Mucho Gusto: Americo

While traveling I found that the people I enjoyed talking to the most were the locals: shop owners, food vendors, cab drivers, weavers, farmers and restaurant owners. All gladly answered questions, joked with me and asked me just as curious questions. I loved getting to know the history of dishes they made, struggles as farmers, and their take of the influence on the younger generations.

On July 30th 2015 we had the pleasure of meeting Americo. A Huaraz, Peru native that was our cab driver from the town to the mountains.  Through my conversation with him, he opened up about his family life. I learned his parents were farm workers for a wealthy family, and through hard work they gave their children a better life. Americo like most of his siblings were able to buy their own land and work for himself. The financial independence his parents had dreamed of for their children. He is a land owner, a farmer, and drove a cab for extra money to help his children with their cost for college.  Driving a cab pays well in that part of Peru as we learned cab drivers are unreliable. Therefore if you are someone people could count on, you will always have a job. 

As our conversation continued we found that he shared a lot of similarities with my parents. I briefly shared the struggles my parents had as immigrants to the U.S. My parents similar to Americo and his wife worked hard to give their family a better future just like their parents did for them. Americo like my parents didn't finish a high school education, work and helping his family was made priority. He expressed his sense of embarrassment as he wasn't able to help his children with homework which was a frustration I had seen with my own parents. Americo and his wife relied on his community to get his kids help with homework and always made sure they didn't fall behind. He now has two college graduates and a son that will soon be going to college. As we sat in his car having this conversation I had a realization. I realized that like my parents although he couldn't help his kids with school homework he taught his children things you can't learn elsewhere. He taught his kids how to grow their own food, be independent, and the rewards of hard work. Life lessons that I told him his children probably value more than anything. 

It was great to get to talk so openly with him. To get to see the constant glow from the pride in his family. When people ask what my favorite part was about our travels, I always say it was the people we met. We saw so many beautiful sights, both breathtaking and tear jerking from beauty. But there is just something so beautiful about meeting and sharing moments like this with people. 

Below is a photo of Bryan and I in the tree net at the hostel Americo drove us to. A permaculture hostel  that was home base for a few nights.