The Peruvian whistle.

I have discovered that Peruvians like to whistle.  Not whistle tunes or anything, but more like using whistling as a signal.  Many of the street vendors have their own specific whistle.  The Peruvian that hears them will know exactly what service the whistle is peddling.  There are three main ones:

-The ice cream whistle.  Most often heard during the summer, it sounds kinda like a defective bike horn, crossed with a kazoo.  Its made with a horn to the mouth.  Ice cream!  I hear it a little more airy, but....whatevs

-The bike bread cart who peddles bread goods around the nieghborhood.  Its made with a hand held bike horn. CARBS!

-The knife sharpeners horn which is more like a panpipe...ok it IS a panpipe, but also sounds kinda sinister...Sharp edges!

There is also the general watchman whistle which is the normal one made with the mouth or a PE whistle.  Whistles are also used to call people's attention.  For example, in a crowded room, if Carlos is separated from his mom, his mom with whistle to call his attention.  (She also does it in the grocery store....the supermarket...on the street and I personally don't see how it could be effective).  Carlos says this is because a whistle cuts across the noise a crowd makes a lot better than yelling or or noises.  To me...it sounds like you are calling a pet.

I have yet to be able to always distinguish between the different whistles, and they always call my attention, whereas with Carlos, he can hear them and they just form part of the general noise or non noise going on.  I tend to sort the sounds by time of day.  The bread man passes in the early morning and later afternoon.  The ice cream bike passes during mid day to early evening and the sharpeners mid morning.

Maybe I am getting more accustomed to living here after all...