Huaraz Day One

This past week went by very quickly! last Tuesday we went to Reina de la Paz, where I played with babies all morning...loved it! Later I packed because that night I was going to Huaraz. Dad and his colleague Jorge were going to Huaraz to meet more people and look at more places to visit for Dad's program at Wabash. Dad asked if any of us wanted to go along, just to see a different part of Peru. Emily and I decided to go; who knew when we would get this opportunity again? I was a little nervous about it because I did not know what to expect (and also I would miss my mom a lot). So on Tuesday night we went to the Cuz del Sur bus station. We were all a little woozy because we took this crazy altitude medicine. Huaraz is about 3,100 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level. The highest places I had ever been were Machu Picchu (8,000 feet)and Cusco (11,000 feet), both of which are also in Peru. I was wondering about how the altitude would affect us but had to wait to find out. Let me say this: I am never taking that type of altitude medicine EVER. It made me slightly sick. It didn't help that we were on an 8-hour bus ride, either. We WERE in the first-class seats, though. Still, the roads going into Huaraz are no fun. We were all feeling pretty bad by the time the bus pulled into the station.

Next we took a taxi to the hotel. Taxis are cheaper in Huaraz than Lima and definitely less aggressive. Our hotel, the Hotel Colomba, was really pretty! It wasn't like a normal American hotel like Holiday Inn or anything. It was more like a bunch of rooms grouped together in rows. And also there were gardens all over the place. Huaraz is totally greener than Lima. Hotel Colomba also had a greater aspect: the view. Standing outside of our rooms we could see a snow-capped mountain. The scenery was absolutely and literally breathtaking for me. It was just so beautiful.

We then toured the city for the morning. It was funny (looking back on it) getting used to the high altitude. I got so tired just walking around. There's definitely less oxygen up there! Stairs were a killer. It sounds silly, but it's totally real. On some on the really big hills there are no trees because they can't survive up there; the air is so thin. Anyway, back to touring...Huaraz has tons of little shops and restaurants lining the streets. There are also a ton of people selling things from tank tops to bread to backpacks to puppies! There certainly are a lot of smart business people in Peru. Huaraz has a really cute town sqaure, so we spent some time there. Emily and I paid a couple soles to get our pictures taken with a llama (pronounced yama in Peru, haha). Its wool was so thick and soft; I can see why people want llama or alpaca sweaters and stuff. Next we went into a market, lined with more stalls selling authentic Peruvian souvenirs. Honestly, the prices are amazing. Better than Lima, and that's pretty good. Handsewn purses are 15 soles...around 5 bucks. You shopping-crazy people would go nuts down here. You can also bargain with the venders, so that makes it better if you can get the price down a little bit. I always feel bad for the people selling it; the price would be so much more in the USA. Dad says we're getting the "gringo price" anyway.

Later that day we went to meet with a nun (who happens to be not the hard-core kind) who was going to show us some of Huaraz--the poor part. Yenina and a girl visiting from Brazil took us to Challhua, a community on the outskirts of Huaraz. I had seen areas like this but had never actually been to one. The houses stand in rows...mostly cement walls (but I have seen tin sheets serve as walls), tin roofs (flat slabs held down by rocks), no electricity. Only two places to access the city's water. Most people end up using the nasty river. And it was raining. The dirt pathways between rows of houses turned muddy and dark brown. I was dismayed at the poverty in the beautiful area. There are around 300 children living there with their families. We got out of the taxi to meet two doctors, young women from Lima working outside of Huaraz for a year (they have 2 months left now! wow). Then we went in the school, one room with desks and books. Dad talked to Yenina and the doctors about how his students could make an impact on and learn about Challhua. It was very interesting to hear about the health problems and struggles of the local people. It's disturbing, though--the ministry of health office is only 2 blocks away...
It was hard to leave Challhua as it was. You can't help but feel you should do something to help them before you leave.

The trip was only beginning, and already I was learning a lot about Huaraz. It was a lot to take in. The rest of the trip is coming to the blog soon; keep reading!
Mags:)