South America, We Miss You

By: MJ + PJ

It has been three months since we left South America. We keep talking about the things that happened there, the people we met, and the places we saw. And we are kinda bummed out. The good news is South America will probably see us again one day!

So what was it about the region, and will we be feeling the same thing about Europe in a few months time? This feels like an easy question to answer, but it can be a little hard to state in a single definition. We could simply say “Just go there! You’ll have a great time! Pack your bags!”. This seems too ambiguous and undeserving an answer for a place that brought us so much joy. A better answer would be to explore how different it was, and how refreshing that was for us. (The antidote our 9 to 5 lives needed!). What follows is that type of answer.

These are some of the things that we remember most fondly. You’re going to scratch your head at a few of them, but if you have been to South America you’ll probably have absorbed similar experiences – share them in the comments below!

• SOCIETY
  • The happy people with genuine smiles. While many countries in South America struggle with turbid politics and histories which could easily weigh them down, the individuals appear optimistic, tuned to their reality, and resilient in their happiness.
  • Out of nowhere a parade will materialize, sometimes more than once a week. The locals and the tourists gather to watch the swirling costumes and dancing, and to listen to the tubas and bass drums.
  • It is unusual to walk around places where you have to duck sharp edges when you are not 6 ft tall. From vendor eaves, to roof tiles to storefront advertising, you have to keep an eye out… or lose one.
  • Stores vanish behind roller doors, including all signage, so finding a store you know you saw on a particular street earlier can make you feel insane. This was usually around midday to early afternoon (see* below).
  • There are basketball hoops placed over soccer goals on what appears to be a standard ‘court’ of play. Even in rural areas there can often be seen a small stadium where the community plays sport.
  • A mostly cash society means less credit points gained on your credit card, but you are more likely to get reduced or local prices.
  • The spaghetti like external cables that hang along and between buildings are approximately at standard bus roof height, with maybe a hand width leeway.

• TRAFFIC and TRANSPORT
  • Many city traffic lights have pedestrian and/or traffic light countdowns and animated icons at pedestrian crossings. This is really helpful as well as entertaining. It makes North American crossings appear really boring and unpredictable. 
  • The long distance buses are often semi cama (near-lying) seating. This gives ample room for you and your bag, and the leg support platform makes a huge difference. Many of these buses have USB charging in addition to the aircon and reading light. Peru is where we first experienced this kind of bus.
  • Some public areas in Peru can be like an aviary with the frequent police whistles, but they give you a sense of awareness and expectation of law adherence and safety.
  • Disruptive but somewhat reassuring are the aggressive speed bumps on freeways and dispersed through towns. It is a very effective way to regulate speed, but if you were transporting glass or eggs you’d probably want to take the side streets.
  • Similar businesses are often grouped together on specific streets. This probably makes distribution and delivery much easier and cheaper, as well as making it simpler to find what you want instead of criss-crossing all over town.
  • On the lakes there may be quadruple parking of boats (each serving as a dock to the adjacent boat) off the side of the docks, which saves building more docks.

• FOODS
  • The hearty quinoa soup (which is a staple on many Peruvian restaurant menus) is a solid and hydrating meal on it’s own. It’s what your soup is probably missing.
  • Many liquid products like mayo, sauces, ketchup, jam, crushed garlic, etc. (even milk!) come in plastic squeeze bags rather than in bottles. Brilliant! Don’t you hate scraping around in a jar or container?
  • The juice and fruit selections are lush and abundant in the market areas, and the fruit is compellingly fresh looking (and tastes phenomenal).
  • Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. Every shape and color and size and flavor. Some don’t even look like potatoes!
  • The huge, delicious sweet breads you could buy at every corner.

• CHILDREN
  • Children get free entry for most things, this being related to their size and appetite. They may have to sit on your lap for a few hours if the transport is full, but it can save you a lot of money.
  • There are plenty of things for children to do in shopping centers – vedors have electric cars and play areas where you can entertain your child. However, there are not so many outdoor options to play in some older city areas.
  • The children all wear school uniforms, and they wear them uniformly. This was refreshing to see.
  • (*) Parents pick up their children during the lunch break around midday. This caused some confusion for us, but we realized they have a very different school day schedule.
  • If you are a traveling family, and have a child, you are almost VIP. While they may not be particularly engaged by your adult presence, they clearly value family and children – they will insist you go first or will move you to the front of lines, they will clamber to interact with your child, and show their joy when they see a child of a different culture. 

• GORGEOUS LANDSCAPES
  • No explanation needed…

South America has a very strong character. Many seemingly routine aspects of the infrastructure and culture are very different to that which you see in North America and Australia. Of course, these words as a summary of the region are bland and obvious points! ‘Why would we want to go back?’ is the question!

We would return because there is so much more to see (we saw none of the Amazon region, nor the lush northern countries, nor the Chilean coastal region). We would return because there was always something interesting or fun to experience (parades, markets, winding streets, classes, street art, quirky tours). We would return because of our very first point – the people are happy and have genuine smiles.

There is no doubt we will experience a similar desire to return after visiting other continents, but it will be with a different list of endearing nuances. The bar has been set very high by South America!

To read more about our South American experiences, go to our REGIONS VISITED page.