f is for food.

One of the best parts of this trip was the food. From fresh coconut to fried guinea pig, South America had a lot to offer. Similar to the United States, many food establishments had various deals. There was a small market in Cusco, Peru that offered a soup, entrée, and drink for fifteen soles which is approximately six U.S. dollars. The difference is that you can barter the price of the food depending on where you eat. I thought that was a really interesting difference.

Another marketing tactic that they used to their advantage was the persuasion of human contact. A lot of the higher end restaurants will have people that stand in front and try to persuade people (as they walk by) to eat at the restaurant. The people, typically men, will entice you with free appetizers or spirits which is a good way to get big groups to eat at their restaurant. 

One of the problems in South America is that the service is nowhere near the caliber of the United States so it requires a lot of patience. In Trujillo, Peru some friends and I had a misunderstanding at a chicken restaurant. The guys ordered a plate that included a free Pepsi (as you can see in the picture). As we sat and waited for our food, the combination of hunger and exhaustion took its toll. The guys in the group started complaining about how in the United States if the food was this late it would be complimentary. Already frustrated, disaster struck when the waiter tried to charge us for the Pepsi’s that were supposed to be included. If we had been required to pay this would have been a case of false advertising. Fortunately, they did not charge us for the drinks.