Covid in Cusco

The day before, the group had traveled to visit Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain). It sits at an elevation about 5000 feet higher than the elevation in Cusco. Although the hike was tough at times, I still was able to complete the hike relatively well.

I woke up the next morning, so exhausted that it took me over an hour to get out of bed. I lethargically walked to the bathroom. I was so tired once I got there that I had to sit down to brush my teeth. When I walked out of the bathroom, I needed to sit down and take a break on my bed. I hypothesized that I was getting delayed altitude sickness. I went to class like normal, and I ate a small lunch. After lunch, I decided to spend the rest of the day in my room to recover for Machu Picchu (we were leaving the next day). As I started coughing and my muscles started aching, I decided it was time to take a Covid test. 

I was positive. I was devastated. I traveled all the way to Peru and I was not going to be able to visit Machu Picchu. After the initial shock, it was time to start figuring out the logistics. I had Covid in a foreign country; I did not know what the policies were here.

Everyone was so accommodating. What surprised me the most was how helpful Elena, the owner of the hotel, was. She took it into her own hands to offer me food, to bring medicine to me, to make sure I was feeling alright. Elena was not just worried about Covid in her hotel, she was concerned about and cared for me. This was treatment that I know I would not have received from a hotel owner in the United States.

During the peak of my infection, I decided to see a doctor. The appointment was on whatsapp. The doctor was so friendly. He called three more times after the original appointment to check up on me. He also informed me that the oxygen levels I was extremely worried about were in fact good for having Covid and being in Cusco. This was something both relieving and surprising to me. It was also very quick to get in touch with the doctor. Elena helped set up the appointment and only after 30 minutes of waiting, I was already on call with the doctor. The call was also later in the evening outside of typical office hours. 

I firmly believe that my Covid experience in Cusco is different from what I would have experienced in the states because of the difference in oxygen levels, the accommodation of the hotel owner, and the quick and friendly availability of the doctor. 

Demonstration for Democracy

 

While eating at the Morena Peruvian Kitchen located on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru, our table heard loud shouts and honks coming from right outside the window. To our surprise, we saw a large group, carrying a large Peruvian flag banner, participating in a protest against the current presidential administration. As you can see by the photo I took, which reads "Castillo is not my president, he is a delinquent" in English (it rhymes pretty cleverly in Spanish), there are many that are upset by the current president and his government. 

The marchers were marching for democracy, but even more so they were marching against communism and the leftist ideology that President Castillo practices. Peru's leftward drift, as we have learned in class, starting with the dictator Juan Velasco Alvarado in 1968. Ever since then, as Professor Falconí explained, Peru has had leftist governments with much instability, causing the sentiment shared among this group. 

I myself call myself a leftist, but this demonstration had me questioning my own beliefs. Obviously, there are tangible and coherent reasons behind this group's sentiments and actual problems that still occur in Peru. On the other hand, however, I recognize that the group seemed to be mostly coming from the middle class and I cannot imagine that many of the much-poorer Peruvians, such as many in the Indigenous population, share similar views with them. All in all, it was interesting to see the police in riot gear, although the protest was completely peaceful. This demonstration allowed myself for a more nuanced view of Peruvian politics and has encouraged me to learn more about Peruvian history and society. 

Shopping Malls in Cusco

 We walked around the mall in Cusco today, and I found it to be a very interesting experience, especially as somebody coming from a country where shopping culture is very prevalent. I think that one of the main reasons that the US has such large malls is that there is a culture around shopping where people just do it for fun or aim for excess instead of simply what someone needs. Also, there’s the idea that for a mall to open, there has to be an economic infrastructure big enough to support it, from stores being interested in renting storefronts to there being ways to get to the mall itself, and enough electricity and water to power the whole thing. From what Andre told us about the city of Cusco and what it used to be 10 years ago, I can see why having a mall open here was a big deal. It definitely represents a move forward in Cuscos capitalist  infrastructure that implies the city is progressing economically. 

That being said, this was a very different experience than that of an American mall. What I noticed most was the lack of more international stores, which I have even seen in most other countries that I have visited, even in smaller malls. There were also a lot of of stores for more practical things, like hardware, electronics, and baby clothes that pointed towards this being less of a traditional mall with more variety, and more of a building to house different utilities. It more reminded me of a target/ giant/ Costco in the shape of a mall in the sense that there weren’t they many alternatives to many of the products being sold. 

