http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Peru , Ancash , Huaraz , Huascaran National Park en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:24:42 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:24:42 +0000 Aprs cette petite pause sur la cote pacifique nous avons repris le bus direction Huaraz. Malheuresement il a fallu faire le trajet en deux fois avec un transfer Chimbote. On est arriv vers 5 heures du matin et on a du attendre 4 heures dans la gare de bus pour notre bus pour Huaraz. Ensuite le trajet jusqu' Huaraz a dur 8 heures bref une vraie expditionUne fois arriv Huaraz on a co http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-460699.html Hola again Amigos and AmigasOur travels from Ica to the nationrsquos capital of Lima only took about 4 or so hours in a pretty ordinary bus. 4 hours on a bus is easy these days. Lima is the biggest city in Peru with a population of close to 8 million. Itrsquos a city with many faces. When I visited in 2006 most of my time was spent in the tourist zone of Miraflores this time though would http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-444755.html We've been in Huaraz 5 days now and the last three have been jam packed with various treks. I can honestly say I have never been so exhausted in my life as I was last night but it was totally worth it On day one we did an acclimatization walk as the altitude here can make you terribly sick if you're not used to it. We did this at Lake Llacca. Suprisingly the altitude didn't mess with me at all. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-442356.html What can I tell you about our happenings since my previous entry that was made even before we have taken the flight to start our journey so many things have happened.Well Since Nitzan wrote you a little about our flights to Lima and about our stay in Lima I will jump directly to our last week spent in Huaraz situated 8 hours north of Lima.Well first I am happy that I can write you that http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-438916.html Well if the last blog finished off with some trepidation it was a case of first impressions not being right at all Yes our first couple of days in Peru were not so impressive. We basically came down from the mountains into the scrub and desert. It was like someone had flicked a switch at the border between wealth relatively speaking and poverty. The houses were really like little run dow http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-354168.html I am begining to really like Peru. After a little too much partying we decided to head off into the mountains for some adventure activities. So another sleepless overnight bus was the way to get there. The city is called Huaraz and itrsquos about 3500m above sea level so this took a little getting use to. Everything you do is a struggle. When we arrived there was a huge flight of stairs to climb http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-347632.html i arrived from trujillo to huaraz overnight to a chilly damp grey and very english feeling morning. the altitude is quite high here and the thin air and the lack of sleep and dreary weather didnt inspire great things in me. i found a hostel for two nights until i could get in touch with my couch host and get acclimatised. i am ashamed to say i did this watching telly and eating but it did the t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-335584.html We had 2 not so exciting days hence no updates even from SPOT. I should say that I did not have exciting days Jeff might beg to differ. Sunday night or possibly monday morning he caught a stomach bug that took him out for 2 days. He worked on strengthening his stomach muscles while I exercised them in different ways. The legend of my iron stomach lives on and if I am not trading places with http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-332654.html All is well here in Huaraz I recovered from my stomach bug which I feel came about from eating grilled pig in the outdoor market not a good idea no iron stomach here. Just could not resist everyone is so friendly and wants you to try their local food. Today we biked from Huaraz to 12500 ft through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. From an arid grassland to the base of the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-332653.html This morning started off early for us. We arrived at El Fogon shortly before 8am and we waited for 10 minutes and thought we had been stood up by our Peruvian waitressfriend Ruth. Ruth arrived with her friend Jessica and we went to the meat market. Words really cant explain this place. It was loco I have never seen so many dead animals in my life Of course it was captured on video pigs were http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-332652.html So after the last travel update Aldo recommended a restaurant El Fogon that we should try out if we were looking for local cusine. Of course So we walked a couple blocks to the Plaza de Armas and then a couple more. Blocks are so small here very walking friendly. I kept watch as Jeff withdrew cash from an ATM. We passed another local eating place that had a sign outside for hamburgers for Sole http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-332651.html Hola de Peru Huarez is incredible Brij and I came here directly from the chaos of Lima we were there for 2 hours and jumped on a bus for 9 hours to Huarez. It was brutal It is amazing how poor this country is and how dedicated they are to farming and helping others. Everyone has been so friendly even offering us change to make a local phone call. After sleeping until 11 the next morning we me http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-332648.html After 36 hours of travel by plane and bus we arrived in Huarez 9500' last night. The connections were really good and everything went like clockwork except for the sleep. Couldn't get horizontal until we arrived here. The food ... what can I say. Starting from the bus ride we have been having one wonderful dish after another. It is so good it make me want to take cooking lessons. We had some my http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-332647.html Ha ha...oh sorry not Christmas yet is it Must be the lack of oxygen up here or something. Well I had a nice birthday meal quite Euro really sliced beef in red wine gravy potato rosti broccoli and cauli Then a few birthday drinks and a little pressie and card from my very kind friend Tanya. Sunday was a quiet night out but we managed to pack a tiny bar and there was a group of Israelis on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-326115.html Hello friends and familyWe left Cajamarca during the day and headed to the coast. One thing about these roads in Peru they all follow a river down the mountain valleys. The coast was overcast and quite dismal especially after being around some impressive mountain ranges and awesome vistas.We stopped only for a moment in Trujillo then caught another bus to Chimbote. From Chimbote where we s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-313956.html Maandag 21 juliRustdag en voorbereiding volgende 8 dagen durende beklimming.Vanaf morgen vertrekken we naar basiskamp van de Pisco om deze te beklimmen. Daarna volgt een verhuis naar het basiskamp van de Chopicalqui. Dus tot dan....Dinsdag 22 juliNormaal zouden we om 8u vertrekken met onze taxi naar het basiskamp van de Pisco. Ook nu bleek er een probleem terwijl wij en ons gerief in de taxi zat http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-294888.html Maandag 14 juliVanaf 8u vertrokken we normaal naar Pachpaq maar het werd 9u30 misschien omwille van de grote fiesta gisterenavond. En omdat elke taxirit iets memorabel moet hebben was deze niet anders. Iets waar bij ons een 44 nodig wordt geacht is hier een gewone auto goed genoeg. De ezeltjes stonden al te dribbelen bij onze aankomst ze gingen er al vandoor zonder onze bagage. Het opzadele http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-294887.html Zaterdag 5 JuliHet is zo ver wij Dirk Erik B Kobe Bart Erik en ik zijn vertrokken om 5u vanochtend de 5de juli en om 1u s nachts de 6de juli lokale tijd zijn we aangekomen in ons hotel Porta te Lima. Het was een lange uitputtende reis maar allen hebben het doorstaan. Ons hotel voor 1 nachtje ligt idyllisch langs de kust van de Pacific ocean. Ideaal om eens goed uit te waaien. Na een ze http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-294092.html Huaraz is a city nestled in the Andes mountains from where a lot of travellers set out on various types of treks from 3 to 10 days or more....depending on time adventure For me this was to be my last trek......the Santa Cruz trek over 4 days...although in retrospect I probably would have done it in 3 days because it isn't very hard...there is only one pass to cross after that it is a walk http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-288911.html Dit avontuur begon eigenlijk al anderhalf jaar geleden. Toen hadden we een geslaagde expeditie in Bolivi achter de rug. Vijf van de zes bergen werden door al de vier teamleden Dirk Kobe Erik en ik behaald. De laaste berg Illimani zou normaal ook gelukt zijn als de gebeurtenissen anders waren. Maar dit verhaal is te lezen op de internetsite belclimb.be onder de expeditieartikels.Wij hopen http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Ancash/Huaraz/Huascaran-National-Park/blog-288516.html