3/21/2018 0 Comments deep thoughts in shallow mancoraI remember having a rare moment alone during the sunset at Mancora. Sunset at the beach is where the perfect time meets the perfect place- the most beautiful time of the day and the ocean with its inviting calm. In Mancora, salt water laps the sand as small waves crest over, and a warm sun sets and turns orange over the sea, creating silhouettes out of the fishing boats and remaining surfers. On this part of the northern coast of Peru, sunset is a quiet time of the day. The long night has yet to start, and beachgoers are making dinner plans or resting until the evening really begins. Memories of the night before are a cloudy mix of drinks, food, people, and loud pulsating beachside dance scenes. Here the water isn't cold, but is never particularly warm either, and the beach is pretty and provides solid waves all day long. But ask anyone who's been, and you'll hear people come to Mancora for the nightlife. Catching the sunset alone was a special thing here. This was not a town for travelers looking to find isolation or quiet. Yet here I was, sitting and looking out into the never-ending sea, whose rhythmic crashing into shore enshrouded me with calm. I thought I would possibly live in Peru forever- I would move to the coast and make money teaching English, or maybe working for a conservation NGO, or perhaps learn to surf and set up a surfing school. I figured I would make enough to make by, surrounded by good food and the ability to travel the continent a couple of times a year. More than anything, the possibilities seemed fun and exciting. It didn't happen though. I moved back to the USA, sometimes wondering if I would ever live there if it weren't for my family and friends. Maybe that's because the USA is so familiar to me that it can't thrill like another country, or maybe because it feels like a giant monoculture. Probably my thinking that day was influenced by the scene and sounds of the beach, helping me forget about the problems Peru faced and the differences between volunteering and being a working resident. But there’s something about my home country that doesn’t bring out my excitement to explore quite like Peru does. Peru, despite all the difficulties it threw my way, had me enchanted that day in Mancora, and to this day has not let go. It was the first country I visited or lived in outside of my own, and it caught me young and open to what was to offer. But also, Peru has something exciting that makes it impossible to get tired of exploring. It is not a melting pot, but rather a fusion, a result of centuries of disparate civilizations clashing at and ultimately influencing one another. Yet despite all the history, there is an energy in the cities that makes the country feel new. Part of this is explained by Peru's large young population and the huge gains in economic growth since democracy was restored, growth which was pent up and not allowed to occur due to the conflicts of the 1990's. Peru is still inventing itself- its fusions of food and cultures, and new challenges and opportunities brought on by development have made the country one that constantly is tying the past with the present, in the most colorful, unpredictable, and exciting ways.
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AuthorBrad Goodman Archives
April 2019
CategoriesAll Andes Beaches Ghosts Halloween Lima Mancora Peace Corps Peru Rural Tourism Yauyos |