July 31: The Return Comparison

After enjoying Wednesday and Thursday in Miraflores, a very upscale part of Peru located along the coast, I returned home on a 6-hour flight from Lima Friday morning. Miraflores was great! We enjoyed the cool, humid weather and the oxygen-filled air. The culture was incredibly different from Cusco, feeling like the NYC of Peru and a drastic misrepresentation of the country as a whole. We enjoyed stepping into the Pacific Ocean for our first time, exploring the skyscraper-lined streets and the famous Miraflores water park, which features 13 extravagant fountains and a light show, projected animation on a spray of water.

I have been home now for over three days and am somewhat amazed by the sort of things that feel foreign or unusual to me after two months away. Here is my list of some of the differences I have noticed most:

1. Toilet paper vs. hygienic paper--In the US, toilet paper is appropriately named because it is placed in the toilet for disposal. In Peru, toilet paper is appropriately not called toilet paper because it is NOT placed in the toilet (due to the poor plumbing). As a result, I have been very resistant to return to the habit of placing toilet paper in the toilet. You'd think that that would be an easy thing to get used to again. 
2. Stairs: useful vs. breathtaking--Here, stairs are a way of getting somewhere, and are generally an unavoidable nuisance. In Cusco, though many times stairs are also useful and unavoidable, there are also many sets of stairs that lead you to beautiful, amazing places. That, along with the altitude, makes them quite breathtaking. 
3. Coffee: a strong, brewed beverage vs. flavored water--I love black coffee. I enjoy the rich, dark, bitter taste. In Cusco, when someone drank coffee, they took what I call good coffee, drown the coffee with an equal or greater amount of water and add several heaping spoonfuls of sugar...and that's coffee. 
4. Animals: deer vs. alpacas--Now, I drive down the street alert for the occasional deer to dart out in the road. In Peru, you drive/walk through the countryside hoping an alpaca (or llama) doesn't bump into you. 
5. Stars: "You mean, 'star'?"vs. Endless Galaxies--Even in Cusco, near the city, the stars were bright and plentiful. Particularly though, on the island in Lake Titicaca, I saw the most stars I'd ever seen in one night sky. And now I am here, where seeing 10 stars is a good night. 
6. MyFoodPlate: More than half fruits and vegetables vs. rice/potatoes--I'm sure you're all familiar with the recommendation to eat lots of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet as well as the risks of overconsumption of simple carbohydrates. In Cusco, the doctors did not ask if the patient was consuming his or her 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables daily but merely if he or she eats fruits and/or vegetables every day. Thus, it became a special celebration when more than 25% of what was on my plate contained vegetables. 
7. Car Horns: Form of Communication vs. Musical Instrument--I have become incredibly grateful for my Atlanta culture and road manners in terms of honking. Here, it is acceptable to use your horn to communicate simplistic messages to other drivers or pedestrians, mostly along the lines of "you shouldn't have done that" or "you're about to hit me or someone else" or "you need to pay attention." In Cusco, there is always a reason to use your horn. 2 honks means you're an available taxi--"Want a ride?!" One loud honk means "I just touched my brakes so I didn't hit you." Repeated loud honks mean "MOVE!" or honestly just, "I can't go anywhere and I'm frustrated." And if you don't have one of those reasons, did you know that your horn can also work as a musical instrument? In fact, almost every car horn has a different pitch, and it is excellent to demonstrate dissonance to every other person on the street! 
8. Car Alarms: Repetitive Beeping vs. Orchestral Song--You've heard a car alarm, haven't you? That annoying repeated beeping that never changes pitch and drags on and on and on. Fortunately, most cars are not that sensitive, except for that one that is noise-sensored and always seems to be at the fireworks show. Well in Peru, every car is extremely sensitive to touch, such that if you just happen to exhale on the side of a car, its alarm will sound. Because of this, I suppose car manufacturers did not want to bore the people with a normal, boring alarm, but instead went for the orchestral mashup of 4 very... lovely tunes. Click here for your very own sample! And for irony sake, the ambulances and firetrucks rarely make a sound even when their lights are flashing. (I was just informed that these car alarms are also available in the US--woohoo.)
9. Greetings: Habit without Meaning vs. Meaning without Habit--I have certainly missed walking my dogs and sharing a friendly greeting with every person I pass, regardless of how well I know them. In Cusco, it is rare to acknowledge someone you don't know, unless you happen to be someone who could potentially buy something from them. However, those people who do greet you really mean it. It is not just a formality--if they ask "how are you?", they wait for a response, and if you exchange a kiss on the cheek (a traditional greeting), that is practically a formal invitation to share your most recent life struggles or triumphs. It's a bit disappointing now, though I am receiving many more "hellos" and "how are you's?", for much fewer of these are genuine. 
10. Living to work vs. working to live--And the most notable and most saddening difference I have noticed is the difference in motivation and determination. Over just two months, I didn't realize how accustomed I'd become to a community of people who work merely to live until I got back to an entire population who appears to live merely to have a successful career. After becoming a part of a world of people in which family is a top priority along with traditions and culture, and for the most part live happy, low-stress lives, despite a lack of luxuries like large homes, personal transportation, advanced technology, opportunities for travel, developed medicine, leading education, safe water, and flushable toilet paper, to return to a world that now appears to be full of empty people whose top priority is making money or gaining power or reputation. If I had to sum up all I've learned in one thing, it would be to not take living for granted. And it's not just my life I should value, but the lives of all the people who pass through my life, especially those that take the time to invest in me, whether that be for a minute, a day, two months, or a life time. That means thinking beyond personal comforts and small success and failures and looking into relationships, quality time, and eternal impacts. 

So, yes, I love Cusco--complete with its beautiful mountains, water irregularities, strikes, incredible history, delicious cuisine, and exceptional people. I am forever grateful for the lessons I've learned, the experiences I've had, and the ways that I've changed, but home is home; it will always be home, and I'm glad to be back.