A Few Things About South America

So I´ve realized that there are quite a few things that happen in South America on a daily basis that we have not discussed on the blog. We have written quite a bit about our journey but not much about the day-to-day interactions that take place here. I wanted to give everyone some insight as to what occurs when we walk out our front door:

-Taxis, Combis, Collectivos, Buses:
For this section I want to give it some space because it is a constant in our lives. By the way, combis and collectivos are usually Volkswagon vans that have been modified to fit upwards of 20 people in them (not necessarily safe but we will get to that). So if anyone has been to New York City, you know how the cabbies drive. If you think that is bad, you have no idea. I have almost been hit every day that I have been down here as well as thought our bus was going to go off a cliff. The combis and collectivos are pretty cheap means of travel but you also get crammed into them. Normally, there are four rows of seats for 3 people each (note: if you have long legs, you´re screwed). Yet, there have been instances where people are standing in the ¨aisles¨ between seats, hunched over as the combis whiz through the cities. Also, there is a driver and a yeller. The driver drives and the yeller screams different places the combi is going to attract passengers. And boy do they yell hard as well as move incredibly fast. Lil and I were on one combi where I thought this elderly woman was going to be tossed out on the street because she was not ¨sube, sube, sube¨ fast enough (it means get off). Also, the combis are on timecard schedules so at various points of the ride, the yeller will jump out (while the car is still going), run to the time card slot, and then run back (no more than a minute usually). That´s combis.
Taxis, o taxis. First, their driving is really bad and be prepared to get thrown around in the backseat. But the biggest thing that makes me laugh is the honking. There is a honk for everything. Literally. One version is to see if you need a ride. Another is get out of the way pedestrians because I´m going through. The next is get out of the way as I round this corner, both for cars and people. Yet another is honking at other taxis to move. (Segue: people don´t really yell here they just whistle. And whistle loud and well. For everything.) The world of honking down here could have its own anthropological study.
Buses. They are this country´s version of planes. Very nice with full reclining seats, televisions and bathrooms. You even get fingerprinted when you go on the bus line Linea; pretty serious stuff. The movies are almost always hardcore action films and some of them are bootlegged, meaning that at times the screen will cut to nothing or a green screen. As far as sleeping on overnight buses, not really as everyone is usually playing their music. (Note: people don´t have I-pods, they have cell phones with music on them. And no headphones so they play them out loud. We have seen kids walking around in groups, all with their music playing, all different songs.)

People. They people are amazing and I really enjoy spending time to talk with them. It is a bit difficult sometimes to generate a lot of conversation, not only because of the language barrier, but because their lives are so different from ours. The women in the markets are usually of the town we are visiting and its not like I can talk to them about climbing mountains or other books. It has been very hard for Lil at times because even the younger women are mostly concerned with family and fashion, while I have been able to meet some climbing guides or other South American male travelers. Really lets you know how different one world is from another and how, if you want to be able to connect with people, you often need to be of the same economic background.
So, other things about the people, is that they love to try their English. I have had kids come up to me and the interaction has gone-
-¨What time is it?¨ says kid in English.
-¨Son las tres¨ replies Dave.
-¨That means it is three o´clock. That is correct.¨ says kid.
-¨Yep.¨ replies Dave
-Kid proceeds to run away with a smile.
Some of the really young kids are so adorable as they will say ¨hello¨ and then run to their parents. I often try to make faces at them to interact and the parents have smiles on their faces to see our interaction. We have not had any negative interactions so far and feel very thankful for there is a lot of poverty. I have had to refuse street kids daily, who come to you begging. Sometimes, they smell of alcohol, which is a major coping mechanism used down here. And seeing elderly people in the markets, grabbing you for change. I have given some money away but it isn´t always possible. And the locals will often just ignore the person, which has got to be that much hard to not even have your existence acknowledged.

Food. So this is one of the biggest questions asked out there. ¨What do you eat? How does it taste? Do they really eat only that?¨ Here is some insight. There are usually plenty of nice restaurants to go to, definitely in the tourist locations with some gringo restaurants. Problem is that when you are traveling on a budget, you can´t always eat out at the nice places. Sure, once in a while, but every day and night will be breaking the bank. So, the best places to go are the local restaurants or the markets. No, not Stop and Shop supermarkets but huge warehouses with tons of tiny stalls where the people will sell their goods (ie, fruit, veggies, any type of meat, fish) as well as have some small restaurants upstairs for eating. The local restaurants are really nice but I don´t really want to talk too much about them. The real show is in the markets. Starting with the comedor (eating area), they have everything from jugerias (juice stalls) to lunch and dinner areas. Be prepared as you go in to be yelled at for your business. ¨Chico, venga, venga. Tenemos jugos, caldos, pollos...Que quieres?¨ (Come here. We have juices, soups, chicken...What do you want?). Lil and I have been in spots where we aren´t even able to think because so many people are beckoning us. Normally, we may go to the jugerias in the morning to get a fresh juice and maybe some pan (bread) or tamales (ground up corn that is cooked in a banana leave; normally has chicken in it as a surprise). But the real show is almuerzo. In addition to having regular menus, the different shops will have the ¨menu of the day¨. Very cheap and huge portions (makes Texas look small). Soup for the first course and then usually some type of chicken and rice concoction for seconds. And tons of different spicy sauces to use to mix things up a bit. I really like getting a soup because the regular lunches are way too big.
Ok, on to the vendors. Fruits and veggies are basic; you probably have a farmer´s market in your area or have been to one. Same deal. The real funny thing is the bucther area. I have seen goat heads, pig heads, live cuy (guinea pigs) that are about to be dunked into hot oil for lunch.... Not uncommon to see a man hauling a massive pig on his back; the pig is gutted and may even have a bit of blood still coming out. And you get the whole ¨Venga, venga, venga¨ again to see their goods. I love it because it is such a great cultural experience but anyone from PETA would cry. Yet, these animals probably led better lives than the cows we have on ranches in the States. And do they taste good! The meat is so much better down here; makes McDonald´s sound like a dumpster diving locale.
And that is it for now. Up next, Lil and I will take on a hike in the Parque Huarascan for a bit. My next post will include that adventure as well as discussions about Artesanias, the South American gypsies....