Peru – a fascinating country that has exceeded my expectations. During the ceremony held on 7th December 2010 at which the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, he described Peru as a country of “todas las sangres”, a melting pot of traditions, races and cultures from the four cardinal points, a country that does not have one identity because it has all of them! The words of the famous writer are being confirmed to me day after day in South America.
In over four months since my arrival in this region I have discovered such wonderful landscapes, such rich history and culture, that I cannot find words to describe this experience in one article. Therefore, I have decided that this “adventure” be browsed in my book “Peru, the Land of My Dreams.”
While travelling to all corners of Peru, I have discovered diverse landscapes, such as: rainforests, beaches, deserts, mountains, swamps, with a climate that is just as diverse. One may find 23 °C in one place, and 35°C one hour away, as well as 8°C in an area that is three hours away and so on.
Among a population of over 28 million people, few Peruvians have heard of Romania, and those who know anything about it either refer to it as “Dracula’s country” or know that is situated in Europe (close to France) because the architect Gustave Eiffel left a prominent signature in Peru through his constructions.
Even though I live in Miraflores, the most luxurious and safe district of Lima, which is the capital of Peru, I have also come to discover poor areas where I was impressed with the hospitable locals and with their outstanding common sense.
European population predominates in the rich neighborhoods of Lima, such as Miraflores, Barranco and San Isidro. In the coastal town of Chincha, which is famous for the Afro-Peruvian music, there are overwhelmingly many Peruvians with African roots, due to past slave trade.
Peru has one of the most delightful and surprising cuisines in Latin America. Most dishes that are in Peru are unique and absolutely delicious. Peru has over 5000 potato species and it is the home country of this vegetable. Potatoes are purple, yellow, brown, beige, pink etc., and they come in different shapes. They are served fried, baked, or mashed. Peruvians are used to combining potatoes with cheese, garlic, onion, sunny-side-up eggs or lemon, and with any order you place, you get some rice. People eat very healthy, and exotic fruit natural pulp juice is consumed on a daily basis. The refreshing beverages are Inka Cola, chocolate tea juice and the tasty “chicha” juice, that is made from purple corn.
Among the traditional dishes there is guinea pig (there are areas where they are raised similarly to chickens in Romania), pollo asado (roast chicken), lechon (pork fried), fish prepared in various ways, and among the most popular dishes is lomo saltado (beef with garlic, onion, chili and potatoes), and so on.
The culture, the traditions, the Spanish language, the cuisine, and the landscapes fascinate me, and an experience in Peru will ripen and bring new insights into anyone’s life.
Peru is a country that must be discovered in time, and not in a one-week vacation during which you cannot see any more than 5% of what Peru really means. Most of all, one cannot say that Peru is “a third-world poverty struck country “, but quite the contrary.
Professionally, Peru has opened doors to me that I would never have aspired to, and I am glad to promote Romania’s rich culture on another continent where the inhabitants have shown a special interest in knowing more about Romanian culture!
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Loredana Dumitriu (Dascalu) is a travel blogger and the writer behind TRAVEL WITH ME LORE.
With a 10 years’ experience as a journalist and as a writer of 3 books, one of them about her 4 months adventure in Latin America – ‘Peru, the country of my dreams’, she only presents travel guides about destinations that she already visited.
- She has been in 30 countries and has visited more than 120 cities across different continents during the past 10 years.
- Loredana is a part-time digital nomad who wants to transform her passion for travel into a lifestyle.
- This blog was born because she loves traveling and wants to share her adventures with everyone.
Read more about Loredana here.
To follow her trips, check out her Facebook and Instagram pages!