Miscellaneous Tips

Homesickness

Everyone suffers degrees of homesickness at some stage on an overseas trip. The first couple of weeks are usually the toughest. Hang in there - don't jump back on a plane and head home just yet! Keep in touch with family & friends on email. Also take with you a few photos from home. Homesickness always passes. If you spend long enough travelling in South America eventually you may not even want to go home :)

What's your Hair Colour?

Virtually all South Americans have dark coloured hair. So if you have light coloured hair you will stand out as being a tourist. In particular, if you are a female traveller with blonde hair you may attract the unwanted attention of curious South American 'macho' males. There is nothing to be concerned about but just keep in mind that you will stand out in the crowd.

English / Spanish text translations

When planning your trip you may come across some websites which are only presented in Spanish; or you may have to email a local tour company, hostel etc using Spanish. It's a good idea to have access to a English / Spanish text translator tool. A free download can be found here.

Punctuality... and the lack of it!

The lack of punctuality of South Americans is known as a cultural trait. This laissez-faire attitude to being on time is referred to as "hora peruana" - which translates roughly as "about an hour late". You are likely to experience this first hand. It can be frustrating, especially if related to your mode of transport (buses mainly). Try and relax and go with the flow.

"Hora peruana" attitude extends into daily lives. Often when I arranged to meet locals out for dinner or drinks they were invariably late… on one occasion 3 hours late! Some locals actually consider it rude to be on time.

The Peruvian government recently launched a national campaign to do away with chronic lateness. Hopefully this campaign catches on throughout South America!

"¿Que hora es?"

This question translates into “what time is it?” On my travels I lost count of how many times I was asked this question by the locals. Many other travellers I met mention that this same question was also asked to them ad nauseam.

I don’t know if the question “Que hora es?” is asked genuinely by locals needing the time; or whether it is just making conversation with a traveller. Either way, after a while I began to get a little tired of being continuously stopped by locals in the street and asked for the time. In city areas I decided not to wear my watch on my wrist (leaving it in my carry bag). When asked for the time I would keep walking and politely reply “lo siento, yo no tengo” – “sorry, I don’t have (the time)”.

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