Spanish is the main language of Peru, along with Quechua and Aymara. The local people you meet will most likely speak very little English. Before your trip it’s a good idea to learn some Spanish phrases and carry a travel-size dictionary. Raising your voice while repeating your question to a Spanish speaking person won’t help the situation. Patience, hand gestures, and writing down the names of places can usually do the trick and most people are happy to try to help you out.
The beliefs of modern Peruvians have deep roots in Inca stories and legends. One example is the respect for high mountain peaks, which are considered sacred and believed to be the homes of powerful spirits called apus. Today people make offerings to the apus by gathering food, drink, coca leaves, and other plants as a symbol of gratitude for all that the spirits provide. There are also many ancient rituals around Mother Earth. The rituals are done on August 1st, which is a special day. On this day, there are massive ceremonies, offerings and rituals, following the Andean practice of ayni , or giving back to the earth goddess.
Greetings in Peru are quite important! For women, between friends, whether male or female, it is normal to give a kiss on the cheek (air kiss). If they are close friends or family this is usually accompanied by a hug. Between men, the greeting is normally a handshake with a pat on the back or a one-armed hug. This is usually paired with an hola and buenos días (good morning) if it’s before noon, or buenas tardes (good afternoon/evening) if it’s between noon and 7pm. It is also common to ask cómo estás? for how are you? (or cómo está if formal) or a qué tal? for how’s it going? To talk to people older than you, it is a sign of respect to address them as señor or señora before their first name.
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