Some difference we noticed between Peru and the US

1.        The main meal of the day is lunch but it is eaten late, around 2-3. The children have breakfast, take a snack to school, and eat their meal at 3 when school is out. For dinner they have a very light meal or a snack such as hot milk, hot chocolate, or tea and some toast or leftovers. El Senor comes home from work for a couple of hours 1-3 or so to have his main meal and a little rest. Some of the museums are closed 12-13.

2.      We were not in a single building the entire time that had hot water through the tap. The shower in our house has an electrical attachment that heats water but it isn’t super warm or very much water. Many homes have no hot water at all.

3.      No one drinks the tap water. The families keep a large thermos on the table full of boiled, hot water and use it for tea, etc. When they make their fresh juice in the morning they also use boiled water.

4.      They are very energy efficient, using compact fluorescent bulbs, turning off lights, not driving much, and hanging out their laundry in their enclosed courtyard. We hang out our bath towels when we are done showering.

5.      The kids have a lot of freedom to go around the city. They walk everywhere, play on the streets, buy their own snacks from street vendors, and hop on buses alone. They also work very hard. Many help with their parents’ work, or play/do homework in the back of their parents’ store while the parents are working. The kids in our family have lots of homework.