There are a few things about Peru that I am afraid I will never understand. Try as I might, I just get can´t there. Peruvians views on chilled drinks are one of them.
At the start of winter, I noticed that every waiter asked if I wanted my drink "cold" or "not cold". Of course, I said cold every time. I´m not about to drink room temperature Inka Kola or chica morada. I wondered, why are they asking me? Have they asked me the whole time but I didn´t understand until now? Then I discovered teh truth: Most Peruvians beileve drinking chilled drinks in winter will bring on a cold. Now that´s a new one...
I stayed strong, drinking my chilled drinks and even one time drinking ice water at Alvaro´s house. As soon as his aunts heard the ice maker they rushed over warning me of my imminent cold. I walked twenty feet into the next room and his grandfather also warned me of my sickly fate. When I was still teaching at the language school, one night I brought in chilled water after a break. The students were overly worried and suggested that I change for tea instead.
For the whole of winter, I have stayed true to my preference and indulged in an array of cold drinks. I´m proud to say, to this day I have been cold free.
What unusual or foriegn beliefs have you encoutered while traveling?