The last thing I noticed was that the Starbucks was priced like it would be in the United States (though in the soles equivalent). A coffee with all of the fancy stuff cost as much as some of our nice meals. The storefront was almost empty, with only a few tourists choosing to buy coffee, which kind of put the whole store in perspective. I know people at Vanderbilt that rack up 100 dollar bills a month on their coffees, and that’s probably eating out good food for a week here.

The Tourist Experience at Machu Picchu

Prior to going to Machu Picchu, Professor Falconí said the thing he liked least about it was how touristy it was. However, I was certainly not prepared for how touristy it actually was. Right off the bat in Aguas Calientes, we went to a restaurant for breakfast prior to taking the bus up. There, Anna overheard two girls saying to each other “What even is Machu Picchu?” And the other replied “I don’t know, some old town or something”. To me, the fact that people go to Machu Picchu without having even some semblance of appreciation for the culture that is preserved there is astounding. Why would you even go and spend money on this if you don’t truly appreciate it? Then, in line for the bus, a man approached the group asking if we needed a tour guide. Professor responded that we already had a guide, and to this the man said “I am your guide!”. Suspicious, Professor asked for his name, which was apparently Carlos, yet our tour guide was supposed to be named Wilson (rip Wilson). Without even an ounce of shame, Carlos vaguely gestured around saying some woman had told him we needed a guide, and eventually walked away. The whole interaction was truly ridiculous. In all the other incan sites we visited, nothing similar to this had occurred. The nature of how touristy Machu Picchu is was the cause of this incident. 

When we finally made it up to Machu Picchu, this touristy nature of the trip only continued. It was 2 soles to go to the restroom (isn’t this a bodily right? This seems very wrong to me), and past the gate, there were employees stationed all around just watching people. It seemed that their only job was to prevent people from doing anything but walk along the path. Anna sat on a rock (not one closed off or anything), and this man had the audacity to blow his whistle and make her get off. Apparently having fun is not permitted at Machu Picchu, it is an observation only experience. I’m not even going to go into our real tour guide Wilson, who told us the most boring fake stories about Machu Picchu possible. I’m wondering now if we should’ve just gone with Carlos. Seriously, I am so grateful that we had actually studied the history a little bit before coming, otherwise I probably would've believed his crap. Seeing Machu Picchu was incredible, and the history and sights themselves were surreal. However, the tourist experience did make me wish I could’ve come before it became so popular. The tour especially just felt so inauthentic, and made me question everything around me.

Las Apachetas!

 While we were hiking through Rainbow Mountain, we came across an open space, filled with small towers of rocks, that Carlos, our guide, jokingly called “El Valle de Apachetas”. According to Carlos, these were used as a sort of connection to the earth. The word Apacheta comes from the Quechua “Apachita”, which roughly means “source where the flow begins”. They are often found along hiking trails or even the sides of the road. Travelers would build these Apachetas as a way of asking Mother Earth, or Pachamama, for her protection throughout their travels. They would even often leave offerings such as coca leaves under the Apachetas, asking her to remove obstacles from their paths. These creations can be very small (see mine on the left), or very large (see a previously built one on the right). It is thought that these originally come from the incas, and there are some people who say they used Apachetas as some sort of representation of order. These people say Apachetas were used to divide and mark sectors throughout the inca empire, however there is not necessarily evidence for this. 

Today, Apachetas are not only found in Peru but across all the Andes as travelers ask for their journeys to be calm and unimpeded. Once again, our adventures show us how integrated incan culture is in Peru. Although the incas and their religion no longer exist/are practiced, somehow their culture and traditions are still preserved and respected. In “El Valle de Apachetas”, each of us took a moment to build our own, asking La Pachamama for a safe rest of our hike, and simply appreciating the beauty and history of the location we were in.

El arcoíris

In the United States, rainbows are overwhelmingly a sign of positivity. Songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” or “Rainbow Connection” describe rainbows as beacons of hope for the future. However, in Peru rainbows are seen as the opposite: signs of bad luck. With the unpredictability of Peruvian weather, and prevalence of rain through even the dry season, rainbows are extremely common. In only one week, I have seen two rainbows. According to our hiking guide in Pisac, people would in fact avoid looking at rainbows in order to escape the bad luck they supposedly bring. This belief is thought to come from the myth of the Amaru, an evil two headed serpent representative of the world of the dead. Because of this, during Incan times, rainbows were seen as a physical representation of the Amaru during the day. In fact, the end of the rainbow was thought to be the entrance to hell, and therefore rainbows became synonymous with death. 

