6. Food and Flowers

What has surprised me most about Peru is the incredible food.  No one told me about this hidden gem in the country.  Each day I fall more in love with its aromas and flavors, and I’m not even a “foodie”.  I am, however, someone who travels to many countries where the food sometimes challenges my palate.  So this part of my journey in Peru has been a welcome surprise.  Peruvians take their food seriously, and meals are made in such a way that you ask yourself, “What’s in this?” as you curiously, and happily enjoy the original blend of flavors.  Every meal has been delicious, but it’s last night’s outstanding four-course dinner in Cusco that still lingers in my thoughts as I stroll through the food aisles of the Chinchero outdoor community market.  With my camera in hand, I watch and photograph the local women as they shop.  I doubt these women will be making four-course dinners when they get home.  But I’m confident that the loads of fresh ingredients they have bundled and tied over their backs in blankets will be used in mouth-watering recipes that they’ve created or learned from older relatives.  This lively market is like the one I visited in Nauta along the Amazon.  The locals travel here to pick up their supplies for the week.  Today is Sunday, and it looks like the women are wearing their “Sunday best”.  Everyone looks so lovely.  Did they go to church and then come here to pick up what they needed, or is this the way they typically dress to do their weekly shopping?  It’s obvious to me that there is a social element in their visits to the market.  I repeatedly watch women greet one another warmly and stop what they are doing to chat for a few minutes.  Everyone is friendly and seems to be in a good mood, even though it’s probably hard work to shop and carry their purchases on their backs.  Nevertheless, no one here seems to be bothered.  Nor are they bothered when I try to talk to them.  One woman speaks a little English, and along with my basic Spanish, she’s able to tell me that she is making a vegetable and guinea pig stew this afternoon.  Normally, I would be shocked by the “guinea pig” portion of her menu, but yesterday I visited a home with dozens of guinea pigs scampering around the main room.  They feed them scraps to fatten them up and then consume them in a variety of ways.  This type of meat is a staple in their diets.  I’m thankful that it’s not part of the American diet — I had a pet guinea pig as a little girl and would have been devastated to see him skewered…  I tell the woman to enjoy her meal and ask if I can take her photograph.  She allows me to, so I take her image before I continue roaming through the market and meet a woman in a pretty pink sweater.  “Hola,” I say, as our eyes meet and she smiles.  “Hola,” she replies.  “Fotografía?”  She nods her head, seeming a little excited about having her photograph taken.  She sets down a small bag and then poses for my camera as I frame her image.  The way she poses and looks into my lens seems natural to her.  I take her photograph and then turn the camera for her to see, but she doesn’t want to look.  Instead, she picks up her bag and slowly walks away.  I’m surprised by her response.  I briefly watch as she continues shopping and selects some flowers that she buys and tucks into her bag.  She, as well as with many of the other women here today, bought food and flowers just like I do on Sunday afternoons.  When I fly home on Friday and visit my local market over the weekend, I know I will think of them and the sweet, simple lives they lead here in this quiet part of Peru.