After staying for three wonderful weeks in Belize, it was
time to move on to my next adventure in Peru. I spent almost 24 hours bouncing
from plane to plane, airport to airport, before finally arriving in Lima.
Honestly, it was a little shocking going from Belize to
Lima. It is such a big city in comparison to anything in Belize. It actually
reminded me of Thessaloniki in Greece, with how rundown and full of graffiti it
is. Also, the traffic was horrendous. I thought Belize was bad – they don’t
even have traffic lights there. But here, even with signals, it is cutthroat in
the streets. We took a cab from the airport to the bus station and I felt like
there were no rules.
The climate is completely different as well. Here along the
coast, it’s the middle of the desert. The mountains to the east create a rain shadow effect, diverting most of the rain away from the coast. Everything is
very dry and dusty. There is pretty much no green in sight, except where the
farms irrigate their crops.
It was also a big change coming from Belize, since here in
Peru it is now winter. Funny how that happens when you cross the equator.
Something I wasn’t expecting or fully prepared for, especially coming from 90
degree Belize. Luckily it’s not a winter like I’m used to back home in PA. It’s
very mild in comparison. The temperature ranges in the 60s to low 70s and there
is just a ton of fog. I only wish I had brought a few more warm shirts and
sweaters. But no matter.
The last, most crucial change for me to deal with is the language.
In Belize everyone knew English. In Peru, it is all Spanish all the time. I
have no Spanish skills. None. So that’s interesting. Luckily the program I’m
here for is run by Americans who can help me navigate life in Spanish.
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