Mountain trip from Lima

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Trip Start Aug 16, 2005 Previous
Entry Trip End May 02, 2006 Next
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  Huancayo, Peru
Sunday, September 4, 2005

This is the Perú I really want to tell you all about.
Thursday morning, after arranging my flights and having that tasty Peruvian Ceviche, Johann and I headed out on a trip to the mountains east of Lima. We went to a small village that I want to say is called Concepción but is between two larger towns, Huancayo and Jauja, towns about 8 hours east of Lima in the mountains. We,of course, did it in 5 because pilot guy is also race car driver guy. If it had not been for the ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING scenery I might have suffered a heart attack.
We spent most of Thursday driving to the town, got a little lost and arrived at our destination a bit late, so we missed the sunset which I think was what he was aiming for us to be able to see, but that drive was what made the trip.
I had no idea the size of this country

A River Run Through It

. I had no idea the diversity of the topography, the enormity of the mountains. One hour outside of Lima and I was already in awe. Kept snapping pictures out the car window at blazing speeds like a crazy tourist so some turned out blurry but I just couldn't help myself. It was too much!
And this is the first of what I'm sure will be many times I am frustrated with my lack of photography skills as well as the complete inability of a camera to capture the immensity and beauty of what I am seeing with my own two eyes. I definitely need a wide angle lens but even with it, pictures just do not do it justice. Perú is beautiful.
We climbed and climbed, took medicine to alleviate the altitude sickness, and ate little. Luckily Johann seems to know a lot about "soroche" (altitude sickness) and that was good because I really could have gotten myself in trouble. Every time we stopped the car (which was often with my bladder) he reminded me to get out slowly, not run, take my time. And he wasn't kidding. The air is so thin. Feels strange, like you just can't get a good deep breath and I felt my heart working hard. I don't know if that was from the altitude or my anxiety from the driving but all these basic bodily rhythms felt labored.
And as I sat there in the car very aware of my efforts to breathe, I watched Peruvians all over these mountains farm and herd livestock,pull carts, carry heavy loads, and construction workers labor away on the roads

Black Dotted Mountain

.
We reached an altitude of 4,818 meters (about 14,400 feet) and Johann tells me that it is the highest place in the world with an actual highway. Nowhere else has a road been built that high up. And even at that altitude the mountains soared above us, completely and utterly dwarfing us. He says, wait till I see the Andes from sea level which I will soon enough. There were old women perched on the side of the highway at times, selling cheeses and other foods. Johann stopped once and I thought he was going to buy cheese from an old woman and her husband but he told me that at these altitudes, in these remote areas, probably no one stops to purchase from her and that we would just do a good deed. I pulled out 10 soles (about $3) and handed it to her and politely turned down the cheese, her husband who was sitting behind her approached and smiled warmly at me. Johann tells me they will live on that for a month. And here I am a 25 year old girl touring the world. It has occurred to me over and over in my short time away from home how blessed I am. I feel like the luckiest, most fortunate girl alive. That feeling alone is worth every penny of this trip.
I have been gone for less than 3 weeks and have already been so moved, almost brought to tears at the sight of these mountains, had the good fortune to meet amazing people who want nothing but to show me a good time without expecting anything in return. And that is the truth. I found it hard to believe myself at first, particularly Johann but other people I have met so far, really want to ensure that I leave Perú with a positive impression of their country. And they have succeeded because I am forever indebted and grateful. And so excited about what awaits me in this amazing country. I thought 3 weeks would be such a long time to spend in one country but it's not near enough. I wonder if that is a sign of things to come, can every place I visit be this spectacular? Seems impossible but I'm anxious to find out.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Cabin in Huancayo	Cows	Lady and the Lambs	Lake AND mountains!
Lambs crossing Road	Laundry Mat	Lovely Mountains	Me at about 14,400 feet
Me on Scary Bridge	Mountains	Mountains, about an hour outside Lima	Mountainside
Red Mountains	Road Construcion along the way	Washing clothes

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