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Getting there is half the fun
Entry 51 of 83 | show all | print this entry |
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Caraz:
The town of Caraz is situated at the foot of the Cordillera Blanca, one of the tallest and most magnificent sections of the Andes in South America. White snow capped peaks, dizzyingly high passes, turquoise colored alpine lakes, and a brilliant blue sky during the winter months make the cordillera a trekking/climbing Mecca. Caraz, with its tiny population, doesn't see much foreign tourists due to it's proximity to Huaraz, the trekking capital of Peru. But, this tiny gem certainly deserves to be taken seriously as a base to explore the spectacular Andean beings that overlook the region. Outstanding views of the peaks from the central plaza, a village like atmosphere with some great markets, and colorful people, a handful of trekking outfitters, and a slow pace of life make it an ideal place to jump off the beaten track and set you up for some mountain adventures. The most popular trek nearby is the well known Santa Cruz 3-day, 4-night journey over the Punta Union pass at 4750 masl (read more in the next entry!) Although it's a relatively easy to moderate trek, the journey over the pass requires hikers to be well acclimatized to the extreme altitude. Thus, our initial time here was spent by venturing out on day trips to a couple of the high alpine lakes that are well situated for altitude acclimatization.
Lagoas Llangunuco are a couple of lakes situated at 3890masl about 2hours from Caraz. Our trip involved a long ride in a local minibus that takes people to distant villages on the other side of the Cordillera via the lakes and through a high mountain road pass. The ride took quite a long time, not just because of the distance and climb, but mainly because it took forever just to get going. Firstly, we had to wait for all seats to fill up with passengers. Eventually we were all loaded up and began to move, but only to a store across the street where one more passenger was waiting with loads and loads of produce and other supplies that he needed to transport over to his village. After sorting that out, we were once again off, but stopped a few hundred meters away to fill up our tank with gas...(time and time again we always wonder why drivers don't take care of that errand before they fill up with passengers.) Nevertheless, we thought there couldn't be anything more to do but just get going...wrong. Time to head back to where we started originally in order to pick up a lady who was related to the driver but hadn't shown up to take her seat up front. Waiting in the hot sun baked vehicle, the driver decides to reverse down the road a bit to take advantage of the shade being provided by a nearby tree...we're moving again but going nowhere...just a more cooler spot. Ahh, finally the lady arrives and we feel confident that the wheels are going to finally roll us out on our way. We round a corner picking up some speed but suddenly come to an abrupt stop once again, at a nearby confectionary shop. "What now?" (we wonder). The driver's assistant heads into the shop, and returns with a couple of Cokes in his hand, some plastic cups and a huge smile..."gaseosas" for everyone! A Coke run? Hilarious, the driver seems content now that he's got a beverage for the long haul, and we finally get going. Once again, we pick up speed and start climbing the inclined road out of town. But, without surprise, we stop one last time...this time in the middle of the road. Have we forgotten something? Flat tire? No, Senior Driver wants to down a glass of Coke and needs to stop in order to enjoy his beverage before he gets going.
In the end we eventually made it up past quaint villages and loads of sheep way up until we were let off on the road at the end of the lakes beneath 3 snow capped peaks in a magnificent glacial valley. Immediately our legs feel like jelly and we experience quite an intense unsettled feeling from the altitude. Slowly, we made our way around the shiny emerald waters, observing rocky cliffs and ice capped glacial peaks above us, and catching glimpses of Andean ducks poking their heads into the waters while searching for food. At the other end of the lakes, locals charge 10 soles for a 15-min ride on the water in their traditional canoes. We took a ride and finished off our day sitting in the sun by the lake, eating "choclo con queso" (corn on the cob with BBQ cheese) and sucking in the thin, but crisp and clean mountain air that we always desire just like back home in Canada.
NOTES FOR THE TRAVELLER:
- Hotel: La Perla de los Andes (50 Soles, private bathroom, cable TV, balcony overlooking the Plaza de Armas) - Restaurant: La Terazza has amazing ice-cream concoctions, and nice cappuccinos. Boliviano Restaurant has the best set meals for lunch, 5 Soles, including salad, juice and "canchas" (freshly popped corn nuts). - Bus: Huanchaco to Trujillo, Taxi, 15 Soles, 45 minutes, Trujillo to Chimbote (7 Soles, 2 hours), Chimbote to Caraz via the Canon del Pato (Yungay Express, 20 Soles, 7 hours). Highly recommended route, amazing landscapes, meandering through 30+ tunnels carved out of the rock of the canyon, narrow gorge, and silvery river below, snow-capped peaks in the distance. NOTE: This bus only leaves in the morning at 8:30am. If you want to make the connection from Trujillo on the same day, you will have to start out pretty early.
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Where I stayed:
La Perla de los Andes
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| 51. | Getting there is half the fun - Caraz, Peru May 25, 2007 (  23 ) |
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