Ugly accents, major traffic, and Spanish conquest: Thinking about my hour-long cab ride and the fascinating conversation with the driver

Probably my favorite thing about Peru has been the people--no matter where you are, people are happy to talk to you for hours on end. Whether it be cafes, shops or cabs, I have had some fascinating conversations with some fascinating people. Today, I was stuck in traffic for an hour coming from the historic center of the city back to Miraflores, and decided to pass the time by talking with the driver.

The conversation--which took place completely in Spanish--started just like any other, with me asking if Willy was originally from Peru, and clarifying that I was from the United States but a student of Spanish. Seeing as we had an hour long ride ahead of us due to the traffic, I decided to pass the time by keeping up conversation. I continued asking questions about his life--how he liked Lima, how long he had lived there, etc.--and told him a little bit about myself. I also had the chance to talk to him about our class and our trips, which brought on a whole new stretch of conversation.

Willy decided to quiz me on my knowledge of Inca history, a quiz which I most likely failed. Still, he taught me a lot of things we had never talked about, and refreshed my memory of some of the things we did. I learned about a new language--Aymara--that is spoken by natives of the Andes region, like Willy.

At some point, he began talking about his love for Peru--the variety in climate across the country, the people, the diversity in the culture--and how he had no desire to travel anywhere else. He would keep saying "if I want to ski I can ski, if I want beaches we have beaches. We have everything here in Peru." His passion for his country was so fascinating, but his desire to never leave was something I had never heard before. I believe at some point I convinced him to visit India, but he was adamant about never going to the United States, a statement which brought on another string of interesting questions and responses. He believed that he wouldn't be accepted by people in the US, especially because he knew maybe 5 words in English.

We began speaking more about the Spanish language after I professed my love for it--the history, the cultural exchange, and then the accents. Willy's hilarious input was that Peru has the best accent of all Spanish-speaking countries. Argentine and Chilean accents sound ugly because of the Italian influence, Cubans tend to smush words together, and Spaniards, despite being the mother country of the language, just sound angry. His wise advice was that if I wanted to become a pro at Spanish, I should come live in Peru to develop the best accent possible.

He later spoke about his dislike for countries like the United States--developed countries that tend to control less developed countries, and ultimately make it harder for them to grow. He spoke about how ever since the Spaniards came to Peru, the system of government has been so corrupt, and he does not believe it can change at this point. Willy believes in Peru, and loves it for everything it is, but believes that the corruption makes it incredibly difficult for the country to develop further.

Overall the hour-long ride was very eye-opening for me. It was a great experience being able to learn so much from someone who could offer an authentic perspective. At the same time, I was able to grow my confidence in my ability to speak Spanish, and learned a few new words along the way.