Peru travel – the Indian perspective

Date of travel: September/October 2018
Traveled with: Spouse

Peru was my first ever destination to the south of the Equator. Geographically, it is also the farthest I have ever been (till now) from my home country, India. Just to give you a perspective, here is a Wikipedia snapshot of how India and Peru are separated by several countries and oceans.

India and Peru – so distant, yet so close

Naturally, before traveling to Peru, I had anticipated a travel experience completely different from that of India – geographically, historically and culturally. And Peru did serve me that wonderful feeling of treading into an unknown territory. Yet, I was amazed by some striking similarities between the two countries, geographically and historically, and some strong connect, from the cultural aspect as well.

1. Indian entertainment – Bollywood, you say?

On learning that we come from India, many Peruvians shared with us their fondness for Bollywood movies and Hindi TV serials (soap operas). I was surprised to notice the reach of our very own Indian entertainment industry.

Case#1:  Our guide in Cusco, a young man from the mountains – probably in his mid-30s, explained to us how he and his family love watching Bollywood movies, and that Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol are their favorite actors, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and My Name Is Khan are among their favorite movies. He even mentioned that the Peruvians love to sing and dance at weddings, similar to Indians (as he had seen in Hindi movies).

Case#2: Our guide in Nazca, another young man probably in his mid-30s, mentioned that he and his wife regularly watch Indian soap operas and Khushi is their favorite. [Not being a TV buff, I could not understand what serial he was referring to]. He mentioned that he has watched classic Hindi movies like Mera Naam Joker and Mother India, and also the new ones like My Name Is Khan. He also wanted to validate with us if Shah Rukh Khan is the most popular film-star in India.

Personally, I am not really a fan of the ‘actor’ Shah Rukh Khan, but I am definitely an admirer of the self-made man that Shah Rukh Khan is. So, when I got to know that people from halfway across the globe connect with my country through the entertainment that a certain Shah Rukh Khan creates on screen, the sense that filled my mind was ‘pride’! I nodded: Yes, Shah Rukh Khan IS the most popular actor of the current generation film industry.

Case#3: At a small shop in a local market in Lima, a very old woman shopkeeper was surprised to learn that I am from India. She said (in Spanish): “You are Indian? But you do not look like Indian women. You have short hair.  I have seen Indian movies, like Mera Naam Joker and Mother India. You do not look like the Indian women from your movies. You look modern. Like Indira Gandhi”. I was just stunned at her knowledge about my country. [For the unacquainted, Indira Gandhi was our first woman Prime Minister (1966-1977, 1980-1984) and is considered to be one of the most influential leaders of modern Indian politics. She also happened to sport short hair.]

Bollywood and cricket define a large part of modern urban culture in India. If you have got a hang of Bollywood, you are already connected to a part of our culture! ?

2. Rich history

In the colonial era, many of the world’s countries were completely wiped off their indigenous culture, treasures and even people by the conquering nations. Yet some lands did survive the abuse of colonialism for hundreds of years, retained some of their heritage and post independence, emerged with what now are rich pages of history about what they were, what they had, how they lived in the pre-colonial era. India is one such nation. Starting from the Harappan civilization to what the Mughals, the Rajputs, the Marathas etc. had created on this land still stand strong and define the rich history of current day India. And Peru is another such nation. The Waris, the Incas, the Nazcas built their empires and created enough marvels that could stand the test of time and define the rich history of current day Peru.

3. The Andes and the Himalayas

Although I am more of a beach person, I always feel there’s something mysterious about mountains. They are mighty, equally capable of protecting as well as destroying. They can provide shelter, they can also snatch the roof away from above your head. Mountains can provide you that much needed tranquility, they can also give you that dose of adrenaline rush. Yet so many people call the high altitude mountains their homes, and what an incredibly humble life do they live! 

The key to living in the mountains is probably to play your life with the strength of the mountains, not against. World’s longest mountain range, the Andes, cuts through Peru among several other South American countries. The Himalayan mountain range, that houses many of the world’s highest peaks, passes through India, among other Asian countries. The magnificent beauty of the majestic mountains, combined with the life of indigenous people living there, provide a stunning perspective of travel and life in general, for both the Andes in Peru and the Himalayas in India.

The mighty mountains

4. Lima and Indian cities

Lima, the capital of Peru, is a large city by the coast, dotted with numerous high-rises and rich people riding fancy cars. Walk away from the posh neighborhoods and you will stumble across the shabbier ones, where people struggle hard to make both ends meet. In any prominent area of the city, you will find extremely busy people, always on the go, as if running against time. Go to the sea-facing parks/ promenades and you will find plenty of ‘group of friends’ and ‘couples’ enjoying the fresh sea breeze at midnight, some with flowers in hand and some busy eating some snacks from the street vendors.

If you are from India, do these scenes strike a chord to you? Yes, you guessed it right! Lima is like a mirror image of Mumbai. Add to this, fantastic food, insane traffic and messy driving with almost nil lane discipline. Pretty much the scene from any Tier1 city in India! Having lived in big cities in India almost all my life and then living away from India for some months now, I immediately connected with the urban chaos in Lima – never felt so ‘at home’ in a long time! True story! ?

Do you see the resemblance?

5. Machu Picchu and Taj Mahal

Both India and Peru are each home to one of the 7 wonders of the modern world – Taj Mahal and Machu Pichhu respectively. Naturally, these 2 destinations feature high on the bucket list of world travelers when they consider a trip to either of these 2 countries. And that should be absolutely fine, right? Both Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu have earned their fame for all the right reasons.

However, having traveled to several corners of my country India (including Taj Mahal) for over 3 decades, I have realized that India has much more to offer to the world traveler than just the Taj Mahal. I am not trying to devalue, in any way, the grandeur that Taj Mahal is. Just that, traveling across oceans and continents to see the Taj Mahal only, is like scratching the surface of the abundance of travel experiences that India can offer.

And in my short stay of about 9 days in Peru, I felt the same about this country too. Machu Pichhu is strikingly beautiful, beyond any doubt and deserves all the attention that it gets. But Peru has so much more to offer. Flying to Peru just to see Machu Picchu is like traveling just for the sake of ticking off a bucket list item. Both Peru and India deserve much longer stays for the world traveler to even begin to grasp the diversity of both the countries.

At ‘Wonder of the World’ sites

6. Diversity

Talking about diversity, travelers travel to different destinations to gain different experiences through culture, history and geography. It is amazing how a single country, India, by itself, can be so diverse, both culturally and geographically. Let us just stick to the geographical diversity here for the sake of simplicity.

Snow-capped white mountains, barren brown mountains, pine-covered lush green mountains, vast stretches of desert sand dunes, UNESCO world heritage sites, modern cities with plush neighborhoods, small villages lost in time, architectural marvels, white sand beaches, azure water oceans, dense forests/jungles, rich wildlife – India has it all. Indeed. I am not exaggerating one bit. Though the cultural diversity can get overwhelming at times (like 20+ languages huh?!), the geographical diversity is a treat for the eyes if you know how to choose the right places. I felt exactly the same about Peru’s geographical diversity – they have all kinds of terrains within the borders of their country. And their cultural diversity is fairly interesting as well.

Two countries so distant from each other geographically, yet to so near characteristically. I did not even talk about the similarities with respect to religious beliefs, politics and economy. With so many striking connections between India and Peru, I keep wondering if the world is indeed a small place, a dot in the overall scheme of universe – with or without digital development.

Stay tuned for more travel stories and itineraries of Peru.