Thursday, July 3rd, 2003- Day 135
Huaraz is the primary base destination for most visitors who are keen on exploring the Callejin de Huaylas Valley that runs 200km (120 miles) right down the middle of Peru. At an altitude of 3,100m (10,230 ft.), Huaraz enjoys a spectacular setting at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca: The town is dominated by 20 snowcapped peaks, each higher than 6,000m (19,800 ft.), which rise in splendor just beyond reach of the city. Huaraz itself is a far cry from the postcard perfection of a picturesque alpine village, however. It has a major earthquake to blame for its ragged look, which is weighed down by rapid and cheap concrete construction. The massive 1970 earthquake leveled nearly the entire city, eradicating half its population in the process.
The bus journey was uncomfortable. The seats were small and I could not stretch out my legs. I also had a big guy in the seat beside me who snored and kept leaning back in my direction. I had to elbow him a few times. I watched Wasabi on TV (French with Spanish subtitles) which was poor even thought I like Jean Reno as an actor. After that a more interesting feature called THE ANIMATIX. Matrix writer-directors Larry and Andy Wachowski commissioned seven artists from Japan, America and Korea to make nine short films set in the world of their feature trilogy. Pretty cool and they were in English.
Anyway I got very little sleep and we arrived crazy early. It was 5.15am and it was dark. I knew where I wanted to go – five blocks away, so I did not need or want a taxi. I waited until 6.00am and I braved it. There must have been about 100 local taxi drivers and accommodation providers outside (for a small town of 18,000). I told them all I had a reservation. It only took me 5 minutes to walk to my chosen hostel called Hotel Los Andes (Bolognesi 296). It was a dive but quiet, empty and secure. It was 11 Soles for a room without bath and 20 Soles with. The shared bathroom was one of the worse I had seen. Anyway the owner was a nice old lady and showed me up to the roof to watch a beautiful sunrise.
There was no point in going to bed and wasting a morning. Decided to Yungay, 50km (31 miles) N of Huaraz
This small town is permanently marked by tragedy–it was completely buried in a 1970 landslide, precipitated by the massive earthquake that loosened tons of granite from the top of Nevado Huascarin. The hurtling mass killed at least 20,000 people, nearly the town’s entire population. Only a few children survived. A new settlement was established about a half mile away.
I took a Combi min van from the Quillcay Bridge on Alameda Fitzcarrald Huaraz. The trip took about 1 1/2 hours and it cost three Soles. It was 50% full of gringos on a climbing Trip. At Yungay, I went to the local market and looked at the nice scenery and mountains surrounding the area. I found out that a bus would be leaving to Lagunas de Llanganuco at 9.00am. I bought some bread and water and waited. The lakes are 26km (16 miles) away. It cost seven Soles and it took about one hour fifteen minutes. It drop’s you off right at the lake. This brilliant turquoise alpine lakes, at nearly 4,000m (13,120 ft.) above sea level, compose a dazzling vista at the base of the Cordillera Blanca’s highest snowcapped summits. The views of Chopicalqui (6,354m/20,841 ft.), Huandoy (6,395m/20,976 ft.), and hulking Huascar?n (6,768m/22,199 ft.) are simply mesmerizing. I stayed about an hour and took an optional row boat out (4 Soles) for 15 minutes.
It was only about 11.30am and I decided to walk back to Yungay (until the next bus came). I had walked about 1/3 of the route when a bus came. I was happy as it was roasting hot. It only cost me 3 Soles to get back to Yungay.
At Yungay I walked to Campo Santo, monument to the 20,000 dead and a macabre tourist attraction. The only reminders of the life that once existed there are four palm trees that graced the Plaza de Armas and rosebushes and monuments honoring the dead. Part of the old church spire also survived. It was free entry. It was eerie there with no one about. It took me about 20 minutes to walk here from town and I spent an hour there. I then walked out to the road and waved down a shared taxi which brought me back to town for three Soles.
I then walked around town for a while but I was tired (I kept falling asleep in the taxi). Huaraz humed with the business of mountain and adventure tourism. Most of the business properties in town re geared to tourists: dozens of tour operators and travel agencies, restaurants and bars, and hotels and inns can be found in town, most clustered along the main drag, Avenida Luzuriaga. It was a site to see them all offering rafting and mainly climbing. This is the main backpacker site in Peru. I was really tired so I decided to book a tour for tomorrow as public transport to the mountains is not good. In Pablo tours on the main street I booked a tour to Pastoruri. I cost 20 Soles. After going on the NET for 30 minutes I went to bed at 8.30pma and boy did I sleep.
More trouble in Bolivia (land invasions) , Brazil (land invasions) and Peru (shining Path).
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Huraz – Peru – Dawn over the Town (03-07-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Huraz – Peru – Dawn over the town (03-07-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Yunday – Peru – Market (03-07-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Yunday – Peru – Lagunas de Llanganuco (03-07-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Yunday – Peru – Lagunas de Llanganuco (03-07-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Yunday – Peru – The old Plaza and Church in the landslide area now deserted. (03-07-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Huraz – Peru – Market (03-07-2003)