The name says it all. When you meet somebody for the first time, you greet them with a quick and short peck of your cheek to theirs. Don't forget to also couple it with the verbal greeting of either,
"Hola / Mucho gusto / Que tal".
If you you wanna be super fancy say,
"Encantada/Encantado".
Now, the 'Cheek-to-cheek' greeting is performed by men and women. Meaning, women greet other women and men this way. However, men strictly perform this greeting only to women and then just a solid handshake to a man....unless I suppose the man has a very close relationship with the other male counterpart, then that's fine.
In formal situations...which i've rarely been in, i'm not so sure how it goes. I suppose a handshake from both sexes can never go wrong.
If you're not sure what you're meant to do just watch what the other person you're about to greet is doing. If he/she is leaning in for that 'cheeky touch' I guess you should go for it. If he/she is extending their hand for a shake, grab that hand with content and shake away!
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I've been in Peru for more than a year now and there are still many things i'm learning along the way. I come from Brunei Darussalam, a conservative Muslim country where our customs are totally different to the rest of the world, especially to countries with western influences. Total shocker.
Brunei is a peaceful nation, we are not a god fearing community nor are we extremists as Muslims. I tell all my friends that Brunei is place where you go to retire, it is super quiet and peaceful, it is a monarchy meaning we have a King, there is no drinking (alcohol), no clubs, no car honking (this is very true, even in heavy traffic) and we have summer all year round.
I can go on and on about Brunei but this little series of blog entries I will dedicate to the Peruvian customs/experiences I have encountered and learned along the way.
I hope its useful information as well as entertaining!
