DAY 3: Patch Blogger Heads to Peru

So day 3 begins. We got up early in the day to spread advertisements to the locals, but this time, unlike yesterday, we headed to the marketplace. It was the first time I actually saw what a “grocery store” in rural Peru looked like, and I was heartily surprised. It’s basically similar to an American “Swap Meet,” in that a conglomerate of small stands is gathered under a large roof. There was a large banner advertising the name of the marketplace, and hundreds of little stands inside. Upon entering I was welcomed by numerous sounds and sights that were quite different than what I’ve experienced in the United States. Some of the more remarkable ones were black corn and skinned raw chicken. The black corn is used for a variety of recipes, including chicha morada, which I had the pleasure of drinking. Chicken is a staple of Peruvian cuisine, so its presence wasn’t surprising; it was the fact that the chickens were all skinned and hanging off of a cable high above the ground, with gravity pushing down their intestines.

The majority of items sold in Peru are very Western, whether they may be clothes sported on mannequins with American facial features, Taylor Swift posters, or American magazines and comic books. Most of the shop owners bring along their kids to the workplace, and as a result they wander around patrolling the area. A touching moment I experienced was seeing a little boy parked next to a trash can (used for burning trash), hammering together two pieces of wood to make himself a little toy. We managed to give him and his friends some snacks, but I couldn’t help thinking about the disparity in lifestyles even among little children when comparing Peru to America. Now, I understand there are some regions in America, like Peru, that house economically challenging situations, but this was one of the first moments I actually witnessed it up close.

The preferred mode of transportation in these parts is a motorbike, a motor-powered bicycle that carries 1-4 passengers. It functions similarly to a taxi, but there are separate cars here that call themselves that name. As I mentioned previously, the main roads here are very busy, but some of the billboards we saw are similar (if not larger and more sophisticated) to the ones in the United States. I might add, PETA wouldn’t be happy with animal treatment in these parts, as chickens are stuffed by the dozens into small baskets… It’s also interesting to note how different houses can be, one house might be a little rundown shack, while another might be a lush two story building. Overall, today was a packed day, especially after another afternoon spent chasing kids and translating Spanish. I’ll get some sleep now and get ready for tomorrow. Bye!