Feliz Dia Del Padre! Judging from Father’s Day alone, Peruvians seem to take their holidays quite seriously. Not only is Father’s Day advertised on every bulletin board and store window, but schools seem to dedicate a significant amount of time preparing for the occasion with songs, poems, and art projects dedicated to Papis everywhere. There was even a giant sign in the town plaza advertising a Father’s Day 80s disco dance party… interesting.

Today my family and I went to Lima to visit some family and friends for Father’s Day. We took a combi into Lima, so I was able to see Lima and its outskirts for the first time in daylight. Hundreds of markets line the main highway and feature thousands of vendors who come into the city for the weekend to sell produce and other goods. Lima is definitely not the most attractive city, especially at this time of year, and is known for its continual gray winter skies. The outskirts of the city are run-down and littered with trash. Perhaps my favorite view: a 10 foot wall painted “DO NOT LITTER” (in Spanish, obviously) that was surrounded by so much garbage it was hard to make out the words.

We went to my family’s friend’s neighborhood in Lima, which had lots of cute, colorful houses. We went out to eat and I was super-excited to try Ceviche, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Raw fish and seafood with lime juice and some other mysterious goodies: riquisima (delicious)!!! Afterward, we went to my family’s friend’s house and I got to meet their cousins and friends, who were all incredibly warm and welcoming. I felt like I was a part of their family as Guadalupe (my host mom) introduced me as her hijita mayor. It was fun to talk to everyone and meet some more Peruvians, and everyone seemed interested in what I was doing here. When I told them I would most likely be living in a poor rural area for the next two years, they sympathized with me as they said I would surely have to kill a pig at some point (hopefully they were joking).
They had a barbecue on their porch and cooked mountains of chicken, salad, and potatoes for us all to enjoy. After dinner we ate their Father’s Day cake and sang happy birthday in both English and Spanish (although I’m not sure why). Everyone, from the little babies to the grandparents, were dancing, eating, and enjoying each other’s company. Being a part of this celebration definitely made me realize how cool it is to be here as part of a family/community rather than a tourist. I had such a good day, and it was definitely something that couldn’t be replicated by any kind of personal vacation.