What Makes Peru Unique

CULTURE

Peru is a country situated in the continent of South America. It harbors a rich culture probably because the country was governed by the Europeans and under the colony of Spain for a long time. However, before the Europeans arrived, they were already natives who had mastered the art of Pottery, which was considered more advanced than the European culture. The Mestizo styles of monasteries, churches as well as their palaces were influenced by the Spanish. There is a total of 70 spoken languages in Peru but Spanish is the main language used although the natives both speak Spanish and Quecha as their vernacular. 90% of Peruvians are Catholics, but it has been blended with their own ancient traditional beliefs. During the early times, weaving, horticulture or fishing is the primary occupations of the Peruvians. The first culture that became known in Peru was the Chavin civilization which paved way for the first monumental temple to be built by them.

WEATHER

The weather in Peru is very unpredictable. In the morning, it could be roasting hot then rainy in the mid-day. However, generally, it only has to adjust to two main seasons, wet and dry season. Peruvian weather varies in three distinct geographical regions: the mountain highland which comprises Cusco and Lake Titicaca, the coastal region which consists of Lima, Nasca, and Arequipa, and the Amazon jungle.

In the mountain highlands, during the morning, the sun shines all year round, but it gets colder at night from mid-April to October while the wet season occurs from November to mid-April. In the Coast, winter runs from June to September whereas summertime lands on the months of December to April. In the Amazon jungle, dry season is from April to October and the wet season from November to March.

CURRENCY

Peruvian currency is nuevo sol. Bank notes are 200, 100, 50, 20, and 10 nuevo sols. Coin denominations are 1, 2, and 5, and centimos are 50, 20, 10, and 5.

MUSIC

Peru offers a rich and diverse type of music to all the music lovers around the world. Folk music with local lyrics on independence is common. Traditional instruments of Peru that are still used in various musical creations include an Andean flute called Quena, Zampoña, and a tiny guitar with a unique sound called the mestizo Charango. Popular in the southern Andean region is Huayno, a mestizo happy chant. “El Cóndor Pasa” is a traditional Peruvian song made popular in the United States by Simon and Garfunkel. Modern Peruvian music and Amazon-influenced music are also well-loved.

SPORTS

Football is the major sport of the country. Peru has attended various World Cups and has created soccer legends like Hugo Sotil, Cesar Cueto and Roberto Challe. The best-ever striker of Peru, Teofilo Cubillas scored ten goals during the World Cup Finals. Some of the famous players are Nolberto Solano, Jose Paolo Guerrero, Claudio Pizarro, and Jefferson Farfán while Universitario de Deportes, Sporting Cristal, Alianza Lima, and Cienciano are some of the famous teams in Peru.

Chess, an indoor game is also popular. Julio Granda is a legend to this sport. Volleyball and surfing are also well-liked. Shooting and tennis are some other sports being enjoyed in the country.

RECIPES

Pachamanca, which means food that is cooked underground, is the oldest dish that is still cooked in Peru up to this date. This dish consists of meat, roots, and herbs (commonly cinnamon and cloves used to flavor these dishes) that are covered with leaves and cooked in a pit for almost 12 hours.

VACATION TOURS

Some of the impressive destinations of Peru are Cusco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa and its white buildings made with volcanic ash, Paracas and its wildlife preserve and the mysterious Nazca lines in the Nazca desert.

Other location worth touring is Lima, the capital city. This is an entertaining old city with magnificent architecture, awesome churches and cathedrals. The city offers some good restaurants and a great nightlife for you to enjoy. The peru Amazon region is yet another great destination to visit because there are numerous places to go and activities to do like canopy walk up in the trees.

Taking a trip to Peru is a great way to learn several new things about a foreign culture.