In the U.S., the rarity of rainbows makes them special, and therefore positive. However, because they are so common here in Cusco, they no longer bring this positive sentiment. Additionally, in my opinion, the fact that something as beautiful as a rainbow can be considered evil is representative of Peruvian culture. To us, we have an inherent belief that something that beautiful could not possibly be bad. However, it is possible that the history of Peru (and the Incas), has led to a distrust of such beauty. I believe the symbolism of the rainbow in each culture represents fundamental differences in our belief systems. Going to Lima, being close to the coast, I wonder if rainbows will be so common there, and what people’s opinions on them will be.

La Cusqueñita

 La Cusqueñita was a pretty neat restaurant. It was probably the first restaurant that we were going to that was authentic, traditional food from Cusco. Everything we’ve had prior was some gentrified non-traditional food like pasta or pizza near the most touristic areas of the city. La Cusqueñita was a bit of a distance away, hidden in a semi unbusy street away from the main tourist spot. Once inside, the setting looked very homey. The decor was modest, with sculptures and artwork that paid homage to traditional Peruvian and Incan culture. 

The food was delicious. The first time I was able to see fried Cuy on the table, although I didn’t partake in it too much. I ate milanesa de pollo, which was a modest meal to try, and was very good. Alcoholic Chicha was also given, which was sweet and void of any alcoholic aftertaste. The table was filled with food, and the servers were quite nice. The food was very filling, and at a very affordable price. It was a great experience, and the Peruvian hospitality was very comforting. 

The dances were quite the spectacle. Every five to ten minutes, a song would begin to play as a group of dancers all took a stage at the front center of the room. They all wore elaborate costumes that complemented one another, performing dances that involved physical interaction and a sort of roughhousing play. All the dances had a unique context that fit into traditional Peruvian folklore, from devil-esque to puma masks and intricate dresses and suits that fit into the tone of each song. Masks were typical in many of the dances, with one of the dances having masks that seemed to resemble the masks at the Quyllurit'i ancestral festival that occurs annually in the region of Cusco. This festival is a typical demonstration of the syncretism of the Andean religion and Catholicism, a significant component of society and culture in the city of Cusco. If not mistaken, the masks in the ceremonial dances of the festival are intended to replicate the jungle Indians in Peru to enact ceremonially the connection between the highlands in Cusco, and the jungle lowlands where, it is believed, the ancient Inca ancestors now reside. The other dances were also very entertaining, with playful roughhousing including wrestling and the using of whips. I don’t know why they did that, but I'd like to know. One of the last dances involved some girl appearing seductive in a mask. she motioned for me to kiss her cheek - I don’t know why I listened. She turned at the last second, and I kissed the wooden mask on the lips. Pretty embarrassing. I guess that was part of the act.

Overall, a cool experience. The staff was very kind, and the atmosphere was super cordial. There were families eating all over the room, and it felt peaceful to eat among one another, occasionally sharing laughs and smiles at the ceremonial dances. It was an experience that I don’t think many other places can replicate, and I think that’s why the community continues to return to share a bit of their heritage and community with others. I’d like to know why the dances became such an integral part of the dining experience. Why did they choose to perform the ceremonial dances? Why were some so overtly playful and rough, albeit entertaining?

Mapacho: A Mixed Experience

 In South America, the plant nicotiana rustica is often referred to by its more common name mapacho. The plant is traditionally used for spiritual purposes, as it is entheogenic, primarily by South American shamans. For this reason, the plant is often associated with brujeria (or witchcraft) and can sometimes carry a negative perception around it. Containing tobacco and nicotine, mapacho is similar to cigarettes and cigars, except that it includes up to nine times the amount of nicotine found in common tobacco. Due to its high nicotine percentage, it is also commonly used as a pesticide. 

I wish I had known this fact before my friend, Alex, decided to hand me my own fat mapacho cigar to smoke. I've smoked cigarettes in the States every now and then (although by no means am I a smoker). The mapacho flavor isn't exactly one to call home about, but the buzz you get off of it is nice. However, I would not advise anyone who is a stranger to nicotine and tobacco products to smoke one on their own, as afterward, I came down with an intense case of nicotine sickness that included (and perhaps I'm oversharing here) a vomiting session in a Peruvian McDonalds. The rest of the night, I was pale and felt nauseous. 

