College Road Trip

In the United States, my family’s road trips usually consist numerous Chickfila stops, bathroom breaks at Exxon gas stations, and late-night check ins at Holiday Inns. On the way from Lima to the south, our road trip ran a little differently. In Peru, the classic breakfast on-the-road consists of ginormous cups of coffee and pan al horno (freshly baked bread) filled with cheese and olives. The cheese filled bread was yummy, but you must really like olives to be able to be able finish the olive bread (@crosby). The highways in Peru were slightly different from ones like I95. For one, the toll prices were extremely pricier. The average toll price for a small vehicle was approximately 10 USD. Another fun little surprise was the incorporation of speed bumps onto the highway. I was pretty confused when our van jerked to a stop, crossed a speed bump, and then roughly sped up to highway speeds; however, after about the 15^th highway speed-bump, the decreases and increases in velocity blended in with other jolts from potholes, gear shifts, and lane changes. In most of the U.S. interstates, long, flat stretches of road are bordered by tree lines, speckled by highway signs and tall buildings. On the Peruvian highway, the road was parallel to the earth (there were no side ditches). There were no mile-markers, no fast-food, no gas-station signs. However, the scenery from Lima to the south was breathtaking. To one side of me, ocean waves crashed onto the shore. To the other side of me, sand dunes rose high in the air like mountains. The dichotomous terrain of ocean and desert side-by-side was unlike anything I had seen before. 

There was a general lack of chain restaurants and hotels, a theme persistent across all of the Maymester road trips. This drew away from the consistency and comfort that can sometimes envelop road trips in the US and added an element of surprise and anticipation. On the way back from Peru, we stopped at a gas-station restaurant for lunch. They had a really good selection of food; honestly it was probably some of the best gas-station food I’ve ever had, and it was by far the fastest service I have ever had during my time in Peru. I ordered some pretty decent Tequeños and a nice little alfajor. Overall, I do not think I can say that I like one way of traveling over another (in the US versus in Peru), only that they are different. Each country offers its own comforts and its own qwirks for travelers; the ability to notice and appreciate these differences is an ingredient to a memorable and valuable road trip.