Evaluating My First Two Days

     My first week in Peru, from the 18th to the , in retrospect, offered several valuable learning experiences. After a weekend of adjusting to my new environment, I came to school; however, I became very sick and was unable to complete the rest of the day's activities. Tuesday was much better, however; after school, our group toured Peru's National Museum of History, which ranged in scope from the Ice Age to the present. It was located in Simon Bolivar's former home in Peru during the war of independence, making it all the more important symbolically. We also toured central Lima's famous magic water fountains, which are famous for their elaborate displays shows.
     On Wednesday, we toured the Inquisition Museum; like Spain, Peru's Catholic authorities initiated a wide ranging crackdown on dissent from the 1600s until the Inquisition's end in 1812. Although it was smaller in scale than Spain's Inquisition and killed far fewer people, it remains a dark period in the country's history. Next, we toured Peru's national Congress; it was established after independence, although for much of its history it was unwilling or unable to competently govern, and was frequently overthrown by the military. Today's Congress is much more stable since the establishment of a new constitution in 1994. Finally, we toured Peru's Gastronomical Museum, which detailed the development of food in Peru from the domestication of quinua and the potato to modern cooking and agriculture techniques.
     During these days, I learned several useful things; first, have backups for problems you will encounter. I had packed some medicines for common illnesses from the US, but these were ineffective for the first day of my sickness. I quickly found that electrolyte solutions were much better for me, as my roommate advised, and only wish I had resorted to them sooner. Second, I learned more about how to effectively work despite adversity. Despite being ill, I was able to carry out many group activities and go to class by better observing my own needs. Finally, I learned the importance of good communication when you need help; since I had a hard time explaining my symptoms to my host family, I utilized my Spanish speaking roommate Amelio as a translator. After this, I accomplished much more than when I was trying to solve all of my problems on my own.