Peruvian Transportation
Three loud knocks on my door. “Eric! Time for breakfast!” Called my host. Another three knocks and a similar message echoed further down the hall for my apartment-mate. Our host always calls for me first. I struggled to get out of bed, still weary from the long day before. Half an hour later I met three other students outside my apartment building, and we walked the seven blocks to El Sol Spanish school. The walk takes about ten minutes, and the weather is always warm and humid, but never rainy. Taking a taxi to school would only slow us down in the chaotic city traffic. At least in Boston people respect the stop signs and traffic lights. In Lima we cross the streets at our own risk, because people do not stop for you at all. I let my friend from Dubai take the lead most of the time because she has more experience walking through this kind of traffic.
After classes and lunch I typically meet the whole group at the edge of a sprawling park for activities and tours. The park, the school, and my apartment are all I really know so far in the city. I find it helpful to keep landmarks in mind, such as a particular church or an Apple store, to keep my bearings. I am not using GPS/phone data, but I am always with someone who is, and I can look up locations when I have Wifi to at least get a general sense of direction. As a last resort I can always give addresses and place names to a taxi driver and pay for a ride. It may cost some money occasionally but at least you aren’t hopelessly lost. The streets are named after national heroes, the Peruvian “Independence Day”, etc. rather than First, Second and Third Street so they are not good indicators of your location. I consider myself lucky because I am a walkable distance from school and our group meeting place. For some others it is closer to 20-30 minutes, but everyone to my knowledge still prefers to walk through the warm streets rather than take an expensive cab or a claustrophobic bus.
For longer trips we take a large bus with reclining chairs. If you have ever ridden a Greyhound Bus across the US it is very similar. Later in the trip we will be taking small flights to other cities in Peru. The bus rides so far have been between 1-6 hours each way. These rides are lengthy and tiresome, especially when you need to use the bathroom or eat. But on the other hand they are a good chance to bond with the group, do homework, or even take a nap. I have found that I can rest anywhere when I am tired enough.
On Friday morning I woke up still sick from food related illness. I am told this is common “traveler’s diarrhea” and that the symptoms will go away in about a week as my body becomes used to the new, foreign bacteria of this country. On the bright side, I performed fairly well on my test of the Spanish language material this week. I learn a lot in my grammar and history classes, but I am still lacking in my conversation class. The problem is exacerbated by my lack of sleep, but I have some free time coming up in the itinerary later tonight and tomorrow. Tonight we have two bus rides that are an hour and a half each, these will be good times to get a little more rest.
My planning and thinking skills have evolved and shifted to even surpass my organization abilities from when I am in Boston. I have learned not to be late and not to waste time and not to fall behind on my work, because the penalties for doing so are too high to afford to fail. I do not want to get sent home, or lost, or left behind. It is very important to stay with the group, stay on top of my work, and maintain my own health. I see the responsibility placed on students when they go abroad.
We are branching out further and further from Lima every day, and seeing the conditions people live in. The farther from Lima we go, the less people have. There are miles and miles of sand dunes, ruins, and crumbling brick favelas. I am reminded of a post-apocalyptic wasteland in the town of Ica. Many homes are half-finished and filthy. Low-income housing in the US seems great compared to these residences.
When we finally got to the Pachacamac Museum, I was blown away. This was the best part of our trip so far, with miles of ruins only half-excavated. Our tour guide, Gilbert, showed us the Temple of the Sun God, and our group saw real human bones sticking out of the sand. These ruins are in the process of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Archaeologists dug and brushed away sand as we passed to get to the ancient artifacts beneath.
For all the waiting, the food sickness, and the extra precautions and responsibilities, here was one part of the trip that made all the struggles worthwhile. It is the equivalent of hiking a mountain and reaching the top. At this peak of my journey, I was so grateful to get this opportunity to see Pachacamac. It motivated me to continue despite the challenges. Going on a Dialogue and studying abroad demands discipline and maturity. But they are guaranteed to create memorable experiences for many years to come.
