Cordillera Hiking

Hello! With a big bunch of flowers for just 60 cents!

Time to update the stories here on Mathu's blogger. Sorry if all photo's get a little boring with white peaks, lakes and the same girl in that striped sweater, green hat and grey pants. I did a lot of hiking in the Cordilleras, met more ever-friendly people and washed very little.

We talked some hours away with tea, knitting and talking about man. What you see is my work at the moment, I had droped a stich and she knew how to pick it up.

What else do you need?

Marian, the sweetest mother you may wish for. I drank my tea in her fresh, clean place and asked if I could park some stuff here while going on a eight day hike. Before I left I was given the best creme brule pudding, big hugs, warm safekeepings and a place to sleep when I would come back. Absolutely amazing. She was so taken with my visit, I was not even allowed to bring my cup to the sink, but of course I ignored that and helped her as much as I could when I arrived back and enjoyed her flower-filled courtyard.

But first the hike:

Cordillera Hauyhuash
A marvelous mountain range that gives immense pleasure to those who like hiking....MEEEE.

Tons of mountains with glaciers that drip into lakes huddeled in green valleys, filled with sheep, their pastores, stone houses and just one path that walkes over the pass into the next wonder.

Mama Quilla (Mother Moon) shining on Mt Trapecio (5644m) in the morning when I woke up.

Valley Pumarinri.

A rest overlooking Nevados (glaciated or snow-covered mountain peaks).

The highest point during the track: 5000m, just under Nevado Cuyoc (5550m).

It truly truly remembered me about New Zealand now and again. So many sheep in green valleys.

Knocking on stone-heavens door. The typical houses.

How many waterfalls do you count? I came to twenty.

The fourth night I slept at the Tapuish pass (4800m). I woke up with frost on the tent and a most gorgeous view over Laguna Sasucocha.

Lunch above Laguna Yahuacocha, one of the most pretty valleys with perfect Nevados crowning above.

The hike takes ten days Mr. Lonely Planet says, but I walked long days and did it in five, something I had not expected, so eventually I had to eat eight days food in just five.... jummie!

The ruins of Chavin are truly interesting. Especially when you are the first with a group of students so the place is quiet and you can enjoy the guide with those teenagers.

A group schoolkids with their mums from a town high in the valley visited as well. This is their bunch of 'backpacks'.

A Chocho seller who kept me company for a while ..... or I her?

Hitching to the next place I got picked up by an ambulance who took me on a two hour ride to a town far away where their post was situated. We arrived around six in the evening and I stayed two nights to leave again with the five am bus.

Eventually I had them all knotting bracelets.

Absolute GREAT food made by the Midman/birth expert.

A break above Huari where they eat cat with their big party for the birth of the town. I looked but there was no grilled cat to be found this moment.

Julia, spinning the wool of her daughters sheep on her Puska; while watching her group of sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys and dogs.

Elisa and three of her girl friends where my companions for one night. They would go to the next little town to sleep and play with the poorer kids the first Sunday of the rosary before Christmas. We arrived wet from rain and cooked rice with chicken and filled potatoes in the most devastated house where rain poored through the roof but the laughs were loud and the food was delicious. They giggled, I smiled.

Every pan has a different meal. Here I ate a three-course meal for just $1,60: a great tamale, rice with rabbit and massa mora calabas.

Traditional people of the Huaraz area.

On to the next hike in the Cordillera Blanca. It should take four days, I stretched it to two and a half. Started in the late afternoon and ended in the little town of Huashua where Obdulia and her two daughters Maribel and Janet opened their doors for me to walk in. We're making shullpas (ranja icepops) here, 3 cents for one.

This hike walkes up one valley......

The cows kept me company during the night.

...... reaches the Onion pass (4760m).......

Santa Cruz valley with Mt. Alpamayo, once named the most beautiful mountain in the world.

....... and walkes out in the other valley where Quenua trees peel their soft, bright-red basks.

My view by night the second night.

Same mountain with the morningsun the next morning from my bed.

The swivering, snaking bumpy road back to bigger towns.

Again I passed through Huashua and enjoyed my friends floor and a party in the big shed with the 60 or so towns people; more drunk then you could imagine.

After all this hiking my shoes were really done. But there are wonders in this world, and for $1,60 one of them was shown. I have no idea how they can fix shoes so rotten.

Next ride went through Cañon del Pato, really awesome, to the little town of Yuracmarca where the maybe 50 inhabitans ten-doubled to maybe 500. Holy shit what a party for their virgen.

Eight cows were cut into pieces, six sheep, bags with rice, potatoes, sugar, corn and beans. The towns people cooked, one person gave their house to cook and eat. Many families donated massive castillos (castles) of fireworks, the band that would play absolutely the whole day, the donkeys for the donkey-race, and the roosters for the cock-fights. And everything was donated, so three meals a day and many many beers were all for free for anyone that would walk in.

I made many many friends, everybody knew the gringa in town, I was treated like the guest of honor and just about everybody wanted to hear how I ended up here. I stayed an extra day.

The patio where everybody was fed.

The great great band to wich we danced into the wee hours of the morning, hand in hand in big circles around a crate of beer that got replaced every half hour.

And with this 15m high, sparkling, glittering, banging Castillo I'm gonna leave you untill next episode where you probably read about some dipping in the sea and many more ruins.