Panama versus Peru

Have you ever considered eating jerked llama? How about a roasted guinea pig????

These are some of the interesting foods and culture norms you will find in Peru. Of course I had to see Machu Picchu while I was there and the cute mountain town that I stayed at before going was Cusco. They had more to share about their traditions and the ancient Incans than Lima and is worth checking out! ( If you want more travel info and tips, check out my sister website here, theruleofthr3e!)

Some similarities between Panama and Peru are the variety of indigenious groups you will find and they dress differently according to their village. They change their hats, skirts, and colors in relation to their group. The day I arrived, I got to see many of them in a parade in Cusco while they danced their traditional dances.

I am an agriculture volunteer so I found it really interesting that they grow quinoa, stevia, and thousands of types of potatoes! However, the most fascinating is that they were one of the originals to start growing cocaine and today they use cocaine to make teas, candies, flour for baking, and chewing gum! (and it is totally legal, if you were wondering!). It has many vitamins and is like coffee (but more nutritious I was told), where it energizes you, increases circulation in your body, and helps with altitude sickness due to so many mountains!

 

Now, I do not know if you commented below, whether or not you would try llama or guinea pig, but they really eat them! Llama is actually not as common anymore in the cities but those who still live in the mountains eat llama. In fact, the favorite to eat in the city is Alpaca meat, which is from the llama family though are smaller. I personally did not eat any because I am vegan but I did enjoy their kichiwa (like quinoa), wild tomato (sweet, almost like a pear!), and potato w/peanut butter sauce dishes!

One last thing is that Panamanians love their Chicha Fuerte! (This is an alcoholic drink they make from yellow corn). While in Peru, they also make the same drink but with purple corn, cinnamon, lime, or other fruits like apples, to make it sweeter and fruity tasting. I really liked their purple corn juice more than the one in Panama and I hope my community likes it too because I am bringing some back to share with them while we talk about my travels to Peru! They want to learn more about other cultures too!

The purple corn is on the other side! (sorry, bad pic). But these are all the different types of plants and bugs they use to color the Alpaca furs that they sell or use to stay warm.

Terraces (but from Pisaq!) that are similar to the farming methods I learned in Panama but they have made them larger and with natural stone to sustain earthquakes. We learned to use flowers, logs, or other types of plants to create terraces.

Machu Picchu houses with terraces. The Incans structured their cities and life around nature and like my community, you really feel more connected to it once you decide to listen and observe!

In the valley of Machu Picchu! The clouds were just gorgeous as they moved smoothly over the mountain tops. It is really a site to see if you get the chance.

This is the sweet bread you can find in the street markets that they eat for Holy Week, which I heard is in November?! Not sure if my Spanish is completely right!