Life in Multi-Colour!

Huaraz in January…very different to Belfast in January! The only snow we see is the snow on the high peaks of the Cordillera Blanca mountain range that dominate the horizon…and what an amazing sight they are! Although we´re in the middle of the rainy season it´s also the summer here and on afternoons when the rains don´t come it gets pretty hot. Not that we´re complaining at all…there´s something refreshing about going outside in the morning and being greeted by warm sunshine and blue skies. And when it does rain here, it properly rains…none of the greyness and drizzle of home!

We saw in the New Year from our rooftop and watched as seemingly all of Huaraz released fireworks simultaneously at midnight. It was incredible! But after a few fireworks brushed past our faces and exploded beside us, we decided we valued our lives and so called it a night. As I´m sure you'd guess, health and safety isn´t even a distant thought here! Fireworks are sold to anyone and everyone and kids are often seen playing with them in the streets. We watched as our very merry neighbour released some fireworks which didn´t quite go according to plan and burned his hand - he was lucky. We also heard a story that a combi (minibus) was driving from Huaraz to a town down the valley and was carrying fireworks underneath. Somehow there was a spark which then ignited the fireworks and the whole bus exploded - over 30 died and the few survivors were badly burned. Tragic and unfortunately, avoidable.

Other examples - vehicles don´t have seatbelts; traffic lights are suggestions only; cars, motorbikes and combis will transport as many people who can physically be squished in; rubbish is chucked out of houses on to the road for whatever or whoever will find it first (the bin lorry, desperate/innovative locals, dogs or rats); when you walk past a building under construction warnings and barriers don't exist so it's not surprising to encounter falling masonry (we've now cleverly learned to cross the road!); it's also not surprising to find yourself soaked by a basin of dirty water being thrown from the roof by a lady who has just finished her washing; power-cuts that come at the most inconvenient times; electric wires in the shower; bulls that roam the street…and literally, this list could go on and on and on! The health and safety culture at home seems so excessive and there's something freeing and fascinating about not being subject to all its rules and regulations, but, in a place like this where accidents occur so regularly, we can see it has some benefits.

Life here is simple and in many ways, we're beginning to prefer it that way. Cars as status symbols don't really exist - here, they are good enough if they go and even if they don't, their owners will still do their best to make them. Houses are practical spaces to live in and if they have basic furniture, all the better. People here are fortunate enough if they have a house, how they are decorated is definitely not one of life's priorities. Clothes again serve a purpose - they cover you and keep you warm. Some people have more of an interest in their clothes than others but even then, they don't have the money to buy a lot. Not having the biggest selection of stuff with us, this suits us well! This is such a refreshing thing about this place, instead of wasting time, money and energy on 'stuff', there is much more of an emphasis on investing in people. This is partly because most people here don't have the option but also because the culture is a lot more community-orientated. Peru doesn't always get things right, but this is definitely one thing that they could teach us about in the West.