The next stop was Huaraz, a smallish city nestled up in a valley (yes, a valley) at a height of over 10,000 feet.  To pardon a pun, it was rare air and I don’t know if but for a few exceptions that I’ve spent any time over such an altitude.  It would have been a nice break were it not for the fumes and dust kicked up by motor vehicles.  Since there was little to do about this, I instead opted to eat.  Food has been plentiful, cheap, and full of protein.  While I’ve yet to try guinea pig (I will, I’m saving it!), I have had the good fortune of drinking chicha morada, a drink that is purple and delicious.  Meals are a good price too, with a filling plate running anywhere from $1.50 to $3. 

The best part of the location is not the brick-building filled city, with its dusty lanes and trash bins, but, naturally, the mountains.  The first day I did what I hoped would be a light hike of about 8 miles took me up into the hills over town, though its hard to feel like one is at altitude when the peaks of the Andes soar above you still.  Thankfully, I was reminded of this on my descent as a throbbing headache took hold of me and later I was nauseous.  This, the infamous soroche, or altitude sickness, that I had the hubris to think I might escape.  A good nap eased the symptoms but I eased up and rested.  

The next day I went out to Chavin de Huantar, the third ruin of the trip.  The hike before was to Willkawain, and both times I was there and had the place virtually to myself.  It was a stunning ride up the mountains, past glacial lakes and small farm plots alive with livestock and of course corn, corn everywhere!  We peaked out at a mountain pass of nearly 15,000 feet…I don’t think I’d ever been so high in my life, but the scenery was truly stunning.  The bit after the pass was less fun, a winding trail on broken road rife with switchbacks that fought all efforts of mine to sleep.  Eventually I was deposited at the ruins though and made my explorations.

The ruins at Chavin are about 800 years old, similar to those in Cambodia though lacking in the same scale and detailing.  They are interesting though in their own right, and it is rare to find a place of such history so empty.  I was able to wander around on my own, and doing so offered a chance of discovery that was somewhat eerie in the emptiness of it all.  There are numerous different galleries descending into the earth which were once adorned with statues and idols now in museums for safe-keeping, but the intrepid visitor is allowed to explore the passages all the same.  Fascinating!  Incredibly strange to be under the earth in these ancient temples and be utterly alone however, and I’ll admit to having curtailed my time slightly due to anxiety to be back above ground.  Besides, it was a nice day out.  

One last thing before I sign off.  For how fun it is to climb around inside old ruins and wander about the countryside, I could do without the dogs.  My sister may take this for sacrilege, having a soft spot for puppies all over Asia.  I am tired though of constantly scanning every ditch and front porch, of feigning or actually picking up rocks to ward off my aspiring canine assailants.  The flipside of being around so much wildlife (and I’d call the dogs wild) are some of the unexpected benefits…walking down a trail I saw an earnest dung beetle pushing with its hind legs its ball of ‘treasure’, a new one for me!