Lesson learned: don't smoke mapacho if you can't handle it. Perhaps leave it to the shamans. 

Wilson

 The most elite tour-guide ever. His sense of history was so bad that as soon as I started to realize he wasn’t making sense, I just started to have fun with him. He’s actually a pretty cool guy. Whenever he’s not giving the most inaccurate descriptions of Machu Picchu to gullible American tourists, he waits tables in the city of Cusco. I think. Peru runs in his veins, having been born and raised in Cusco.  

Wilson drank Chicha as he walked up to greet us. I thought that was so sick. He exuded nonchalance, as if he didn’t care. And he didn’t. He talked about 9 foot Incas.. That’s actually insane. He said Machu Picchu was a university, which I don’t know where he heard that from. Our professor looked pretty annoyed at the turnout of the tour, but I was kind of excited. I wanted to see how much more ridiculous it could get. The smirk on his face as he looked at us through his sunglasses made me think he thought we were dumb, but by his standards, I guess we were. He also wandered off several times. We found him like a few hundred feet away on his phone while we were just trying to enjoy ourselves. He would just walk ahead without us. Dude did not care at all.

I guess you could say something about how incompetent some tourguides can be. Or perhaps the tourists are incompetent. By the looks of how some Americans act internationally, I’m guessing we get the bad rap. Regardless, I wasn’t gonna travel all the way to the place to hear about 9 foot humans, so I stopped listening to him. Regardless, he was cool to talk to. He’s a chiller, just terrible at giving tours. I’d have invited him out for a beer if we had more time. 

In conclusion, maybe the ministry of culture should make their qualifications a little more specific for hiring tour guides for Machu Picchu. Should they hire more people like Wilson? His sense of humor surely made up for the tour. Maybe Americans should learn to have a little bit more fun, even if it means hearing the most inaccurate description of Machu Picchu. I don’t know.

Pisac Q'allaqasa

 As we walked up the mountain side up to the ancient city of Pisac, one could see how large the agricultural terraces were made to be. They were huge steps carved into the mountainside that could support the harvesting of large amounts of crops. The steps stretched from the very bottom of the mountain to the very top, with jutting rocks acting as stairs to support the ascent or descent of any farmer tending to the terraces. The mountain that held the city contained multiple terraces, all with the intention of offering structural stability to the city at the top or for farming crops like corn or potatoes. 

Nearing the top of the mountain, we began to see the stone buildings that were the center of the citadel. There were few other areas where a group of buildings were clustered on the mountainside, but the top seemed to be the center of the ancient city. Walking through the ancient ruins, one could tell how elaborate each structure or room of a building was intended to be. They each served their intended function. A large, naturally-occuring, unsculpted rock that jutted out of the ground was at the approximate center of the buildings. It had carvings at its base that resembled that of a seat, which were actually used as placeholders for offerings, likely for success on the season’s harvest or for other expressions of gratitude towards the earth, or Pachamama. From the top, the view was pretty incredible. One could look into the modern town of Pisac from above, and the valley that encased the small city stretched into the distance. To the other side, large mountains surrounded us, with the valley extending as flat ground or hills in each direction. It was super serene and we all took some time to take the scene in. 

As we began our descent, we saw other features of the ancient city, such as small buildings for food storage. These buildings hugged the steep mountainside, and seemed almost impossible to get to considering the angle of the terrain. We also observed more terraces facing the city, with the descending trail offering more views of the terraced mountain-side. Comparing the ancient Pisac at the top of the mountain to its Spanish counterpart at its base was interesting, since they were obviously so different. How easy was it for the Spaniards to conquer the Incan stronghold, if so difficult to access? Also, how did the Spaniards make any use of the ancient city or its terraces, if at all?

Cusco Mall

     After our trip to the mall in Cusco, I noticed that there seemed to be very few categories of different stores. I primarily saw large department stores, but also ice cream shops, athletic wear, phone stores, pharmacies, and baby stores. There were a few other stores outside of these categories, but these were the biggest sections represented. The mall is a direct reflection of what is valued by the typical Cusco consumer. Malls are usually built more out of luxury than necessity, and this mall showed that. There were McDonalds and Burger King stands that only sold ice cream, showing that they were meant for fun, not a full meal. The movie theater and arcade also demonstrated that even though there is much poverty in Cusco, there is still a need for entertainment. Athletic shops also show that there is an importance placed on time having fun playing sports. There was even a section just for taking trendy pictures.

