HAPPY 199 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE, PERÚ ♥

What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear or read about: Perú?

Maybe it's Machu Picchu, llamas, ceviche, pisco, cuy? (If you thought about any of those words then... yeah, it's quite obvious because those are the most famous things there are here -but not the only ones, though).

 

Anyways, for me, one word comes immediately to my mind, and that is  D I V E R S I T Y .

Yes, I mean, we practically have almost 100 years of diversity, and it comes from the bunch of history that we've lived.

Just imagine with me the following statement; if the spaniards wouldn't have conquered our territory the inca heritage would be much more alive than ever right now, right? Well, starting with our main language that would've been quechua and the second one spanish (and maybe it would be mandatory for foreign visitors to learn quechua expressions to be able to move around here)...

But also we might've been able to come up with our own technology (like...umm...China maybe), because as the incas really did an amazing work with the caminos, fortresses, and mostly the quipus to keep up-to-date the accounting system, I think there will be no doubt about that.

This is a real quipu, still conserved in our modern times.
Can you imagine counting using this huge thing instead of a calculator?

And don't get me started with the medicine... I mean, of course there would be hospitals and stuff like that, but our natural medicine plants and herbs would also get much more attention and importance out there, as much as the laboratories and pills and scientific research. So, what I'm trying to say with this is that, probably, most of the peruvian population would be much healed with natural-ancient medicine.

Especially, in the deep amazon.

Zac knows it!

However we wouldn't probably have that big richness in our food that come from the immigrants of around the world because the incas -probably- would've fight  against those people when they would've come here in order to keep the culture intact, and therefore we would be full-stocked with our superfoods. 

This is a Pachamanca... The corn, potatoes, three kinds of meat

Despite all the good and not-so-good points, I think it -things happen for a reason- and it was good that the spanish came and did their thing... But please, do not misinterpret me because I definitely don't love the fact that every inca descendant was killed... I'm just saying that at the end they brought different european and african cultures here who got involved with our culture and instead of establish their own thing and reject ours, they made it even richer.

And to be honest, it is very powerful how our past heritage is still so alive nowadays through the younger generations. It's what the 21st century is about, start putting away the racism and stereotypes and embrace our roots and diversity.

 

So now, to celebrate this Fiestas Patrias, I'd like to ask you... 
How would you describe Peru in 140 characters? It doesn't matter if you don't live here or haven't traveled here or just visited once a long time ago, let it flow from your original perpective...

Let me know in the comments below :) 

I couldn't be more happy to call myself a peruvian ♥