¿Y que tal le parece Perú?

(Monday, 10 August 2009)

Every taxi driver. The hostel receptionist. The police in the street you ask directions to. The young couple from Lima in beach vacations by the northern coast. The old couple who owns the random store you get into for a grocery purchase. All ask you how you’ve been finding your experience in their country so far. Eager that you’ve been liking it. Willing to recommend places to go, things to do, see, eat.

I was missing that friendliness – since Colombia, I guess. That easy smile on the face. That easiness to initiate a conversation, proactively. That curiosity in knowing where you’re from, how’s life like in your home country.

Yes, I had missed that…

Don’t take me wrong: I met very nice people in Ecuador too… The guy who worked at a mountaineering shop who provided me all the information and help he could possibly give me in order to guide me through my exploration of a volcano, spending precious hours offering me explanations, tips and hints in exchange for nothing, while other store owners closed their doors on my face once they found out I would not contract them any tour and thus pay them any money. He, who lent me his own high-tech, brand new alpine mountaineering tent just because the store had none available – to me, who he had just met, and could easily come back with the equipment damaged or not return at all. Or the old man who saw me come back from the volcano, half-dead and with a big backpack, and kindly and proactively offered me a ride on his truck.

Yes, I met very nice people in Ecuador. There are nice and unpleasant people everywhere – a country’s people doesn’t adhere rigidly to an average archetype; it follows more of a bell-shaped curve, right? I just found, on average, Ecuadorians a bit more reserved, less talkative, less curious and proactively welcoming of visitors, that’s all.

Yes, I missed it: “¿Y como la ten pasado en Colombia?”, “¿Y que tal le parece Perú?”