    The "fun" stores were surrounded by ones that represented more basic needs of a less wealthy population. The department stores were full of furniture and different types of food, things that everyone needs. The baby stores are indicative of the need to take care of the youth. Adults tend to not grow out of clothing, so the stores of baby clothing and pre-teen clothing represent buying out of need, when the children grow at a faster rate and need more clothes more often. The dichotomy between entertainment and need in the mall show how Cusco is trending towards catering to the tourists, while still being supported by the local population.

Celebration in Pisac

    We were searching for a place to eat in the main plaza in the town of Pisac when we started to hear a beating drum and flute-like musical notes. It was emanating from the church a few hundred feet away, and a small crowd of people began to form. It was already dark and the rest of the plaza was barren, which caused some confusion at what was thought to be an otherwise quiet, empty town square during the late evening. Curiously, we wandered over to the church, where we found a procession of people elevating the figure of a saint over the steps of the church and out into the plaza. The saint and its procession were headed to a smaller church on the edge of the town, where dozens of people were to gather, drink, eat, and celebrate the annual event of the saint in Pisac. The beating drum and the chorus steadily followed the group carrying the saint and the dozens of people surrounding it as they walked out into the street and towards the end of the plaza. Surprised by this, we decided to follow them to the smaller church in hopes of capturing a small glimpse of the religious following in the Incan relic of the Pisac community.

    The procession led to the outside of the small church where families gathered themselves around a fire and a large clearing, where a man with a hardhat and yellow poncho with a whip began to dance and skip around for everybody to see. The musical formation sat in one of the corners, continuing to play their music as people began to fill in the surroundings. fireworks began to explode overhead as the party commenced. We eventually decided to grab dinner, but came back about an hour or so later to see what had developed from the festivities. This time, the scene was a bit different. The music had stopped, the music group was busy eating, as was everybody else. People occupied themselves with the food and drinks, taking time in between to talk and laugh with their family, friends, and other community members. Several minutes later, the music had resumed and people continued sharing moments with the community, either eating, talking, or simply just observing the scene. Meanwhile, the figure of the saint was at the open doors of the church, as if watching over the festivities.

    It was interesting to see the value that the community placed on the saint. After all, it was the entire reason they had come out to celebrate. Hadn’t it been for its celebration, there would be no motivation or desire for the community to come out and share endearing moments with one another. Catholicism appeared to be the lifeblood behind the community, a devotion formerly reserved for the religion of the Incan empire many centuries ago. Over the course of many generations, it seemed the catholic influence had left its imprint on an Incan community. The result was a combination of the two heritages that celebrated both religions and allowed the community to express themselves in a way that commemorated two vastly different faiths. I was curious to know: How had the religious mixture evolved over the course of several centuries? Was it an evolution characterized by catholic domination over that of the Incan religion? It seemed so, to an extent. How did the community of Pisac maintain any semblance of Incan influence in a practice otherwise dominated by catholic influence?

La sagrada familia, la catedral de Cusco, y la iglesia de triunfo

  The group of churches in la plaza de armas was by far the most salient, outstanding feature of the area. They stood over all other buildings, imposing their authority and presence in an ancient city center that revolved around Catholicism. One large cathedral standing on the southern eastern side was called the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, ornate with brick of a copper-like color, and complete with golden accents. The structure was extremely symmetric, with clocks and crosses mirroring each other. Just above the door at the center stood a figure of Jesus or a saint. To the northeastern side stood a monolith of a church, of which we entered. This church was a group of three different churches, which included La sagrada Familia to the very left, la catedral de Cusco at the center, and la Iglesias de triunfo to the very right. The colors and structure of the churches looked marginally similar, all boasting the same dull copper colored brick, with the main cathedral being brighter in brick color, and much larger than its surrounding counterparts. 

         La Iglesias de triunfo was constructed in response to the Spanish victory over the Incan empire at the citadel of Sacsayhuaman. It boasted a symmetric chiseled brick altar on both sides of the entrance, resembling scripture that gave symbolic representations of the Virgin Mary in protecting the Spaniards and assisting them in defeating the Incan empire. The top of the church is decorated with bells and a cross at the center. The inside of the churches was even more fascinating than its exterior architecture. Inside of the Iglesias de triunfo, multiple murals decorated the ceiling and its surrounding walls, depicting several circumstances that generally revolved around the conquest of the Incan empire. Murals depicted Jesus, the virgin Mary, and God as assisting Spaniards - complete with their weapons and horses - in subjugating the Incas. The layout of the church was like any other: rows of seats leading to a platform at the front where a vertically large altar depicted the virgin Mary, Jesus, and several saints. The same alters dotted the periphery of the church, complete with different saints and other ornate features. This was generally the same for la sagrada Familia and the main cathedral, except everything was significantly larger in the main cathedral. It had altars several times bigger than that of the other churches, in addition to similar murals that depicted the subjugation of Incas.

