A comfy bus i hear you cry!!!?

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An unusually comfortable 8 hour bus journey from Lima found us bright eyed and bushy tailed in Huaraz, Peru's climbing, trecking and mountain biking heartland....where we spent 5 days doing nothing in particular and travelling everywhere by bus.

Its not that we are lazy (bad back, bad knees are the excuses, i have prepared more if you want an argument...) but as we got off the bus we were jumped on by this bloke who promised a three day tour which, at a not overly expensive price we took there and then.

He didnt actually say that of the three days we were with the company, we would spend the majority of our time travelling to places on the bus, and hardly any time at all actually looking around them!

There were some nice things, dont get me wrong, but its a long time sitting in busses, for people who, well, basically dont like sitting on busses!

We saw some ruins from the 'Chavin' period which started about 1300 to 400BC, so thats old. Very old actually, the oldest major culture in Peru and is about two thousand years before the Incas! They were clever people too, having built temples (which the courtyard bit i thought was a football pitch) and a rather cool (it had great ventilation) winding tunnel system underneath it all. Very clever.

We went to a big blue lagoon and went on a rowing boat ride, so that was fun. Saw a cemetary where 66,000 died in the 1970 Peruvian earthquake, which was depressing. Travelled for 6 hours to get to some snow and ice, where we stayed for 30 minutes, i hurt my knee, then went the 6 hour journey back. And sat on a bus for a bit longer.

The scenery is gorgeous though. Hidden in the middle of the Andes surrounded on one side by the 'Black Mountain Range' and on the other side by the 'White Mountain Range' (ingenious names) the main thing that struck us was the amazing shimmering blue of the mountain streams. I have no idea if being so high up (3000m +) is a factor is changing colours of things, making them more striking and vibrant, but its definately something we appreciated seeing.

And that’s it. Next comes Sun, Sea and Sand....Supposedly




Matt and Dani

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Photos

punta olimpica
at 4850m (perhaps more)

Keneddy Park - Miraflores
the only proof we were in Lima

Matt and the mountain
Huascaran mountain, the highest in Peru with 6768m.

Dani - VERY huggable
in a little town called Carhuaz borrachera (drunkness) because they truly ARE drunks, so much, that they even have a beer ice cream like Dani's.

the only surviving palm from the Campo Santo of Yungay
the only one remaining after the may 1970's earthquake that killed more than 20.000 people

Callejon de Huaylas
which is the valley between the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera negra, about 180Km long

kiss the llama!
Queracocha lagoon, Huascaran National Park

Lanzon de Chavin
4m tall and it used to be 15cm under the ground. After 3000 years, its 50cm under but it keeps its shapes as it was new.

Comments

[Tim]

WOW!
WOW! They are serious piccies!!!Looks amazing!! Hope all is well-it looks it!!!Laterz

[Zoe]

Home sweet home
Hi ya guys, Dont think my last message worked so trying again....just wanted to say hi and hope you guys are good and its crap being back and not travelling but great to be able to put my toilet paper down the loo...still have to think about it though...feels like i'm commiting a crime!! Caught up with your Dad and Jill and have put their mind at rest that you are fine and hae a great appartment..not bad for 50 quid a month...no wonder you havent come home!!! Well take care and hope to hear from you guys soon, Zoe x