homemade, but are mass produced and distributed. Also most products are geared towards tourists, rather than a marketplace for locals. The one in Otavalo seemed to have some things for the locals, like the pig’s head that was being cooked. In part that might be why the market has seen success that the market appeals to both locals and tourists. Most of the market workers aren’t skilled craftsman for the most part, but they are only serving retail type jobs. In essence the real native culture has been lost. They are just trying to fit in the best they can. It is customary to haggle and try and get discounts. This practice isn’t customary here in the United States in a typical market place, but is normal to see in other business negotiations. …show more content…
He lives in California, but he grew up in Peru. We were talking a bit about Peru and the United States. He brought up an interesting, and yet simple observation. He said that “Americans respect the laws of the road as well as other laws and Peruvians don’t.” We all observed the difference in driving between Ecuador and Peru. Peru lacked some common courtesy, if you were on the road you were everyone’s enemy. At least I would be comfortable driving in Ecuador, but not in Peru. A major cultural difference we see in Latin America is the way they stick to time schedules. In Peru and Ecuador (and generally in Latin America) it is more important to know a business associate than sticking to a ridged schedule. Whenever we went to eat, for the most part the service was really slow, and that is part of the culture. Instead of a siesta, they take long lunches. Dinners are long as well. The culture is more oriented around getting to know others. In the United States we are always on the move, and looking to fill our time