         It was thought-provoking to walk through the churches and see what altars had been constructed. This was formerly Incan territory, and Spaniards had pillaged and desecrated everything belonging to them, creating large catholic altars and murals depicting Incan defeat in return. Incans had also been forced to create such murals depicting their own defeat, considering Spaniards saw it as a dishonor to commit to manually intensive labor. It felt as if the religious and cultural identity in Cusco was highly ambiguous. Once known as the capital of the great Incan empire, huge altars and churches were built for Incans at that time to be forced into worshiping, which has extended for many generations into what is now current-day Cusco. Are locals opinionated in how they feel about these depictions about what is generally the desecration of the sacred values of their ancestors? Moreover, can anything even be done or amended to reduce what is, in my opinion, a huge insult to Incan culture? 

Sacsayhuaman

 The first stop of our weekend trip to the town of Pisac was the Incan stronghold of Sacsayhuaman. The stronghold’s functions varied, the guide told us as we stepped out onto the large clearing that offered an undivided view of the entire structure. The uses were variable, either having served a religious purpose or an area for storing goods for later use. What it mostly resembled, however, was an incredibly elaborate fortress, complete with impressively large walls laid out in a terraced, zig-zag pattern.

    As we walked up the steps of the fortress, I noticed how geometrically-structured everything seemed to be. The massive doorway leading up to the next level was shaped like a trapezoid, wide at the bottom and narrowing as it neared the rock at the top. The boulders making up the gigantic walls were incredibly large, pointing to the nearly impossible prospect of humans once carrying each boulder to its respective spot. The pattern of the rocks was beautiful, as if the fortress planner had thought the pattern out so deliberately and meticulously that there was absolutely no margin of error for the placement of each rock. It was gorgeous. I found it difficult to comprehend how one could plan out the fitting of thousands of uniquely shaped rocks to fit into one another as if it were all a puzzle, creating a visually stunning display of multiple walls layered on top of each other. 

As we neared the top of the fortress, we began to see the backdrop of Cusco appear above the queuña trees that dotted the surrounding landscape. Added to the stunning display of the perfectly-fitted boulders was the deliberate intention by the Incas to place the fortress in such a way that overlooked the entire city. It was imposing, strategic, intimidating, and incredibly genius. The fortress was incredibly long, meaning there was no shortage of the sight of Cusco along the entire corridor at the top level. At first confusing, I became very appreciative at the value the Incas placed on the patterns and placements of their structures, something that I continued to see throughout the rest of the weekend trip in the sacred valley. The main questions that occurred to me was one of understanding how Incas were able to carry such large boulders from the quarry to the fortress, and how, with such primitive tools and capacities in today’s standards, were they able to construct such geometrically and decoratively beautiful patterns void of error or flaws. How was such an engineering feat accomplished? Additionally, with the speculations of the polyfunctionality of the citadel, what other reasons was the fortress used for, if not only for military strategy and the storage of goods?

Peruvian drinking culture

      Most of the day in Peru, I find myself mildly dehydrated. This is a result of the culture surrounding drinking here. This is not about drinking alcoholic beverages, but water and other soft drinks. Because water is not free here, it is not common to drink multiple full cups of water throughout a meal. Drinking is less based on reaching a certain hydration goal, but instead to simply drink when you are thirsty. Even then, it may not be easy to find a drink for cheap, as some restaurants will charge up to 8 soles for water. 

    Even outside of the price for water, many other drinks are very popular in Peru. Chicha morada is a drink made from purple corn. Different types of fresh juices are also common in every restaurant.  Another common drink is tea, since it is a form of tap water that is safe to drink as a result of boiling it. Even with all these options, the lack of free water, something that every restaurant in the United States offers, leads to drinking until a mostly-hydrated state. There are bodegas that sell large bottles of water for cheap prices, but when at a restaurant it is hard to fully hydrate to a level I am accustomed to, simply because it is not typical to have a goal of drinking a certain number of glasses of water each day.