Personal Space in Cusco

One difference that I have noticed between Cusco and the United States is that there seems to be different societal norms involving personal space in public. This is something that I actually began to notice on the flight from New York to Lima, when the man sitting in the seat next to me had no problem placing his arm next to mine on the armrest, something that I had never experienced on other domestic flights in the US. While this may seem like a small thing, it is just one instance that shows how personal space is something that differs in each country.

Walking through the streets of Cusco it becomes obvious that people aren't very concerned about respecting people's personal space, especially vendors. Throughout my time here I have had women grab my arm exclaiming "amiga!" trying to get me to enter their shop, men rub sweaters on my arm to display how soft they are, and children all but shove a baby alpaca into my arms to take a picture with. This was very surprising to me, as in the US there are certain societal rules that prevent vendors from doing things like this. Even in the most touristy places such as Times Square, vendors stay at least 3 feet away from tourists, and attempt to sell their goods from afar.

While this difference in respect for personal space is something that originally surprised me, I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing or disrespectful as I first felt it was when I arrived in Peru. Instead, I see it as more of a cultural difference, as the US places more of an emphasis on the meaning of physical touch, while here in Peru it is seen as more of a friendly thing. While this is not something that I ever think I will fully be used to, it has definitely caused me to realize the difference between the ways Americans and Peruvians express affection. I am interested to see of the same thing occurs in a more modern city such as Lima.