Piura, Peru

I am presently on my site visit where I will be living in the next two years. On Sept. 2 Peru Five training group will swear in as Peace Corps Volunteers and move throughout Peru to start service. The current sites are the coastal sites of Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura, and Lima. Other spots include the Andean regions in Ancash, Cajamarca and upper Piura. Some people will live in large cities and some in tiny Quechuan and Spanish speaking communities. I think everyone will have completely different experiences since Peru is so rich with different cultures. Some volunteers have horses and donkeys as transportation and some will ride surf boards. Volunteers have told us that everyone will be dealt good cards and bad cards so be flexible and be happy with what you have. Regardless, I believe the bad cards are just a state of mind that can be molded with patience and understanding.

In reality, it is the people that we learn from and befriend that make any site what it is. If you are in a beautiful site in the Andes or on the beach, if the community doesn't respect or like you you will have a long two years. Likewise, if you are working in a land fill with severely impoverished people that share love and respect with you, you might have the time of your life working in a land fill. It is all a state of mind.

Currently Peace Corps Peru has no sites in the jungle. My site will be in the department capital of Piura, a coastal city with roughly 350,000 inhabitants. Piura is about an hour from the coast and 1.5-3 hours to some of the most beautiful beaches in Peru. Piura lies in the desert which explains why we have so much sun and heat in the summer time. There are a couple of months in the summer (Dec-Mar) where we have plenty of rain. Piura has a much more liberal culture than other regions in Peru. For instance Cajamarca and Ancash are very much more conservative in thier actions and dress than many coastal cities. It is common to see people wearing shorts here in Piura while in Cajamarca you would see much more vibrant traditional dress and women wearing tall hats. Piura is also known to be near some of the best surf spots in South America and depending on the time of year, some of the best waves in the world. With that in mind, I imagine in the next two years you might find an Okie like myself learning how to ride a surf board. I will update more about Piura when I move here. Ciao....

Peruvian Cuisine

So far I've only tried a few of the typical Peruvian dishes and drinks. Since Peru is divided into three basic geographic regions (the coast La Costa, the Andes Mountains La Sierra, and the Amazon jungle La Selva) sp there are many different types of food. In fact Peru has a range of climates, 84 out of the world's 104 ecosystems, Peru is know for having one of the world's most exquisite and varied cruisines.

La Costa is obviously known for Creole cruisine, which is mainly consists a wide range of seafood. Probably my favorite dish I've tried is Ceviche which is fresh seafood marinated in lime juice and spiced with aji hot peppers (pictured to left with my host mom).

In the Sierra you will find people eating more potatoes, tubers, rice and for special occasions you might eat Cuy (roasted guinea pig). Possibly one of the best mountain dishes I've tried is Pachamancha (Literally means "earth oven" in Quechua and consists of a variety of meats, tubers, corn, beans, and native herbs roasted underground with red-hot rocks. Other foods you will find in the Sierra include seco de cabrito (roasted goat marinated with fermented corn beer chichi), Trucha, fried trout, and many more.

As you make your way through the Sierra to the Selva, you will find less spicy food and much more fruits. The Amazon jungle is home to many delicious fruits that you won't find anywhere else in the world. Besides the tropical fruit, the jungle is home to some great fresh water fish. Some typical fish dishes include, paiche and patarashca (fish filets wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over hot coals). I have yet to try much of the food from the jungle but anticipate my first trip to the Amazon city of Iquitos (the largest city that can only be reached by boat or plane) where I plan on trying new foods. One recommendation I read is to stay away from game animal foods such as turtle, deer, and wild boar due to the problems with illegal hunting in the Amazon. Over all I've been very impressed with the food and am eager to try everything.