Anne van Kesteren

Goodbye Huaraz

Of all the places we visited thus far in Colombia and Peru I like Huaraz best. It is awesome. Situated amidst the high peaks of central Peru great trails can be found nearby. Just take one of the many “collectivos” down town, hand over a sole or two, and half an hour later you walk through rocky terrain, patches of grass; cross a waterfall; jump in a hot spring; visit an Inka monument. On a clear day you can see the white five-thousand meter high peaks from the street, similarly to Nikkō in early spring (much lower mountains there though). The street is also where you find food. The other day the five of us shared fifteen hamburgers bought at one of the many street vendors. Amazingly cheap at one sole each they were stuffed with meat, thick tasty fries, salad, and five royally poured sauces. Long sticks of fried dough filled with dulce de leche make for a good dessert at half a sole. When you go tracking you can get great cheese, bread, fruit. When thirsty there is fresh juice readily available. My favorite snack is getting five salted quail eggs that are sold at several corners. Everything for a sole or less. I could live here for ages, but alas, we traveled onwards to Lima last night.