Why Gold's Gym in Miraflores is Still in Peru

After one year of Peace Corps service all Peace Corps volunteers gather in their country's capital to get checked by various doctors in a series of uncomfortable and awkward procedures. But, we make the most of it by being in Lima and doing things like joining gyms. :)

Yes, there is a Gold's Gym in Lima. Who knew. I certainly didn't. So, for the humble price of 90 soles (about thirty dollars...aka, not a humble price) we got a week membership. Yay! This gym is intense, looks just like a really nice gym in the states in many aspects: treadmills, ellipticle machines, aerobics classes, weight machines, etc. But, if you look, you will realize that indeed this gym is still located in ... Peru. So, I present you:

Why Gold's Gym in Miraflores is Still in Peru

1. The aerobics instructors drink Inca Kola during their work out classes. [Drinking water here is not really done, if you have thirst, most people reach for a soda usually Coca Cola or Inca Kola, a bubble gum flavored soda.]
2. The gym is in the planning stages of it's intense aniversario celebration. [In Peru, there is always a reason to party. Most of these reasons are anniversary parties. In my site, the anniversaries of the city, the high school, the elementary school, and the health center are intensely celebrated often by parades, dancing, drinking, etc.]
3. There are two water fountains at the gym: agua fria and agua helada (basically tepid water and really cold water). I was going to get some water and found 10 Peruvians in line for the tepid water and no one for the cold water. They'd rather stand in line than have cold water. [Almost every Peruvian I've met is irrationally convinced that cold water will hurt them in some way.]
4. Everyone in aerobics classes knows how to dance.