Leaving Peru

As a rule, I hate leaving. Maybe it's just me, but I think at some level, we realize that we were not meant to be apart from those we love. Yet another little cue that points my eyes toward God. All that to say, there are some really wonderful people that I will miss having left Peru. I love the diversity and unique personalities that you encounter when outside your element. I also love friendships that grow quickly and the ability to create lasting bonds in such short time.

Early in my trip, I started compiling some unique things about Peru, some serious, some not so much. This is what I came up with:

Everything means something else/is innuendo
I realized quickly that I had to be really careful what I said here. Almost every word in Spanish means multiple things. Sometimes, this only creates a sense of confusion for the gringo that doesn't understance the nuances of the language. Other times, it creates for particularly embarrassing circumstances.

Not all parts of speech are mandatory
Now this may be true in English also, but I found it particularly challenging that a sentence could contain neither a verb or a subject and everyone else in the room would understand exactly what was going on. Not me. A simple prepositional phrase is not sufficient. But toward the end of my trip, I started doing it too.

Peru is not a poor country
There are some incredibly poor people here, but I was struck by the diversity of agriculture (read POTATOES), commerce and industry here. This place is rich with resources and has fairly decent infrastructure. It also has room for development, which I think we will see in the coming years. Unfortunately, Lima has had a HUGE influx of indigents and there is a real need in the surrounding areas.

Oompa loompas are real
I couldn't resist a dig a this, just because it cracked me up and made me happy so frequently. One of the first sights I saw arriving in Peru was a VERY SMALL person cleaning the sidewalk. As time went by, I adapted to the fact that it is very common for indigenous Peruvians to work in city improvement, but I SWEAR that they hire the smallest people they can find for the street sweepers.

The sun really is hotter higher up
Oh the burning. THE BURNING!!

Latin Americans really can dance
I'm sorry, but what we do in the U.S. just isn't dancing when you compare it with Latin America. I had a ton of fun not only trying to not move like a gringo, but just watching the people dance here. They manage to be really smooth and sensual without being hypersexual (if that makes sense). Not to say that everyone at the clubs was a Puritan, but the mood was different for the most part.

Plans don't count for a lot
I found it was quite possible to agree to a course of action with some one else, only to find out in hindsight that they really weren't totally serious. I never quite figured this one out, but it seemed like sometimes you made plans and they happened, and sometimes, they just didn't count.

In medicine, sometimes less is more
I can't contest the fact that the U.S. has amazing health care for those that receive it. What amazed me here is that everyone gets treated at least to some extent. The ugly side of U.S. medicine that most people don't have the privilege of seeing are those patients with potentially curable diseases that are working to make ends meet as it is, and then get diagnosed with something terrible. While that can still be devastating here, it somehow seems more recoverable. There is clearly a lower level of care delivered to the working class here, but rarely is some one simply denied treatment.

God is always moving, you just have to look
While I didn't have a particularly moving spiritual experience here, there were definitely some sweet times of communion with God in a very unique part of His Creation. There were chance encounters with folks doing their small part to demonstrate that God loves all people, not just those with money, and a lot of wonderful relationships formed here. I know that leaving Peru, I feel closer to God and more in tune with His plans and wishes for my life. It has been a sweet time and I am excited to see what Costa Rica will bring.