What is the most surprising thing thus far?
What have you seen that is different than you are accustomed to?
What have you seen that is similar?
Here are some of their thoughts:
"They eat a lot of starch here, like potatoes, and that is also common in America. There's not a lot of vegetables served and Americans are also not too keen on veggies, but in Cuzco it's because it's hard to grow vegetables at this altitude and much easier to grow potatoes." –Karly Armstrong
"There are many elderly people on the streets selling a variety things. I also see many of them carrying heavy items on their backs. I couldn't imagine seeing my grandparents doing the same thing. But I can say that in spite of the struggles that I've seen, every person I have encountered in Peru has never hesitated to smile in my direction which has given me a sense of security and love." –Charlecia Chung
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"My host family is so affectionate—even their extended family is affectionate, regardless of having met us only once! Most people here seem to genuinely care about each other and want to have conversation and offer love and affection; it is just part of who they are. Coming from the United States and being used to a cold and fast paced environment, it is pretty shocking to encounter a culture of such warmth and love. It makes being here for three weeks so much easier, honestly. I cannot even tell that I am away from home because I already feel at home!" –Carolina Garcia
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"One thing that really surprises me about Cusco is how much tourist influence there is in the main areas of the city. It is certainly tempting to stay in the touristy areas and order pizza and hamburgers from waiters who speak my language. However, I have found that my most enriching, valuable, and humbling experiences have come when I had to figure out how to say a phrase in Spanish or order a food I had never heard of." –Sarah Glose
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"Something that I experience to be different from life in New York is the lack of urgency from people on the streets. While cars and taxis whiz through the streets, barley avoiding pedestrians, the people walking the busy streets are in no rush. Compared to New York City, Cusco has a similar rushed ambiance, however I have noticed this only with vehicles and not people." –Alison Gryzlo
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"During an evening walk back to my host family with my three roommates we observed a full moon. What was striking about the moon was how low in the sky it seemed to be. It looked as though it was skimming the nearby mountaintops. I had to stop to remind myself that the moon is no lower here in Cusco than in New York, I am simply that high up." –Bridget Kunz
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"Getting altitude sickness is no joke. It is one of the worst experiences I’ve been through—ever. Since landing in Cuzco, I can easily say that trying to overcome the dizziness and motion sickness is something I would never want to go through again." –Helen Li
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"From working at the NGO Abre Puertas to speaking with locals and my host family, it seems that there is high inequality in education for children living in poverty and they would like for that to change. I see the same sentiment in the US and many working towards fixing that social problem." –Diana Reyes
---"My most surprising experience thus far has been the celebration of Corpus Christi. The festival included a parade carrying statues of saints and religious objects throughout the streets and also included a mass outside the cathedral of La Plaza de Armas. I am most surprised by this holiday because of its religious focus and how everyone in Cusco partook in the celebration, whereas in the States religious holidays aren't as widely celebrated." –Ally Sanchez
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"I think the most surprising thing to me is how uncomfortable I feel constantly. Like I'm waiting for my body to relax so I can take that deep breathe but it still hasn't happened. It could be a combination of not knowing the language well enough or the fact that my pale skin complexion really makes me stick out, along with living in a stranger's house. Nothing could have prepared me for this experience." –Elizabeth Saturnino
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"I didn´t expect Cusco to be as defined by tourism as it is. I wonder if this is because it´s the peak season of tourism at the moment, and I wonder if the culture is very different in other seasons. At this time, the shops, the people, the nightlife, and the restaurants all seem to heavily cater to both tourists and locals, or at the very least keep the tourists in mind. At times it seems like there are just as many tourists as locals." –Mohini Sharma
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"I'm surprised that people here seem so much healthier and stronger than the people in the United States. Despite having a climate that doesn't allow many vegetables to grow here, there seems to be a far less number of obese people here in Peru." –Meredith Summers
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"Something that I have seen that is different than I am accustomed to is the amount of women in the workforce. Most of the police officers we see in the streets of Cusco are women, and so many of the vendors and store workers are women, often working while they carry their children on their back." –Dina Truncali
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"What surprises me is the great number of street vendors and stores that appear to be selling very similar items. I have never seen this in any other country. I don't understand how all of these vendors can sustain their businesses when there appears to be so much competition." –Anton Vlahek
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"One thing I am familiar with is the tourists. I am from New York City. It is similar for me to see many tourists visiting in Peru. Now I can better understand the experience as a tourist myself." –Jefferson Xiao
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"[Our driver] doesn’t show us the poorest parts or town, where many people are likely squatting or just scraping by, selling their goods from the countryside to tourists in the city. But these things aren’t that different from any other city—my hometown of Rochester, NY has the exact same issues that Cusco has, it’s just that we in the United States seem better at hiding away our most impoverished and least cared-for areas." –David Zatyko
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