Huaraz

It was rainy season in Huaraz, Peru. I knew I was cutting the trekking season close and had hoped for good weather and to do some trekking through the mountains here. The snow-tipped peaks only showed themselves intermittently the few days I was there. Reports from the trails was ¨lots of rain¨.

I spent a day visiting a glacier nearby. Always a good idea as they may soon be extinct. Pastoruri (name of the glacier) can be seen, partly shrouded in clouds, just above the parking lot.

There are horses that will take you to the short distance from parking lot to within 500 meters of the glacier. From there, if you like, you can hire somebody to carry you - piggyback style - the rest of the way. The tourist infrastructure here is a bit absurd.

As usual this time of year, lots of Peruvian kids climbing all over it... and asking for pictures with the gringos.

On the way back to Huaraz, the bus stopped at these soda springs (cool couple from Ireland here and only other Gringos I saw all day.)

There were Quechua women from the area that had their llamas dressed in colorful getup. You pay to take pictures alongside. Thats them on the left below. These women are at every major tourist site in Peru.

Then there was the stop to see the Puya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puya_(genus)).

Here is a pleasant picture of a young girl tending her herd of sheep near where we stopped for lunch.

Very nice hostel in Huaraz. The owner had spent several months studying in Austin, Texas back in the day. She was really sweet and liked to reminisce. I taught her how to do the hook-em-horns sign (she didn´t understand when I tried to teach her Boomer Sooner.)

All Peruvian towns have a museum of pre-Colombian artefacts. As one tourist mentioned, they are fascinated with bones here. Here are some mummies.

The Incas molded skulls of the young. Perhaps to identify social placement.

Out back was this statue garden. All the statues recovered from ruins that dot the area.

Frustrated with the weather, I booked a bus to Lima for the next morning. The next morning:

I´m sure you get the idea. Here a road stretches out into the distance. An adventure for another time.

The bus took a turn to the West and down towards the deserts of the coast.

I am still amazed how they farm on the steep sides of these mountains.