Helpful and inviting people

It’s not likely that people smile back at you when walking through Lima. You may feel they are not friendly. But if you ask them for help it’s likely that they will stop and take some time to assist you. Of course, life can be very busy down there but the clock is not the king of the universe.
Peruvians in Lima are willing to help visitors. They seem to be happy to share their culture with tourists and to make them feel welcome. One afternoon, while walking with a group of students along the Malecón (boardwalk) in Miraflores by the ocean, a Peruvian woman who heard us speaking in English asked us where we were from. When she found out we were from Chicago, she invited us (a group of 15 people) to her condo. She was very excited because her husband was a native Chicagoan and wanted him to meet us. We spent 20 minutes at her beautiful condo overlooking the Pacific. Some of the students were surprised by such a gesture. Even though this is not something that would happen all the time, it’s more likely for people to be more open and take the time to share what they have and what they know. So if you get lost, you can be sure that you’ll find someone who will be willing to share his time with you.