There is some form of racism here which I never expected.. It is pretty obvious that people here are very fascinated with foreigners with light skin and fair hair (there are not that many here). I get a lot more atention than I would like- everybody, men or women, stare at me in the street. Men especially can get quite annoying, telling me they love me blahblah. It is really wired for me, because there are so many absolutely stunning peruvian women, in tight dresses with faces of inka-godesses and I walk around like a sloppy tramp, with a red and sweaty face and not sexy at all. Still all the men seem to be losing it. In the village the kids are fascinated with my hair and skin and touch it with amazement. When I asked them they said I am beautiful and they are ugly. They sid I have white skin and they called themselves "negros" -blacks. For me they are brown and absolutely gorgeous. They don´t understand and I didn´t understand either until I asked Eduardo about it.
He explained that this whole reaction is due to the fact that Peru was ruled by the Spanish concerors for a long time. They supressed the Inkas, took all their goods and enslaved them. For the Inkas the spanish represented all they could not have: wealth, power and beauty. And the Spanish had white skin..
Today in all the commercials you only see white men, women and kids with blond hair and blue eyes selling the local "Inka Kola" and all other products. All that peruvians find beautiful and desirable is represented in white skin and light hair..
Now I know why they all think I am beautiful, but it doesn´t make it easier. It actually is that bad, that I can´t go out, not even to a bar by myself, because the men get really agressive. I had to buy a cheap ring to underline my standard- "estoy casada" (I am married), they still don´t care too much and try anyway.
Thankfully the jungle is different and people there are much more relaxed.
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