Why did you decide to move to Huaracondo?
My wife and I relocated to the Cusco region to operate a bed and breakfast. I am originally from Southern California and most recently lived in Las Vegas for 25 years. My wife Lily is originally from Lima, Peru and lived in the US for 12 years, we met in Las Vegas, fell in love and were married. Not long after our first trip together to Lily's home country of Peru, we started to make plans to move here permanently. In early 2012 we took a trip to Cusco and purchased a property with the intention of converting it into a bed and breakfast.
We moved to Peru in July of 2012 and spent a little over a month in Lima purchasing items and starting the process of getting my permanent residency. In August we made the trip to our town of Huarocondo, which is about 30 minutes outside of Cusco, and have been living here ever since.
How was the moving process?
For us it was fairly simple, we sold everything that we could replace and just flew down with a few extra pieces of luggage. We did have to make one trip back to the States to get the remainder of our things, but we were essentially able to bring everything in 12 pieces of luggage.
What formalities did you have to go through to be able to settle in Peru?
We actually just got married here; it was the easiest thing to do.
What did you have to do to be able to start a business in the country?
This was a fairly simple process, partially due to the fact that my wife had a RUC (a personal kind of license needed to have a business) from a previous job. Since she already had the RUC, we just had to go to the local municipality, fill out a form and we got a license.
Did you face some difficulties to adapt to your host country (language, culture, do's and don'ts)?
I like to think I adapt fairly well and so far the only real hurdle is the language, I am still learning Spanish and unfortunately the locals mainly speak Quechua. Most of them speak Spanish as well but when they are talking among themselves it is in Quechua.
What surprised you the most in Huarocondo?
The Church, considering the small size of the town, we have a very beautiful and old church. We have even read that some of the painting in the church are more valuable that the ones in the cathedral in Cusco.
Tell us more about your day-to-day life in Peru:
As we are running a bed and breakfast, my day usually starts early answering emails and getting breakfast ready. What happens after breakfasts can vary greatly depending on the wishes of our guests.
Some days we will take guests on a tour of the local archeological sites in the area; this can include sites in the Sacred Valley, Southern Valley or Cusco itself, and will usually occupy our entire day. Other days we have to take guests to, or pick up from, the airport. We also have nice quiet days on occasion when our guests are all doing something on their own and we get to relax.
In the evenings we cook dinner, occasionally accompanied by guests that want to learn how to prepare a Peruvian meal, and usually get to enjoy the evening meal with our guests and hear about what they did that day.
Is it easy to make friends in Huarocondo?
Yes, we have found the people of Huarocondo to be very friendly and warm. We have made a few friends since moving here but unfortunately, due to the nature of our business we don't have a lot of time to be social.
Could you please share with us something you like about Huarocondo and something you don't like?
Aside from the Church and the locals, the valley itself is one of the things I like the best. I don't know if I have really found anything yet that I don't like, I guess the fact that the power and water occasionally go out can be a little inconvenient, but it is also kind of cool, having dinner by candle light can be nice.
Being married to a national of the country, do you live the Peruvian or the American way?
Kind of a mix, when it comes to our guests, we do as much as possible "the American way", but we tend to do most other things the Peruvian way.
Did you adopt any adopt any habit or local tradition from Peru since you have been living here?
Well my wife says that I now drive like a Peruvian, which is hard not to do if you want to get anywhere. We are also enjoying the local festivals and look forward to participating in some in the future.
What do you miss the most from the US, your home country?
Considering we lived in Las Vegas before moving, we do miss the entertainment. Aside from that there is not much, as Cusco is a tourist location, most American food is available; I do on occasion crave Red Vines though.
How often do you go back home?
We moved here July of 2012 and went back to visit in February of this year. As we are trying to get the bed and breakfast going, it may be a while before we are able to return again.
Which advice would you give to people wishing to settle in Huarocondo?
Be prepared to slow down, life here runs at a slower more relaxed pace.
