No matter how destitute a situation I´ve found myself, I have still been privy to the common characteristics of an American life. Commonalities that are pure luxuries here in Cuzco.
We live with a well off couple and their twins. They have a nanny/cleaning woman who helps out around the apartment. Both the wife and husband are educated and in turn are educators. They have a 2 bedroom apartment with fairly large bedrooms, 2 televisions, 1 computer, a stereo, a nice sized living room with one bathroom. They live a little outside Cuzco proper and do quite well for themselves.
With these luxuries, there´s no refrigerator, but there´s a microwave. Food is purchased on a daily or meal basis. There´s no hot water or heat. A 2 burner stove but no oven. No cabinets for dishes, just a rack with enough dishes for individual consumption--no dinner parties. Their washer and dryer consist of a sink in a separate room with a bucket of soap and a clothesline hung on the top of the building outside.
Yet, with all these contrasts, they remain a well-off family and the nicest, most hospitable couple we could have asked for.
The neighborhood where we live, San Sebastian, is quite far from the center of town. Far enough that paved roads are far and few between. It makes the combi rides quite interesting- especially if there aren´t any seats available and standing, well crouching (we are quite large compared to a lot of Peruvians) is the only option. There is a bar that runs the length of the combi to hold onto but to secure your stance, it is best to push your shoulder blades up against the top of the combi. Otherwise, other riders end up with a butt in their face which won´t do much for keeping up gringo-local relations.
Cars-well anything automotive has the right of way. No stop signs exist and stop lights are considered an exciting find since there are nearly none.
Cross walks are painted but rarely used. They don´t technically mean anything. Lanes are painted as well but you wouldn´t know by how people drive. Horns are honked constantly either to warn dogs or people that a car is in the vicinity heading in the direction of the dog or person, or they´re used out of impatience for other vehicles slowing down the flow of traffic--which is pretty fast. Not autobahn fast but enough to instill some fear at points because of how close vehicles drive next to each other.
Dogs are everywhere--maybe someone´s pet, maybe not. Horses may have one front and back leg tied to prevent them from running away.
School is only for those who can pay. If school is not an option, then it is either work or the streets. Families who can´t bear the burden of a child can take him/her to an orphanage (like the one I´ll be working for--the families of these kids live in Cuzco).
Tourism, though sometimes annoying to Americans, is welcomed with open arms into a society where 60% of its wealth is due to tourism. While we might like to hide and keep sacred some of our most beautiful sites, here, the more people find these beauties, the more revenue goes to the State, the more jobs are created, the more opportunities for more people to get an education.
While this may seem limiting, the Peruvians we have met are not tarnished by the materialism that plagues so many in first world nations, creating a sense of First World Royalty. They remain humble and grateful for what they have and teach us Royals a good lesson.
