Huaraz is a city of 110,000 people, at over 3,000 meters up a good place to acclimatised and do treks of varying difficulty. After a couple of days here I went for a guided walk around laguna Paron which has a little climbing up and down, and spectacular views of nearby mountains.
One days rest, then I went to the receding Pastoruri glacier which might not be there in a few years time due to climate change. This lies at 5,200m but is not too tough as from the starting point there’s a gentle climb of a couple of hundred meters max.
Huaraz itself is ok, a typical South American city, a little scruffy but surrounded by beautiful mountains. Grilled and fried chicken restaurants abound, and a fair amount of guinnie pig too. There are a number of Chinese places (chifa), and the odd pizza place for when you don’t want to see any more chicken.
There was a parade on a few days as there is in a few cities. I watched from the sides as kids got soaked in the torrential rain, but continues to have a good time throwing water over each other, and continuing to play their instruments.
I’ve enjoyed this place, I’ve purchased some oversized purple MC Hammer pants, met some nice people and ruined an Ajax fans afternoon by reading a score out loud on a bus. I’d come back one day to do some more challenging walks. Next is a bus down to Lima and the hipsters of Miraflores.