Huaraz

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I have been following this dashing Spaniard from Madrid called Fernando up into the mountains day after day, thinking all the time never again, at least not on sheep´s head soup for breakfast. not at this altitude it´s just crazy.

Fernando speaks spanish and it´s a welcome relief for me, I´m struggling but my spanish seems sufficient for most things i need to do.

The walks we´ve been doing are amazing. Into the most remote, lush mountain villages where I think gringos are a rareity. donkeys everywhere women in traditional dress and gorgeous and grubby kids running after you with hands out asking for caramellos (which is the generic term for sweets, they don´t get caramello koalas here unfortunately but i´ve discovered this awesome chocolate with manjar blanca which is like caramel mmm).

One day to the Cordillera Negra, one day to Laguna Lluanganuco, one day to Chancos hot springs and onto Honkopampa ruins. Peruvian time can really get you when you go out for a day trip (without a head torch) and without a map and the next village is only 1 hour away until you get there and the next villager informs you that oh no it´s ´muy lejos´, more like 2 hours on from there. anyway fernando and i ended up scrambling down this rocky slope in the dark with the road in the distance.

You need to watch out for the farm dogs too, especially the little ones. fernando was bitten by three dogs in three days. carrying a rock is a good idea.

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