Peru is...

Peru is interesting (surprise, surprise!)

In this emerging Third World Country, the trash sprinkles the barren, desert land like Easter morning – shining in the sun and longing to be gathered up. Despite the severe uncleanliness of the countryside (dirty water, dirty streets, and not to mention the dirt everywhere due to the desrt), the people have an incredible pride for their land and their people; people diligently sweep the dust off the streets with their make-shift broom made of stiff straw only to repèat their perseverance throughout the day as the wind blows it right back.

I notice the people here possess a sense of fearlessness, particularly of one another. As they overload bodies into small buses sitting on top of perfect strangers; as the elderly frail women cross the street with the assistance of their cane, completely trusting that the lawless moto-taxis won´t run them over; or as people stand outside their homes for hours (unemployment flourishes) and say, ¨Buenas Dias¨ even to the gringos. In America, we can barely get out of our car to get gas – let alone talk to another human being attendant there – how dare us!

But the people are beautiful – you can only imagine (or see in my pictures later). Dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin – they lure you in with a mysterious entrapment that makes you want to know what it is about these people that, in lieu of their poverty, makes them so pleasantly joyful!