I moved from New York City to South America for six months — these were the biggest differences I experienced

Zoë EttingerApr 22, 2020, 20:52 IST

Me in South America and New York City.Zoe Ettinger

In 2018, I left New York City for six months to travel through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.
I found that the food, clothing, architecture, wildlife, and landscapes were completely different to those I had experienced living in the US.
In Peru, one of the most popular dishes is ceviche. Many street carts charge the equivalent of $3 for it — far cheaper than many meals in NYC.
In the city streets of Colombia and Ecuador, I would see iguanas. In NYC, it's mostly rats and squirrels.
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In 2018, I moved from New York City to South America. I had spent months saving up for a six-month-long trip through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

Though I anticipated cultural differences, I was still surprised by many things that I found in each country, from the traditional street meal of ceviche to the abundance of iguanas and llamas roaming throughout different cities.

Here are the biggest differences I found after leaving the US for South America.

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For some context, it's about as common to see a squirrel in New York as it is to see a llama in Peru.

A squirrel. Brennan Garcia/Shutterstock

Llamas are very common in Peru and Bolivia, and can be seen in both mountains and cities working as pack animals.

Llamas in Peru. Zoe Ettinger

In New York City, rats are the most common pest. It's nearly impossible to spend a day outdoors in the city and not see a rat.

A rat runs across a sidewalk in New York City. Carlo Allegri/Reuters

In some parts of South America, iguanas are considered pests — they hang around the streets and eat fallen food. It sounds eerily like a standard NYC pest ...

An iguana in Colombia. Zoe Ettinger

In New York City, graffiti is illegal, and tags are often washed off soon after they're made.

A graffiti-covered wall in NYC. CribbVisuals/Getty Images

The street art in South America is very colorful and in many places, graffiti is legal.

Street art in Medellín, Colombia. Zoe Ettinger

St. Paul's Chapel is one of the oldest buildings in New York — but it only dates back to 1766, about 300 years after Machu Picchu was built.

St. Paul's Chapel in New York City. Dieter Klar/Getty Images

Machu Picchu, built during the 15th century, is hundreds of years older than the oldest buildings in New York City — you can see over half a century's worth of history just by walking around.

Machu Picchu in Peru. Zoe Ettinger

Machu Picchu, built during the 15th century, is hundreds of years older than the oldest buildings in New York City — you can see over half a century's worth of history just by walking around.

In New York City, the buildings are much taller and the architecture styles are more diverse.

Manhattan, New York. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

In Colombia, the buildings aren't very tall, and much of the architecture is in the same style.

Medellín, Colombia. Zoe Ettinger

In New York City, most people dress in muted colors, like this outfit I am wearing in downtown Manhattan.

Me in downtown Manhattan. Frank Olito

People dressed very colorfully in Colombia. It wasn't uncommon to see someone dressed like the woman pictured here.

A woman in traditional clothing in Colombia. Zoe Ettinger

Compare that to a burger and fries, which is NYC's version of a quick, relatively cheap, and filling meal.

Montana Aleworks bison burger. Sophie-Claire Hoeller/Insider

A very common meal in Colombia is a bandeja paisa (platter of the Paisa region) which consists of beans, plantains, avocado, eggs, and meat.

A bandeja paisa. Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images

Street food in New York is more diverse, since we have so many cultures in one place, but it doesn't taste as fresh as ceviche.

A halal street food cart vendor. Shutterstock

Ceviche is common both on the street and in restaurants in Peru and can be purchased for as little as $3.

Ceviche in Lima, Peru. Enrique Castro-Mendivil/Reuters

There actually are beaches in New York City, like Rockaway Beach. It's typically quite crowded in the summer and is a far subway ride deep into Queens.

The beach in Rockaway, in Queens, New York City. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

In Colombia, the beaches were incredible. In some places, I was the only person there.

The beach in Isla Fuerte, Colombia. Zoe Ettinger

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I moved from New York City to South America for six months — these were the biggest differences I experienced

For some context, it's about as common to see a squirrel in New York as it is to see a llama in Peru.

Llamas are very common in Peru and Bolivia, and can be seen in both mountains and cities working as pack animals.

In New York City, rats are the most common pest. It's nearly impossible to spend a day outdoors in the city and not see a rat.

In some parts of South America, iguanas are considered pests — they hang around the streets and eat fallen food. It sounds eerily like a standard NYC pest ...

In New York City, graffiti is illegal, and tags are often washed off soon after they're made.

The street art in South America is very colorful and in many places, graffiti is legal.

St. Paul's Chapel is one of the oldest buildings in New York — but it only dates back to 1766, about 300 years after Machu Picchu was built.

Machu Picchu, built during the 15th century, is hundreds of years older than the oldest buildings in New York City — you can see over half a century's worth of history just by walking around.

In New York City, the buildings are much taller and the architecture styles are more diverse.

In Colombia, the buildings aren't very tall, and much of the architecture is in the same style.

In New York City, most people dress in muted colors, like this outfit I am wearing in downtown Manhattan.

People dressed very colorfully in Colombia. It wasn't uncommon to see someone dressed like the woman pictured here.

Compare that to a burger and fries, which is NYC's version of a quick, relatively cheap, and filling meal.

A very common meal in Colombia is a bandeja paisa (platter of the Paisa region) which consists of beans, plantains, avocado, eggs, and meat.

Street food in New York is more diverse, since we have so many cultures in one place, but it doesn't taste as fresh as ceviche.

Ceviche is common both on the street and in restaurants in Peru and can be purchased for as little as $3.

There actually are beaches in New York City, like Rockaway Beach. It's typically quite crowded in the summer and is a far subway ride deep into Queens.

In Colombia, the beaches were incredible. In some places, I was the only person there.