In Tingo María, people speak Spanish. If you go slightly up into the mountains to the west, you will meet people who also speak Quechua, an indigenous language that is common in many parts of Perú.
In Perú, the currency is the nuevo sol (or just sol for short). Sol means sun in Spanish. This is a reference to the ancient Inca Empire that existed in Perú hundreds of years ago, which had its own religion that worshiped the sun.
Unlike in the U.S., the coins here are worth a decent amount of money. There are coins for one sol, two soles, and even five soles. You can pay for a taxi ride or a snack just using coins!
A bottle of water costs one sol, which is worth about 25 cents in the U.S.
On Friday night, I went downtown to eat at my favorite seafood restaurant. I ordered sushi and causa, which is a typical Peruvian dish made with mashed potatoes, tuna or chicken salad, and avocado slices, all covered with lime juice. It was delicious!
