, ‘mamacita’, ‘amiga’ and so on. I have had the best conversations with taxistas, store clerks, friends of friends of friends, and other strangers-turned-acquaintances. Granted, I realize some of this friendliness is because I am clearly a tourist, or because I am buying something from their store, etc, but it is still very different than the States. Something very beautiful.
I am suddenly struck with frustration because I thought I would have the words to explain just what it is that has made me fall hopelessly in love with the culture here. I’d hoped to paint a picture for those of you back home of what it is like to spend a day in the life here...but now that my pen is against the paper, words just don’t seem to work. My description is by no means doing justice to the feeling that I’ve had here for the past two months now. In fact, I’m not convinced that I will ever find the right words. It is a feeling, an ambiance, a sense of siblinghood, a breath of fresh mountain air...something that fills my chest until my heart beats happier.
¡Viva el Perú!
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