On the Peruvian Andes

Over my university’s winter break I traveled to Peru in order to study the economy there. While I was only there for 2 weeks, I feel as if I have been to much more than one country. The group leader, Professor Carl Voigt, asked us to sum up the experience in just a few words. The first thing that came to my mind is that Peru is a land of jarring contrasts. Geographically, the country is divided into three completely different regions: the Coast, the Andes, and rainforest, which borders on the Brazilian Amazon. While the country has only 28 million inhabitants, each of these regions not only has its own climate, but is populated by a complete different culture. Economically, the country displays a sharp divide between wealth and poverty. In Peruvian cities the division between the two is striking. In Cusco, or even the capital city of Lima, you can pass from a wealthy to an impoverished district simply by crossing the street.
My first 24 hours on the ground were a crash course in the myriad of differences. After a whirlwind tour of Lima’s historical center and Pizarro’s tomb, we flew to the two-mile-high Andean City of Cusco. From there, a bus and train ride took us to the “ceja de la selva”, or eyebrow of the jungle, where the mountains give way to the wilderness beyond.
Peru is an 80% catholic country. We arrived in the span between Christmas and Epiphany, and before New Year’s there were not many business open for us to visit. So, our group began immersing itself in the cultural heritage of the country. After one night, in the hill town of Aguas Calientes, we set out for a day in Machu Picchu. I remain impressed by the striking location and character of the ruins. This was also New Year’s Eve, so that afternoon our group returned to Cusco, one of the best places in the world to ring in the New Year. The atmosphere was very different than anything you could find in the US. The Main Square was crowded with parades, bands and revelers shooting off fireworks, in any and all directions. It was a refreshing change.
We spent another day in Cusco, seeing the major sights of the city, including the two main churches, would have been impressive even in Europe. I spent some time walking around and getting to know the city. The next morning we returned to Lima, to begin business visits the next day.