Along the Andes of Peru…the
sequel Written and photographed by Esmeralda Campos
My trip continues to Caraz. We pass by the town of Yungay, known
because of the landslide in 1970 that buried the old town leaving
behind only a large sculpture of Jesus Christ and three palm trees.
The new Yungay was rebuilt with effort and on Sundays their local
market is a spectacular display of colourful outfits. I strongly
recommend exploring Yungay and driving to the Llanganuco lagoons.
I can still recall with joy and awe the first time I visited the
lagoons located at the foot of the snowy mountains Huascaran and
Huandoy.
Later that afternoon, on a truck filled with people who had traveled
with us from Pueblo Libre, the conversation suddenly shifted onto
where to stop for lunch. With majority of votes for a nice family
restaurant we stopped to stretch our legs and to enjoy the pleasant
weather on the patio.
Our table became a feast for the eyes and the palate. Salty toasted
corn was served as appetizer; the drinks were beer and Inca Kola,
the most popular Peruvian soft drink. We ordered several dishes
agreeing to share in order not to miss any of the Sunday specialities:
Pachamanca, guinea pig hot stew served with boiled potatoes, corn
and cheese and yunca soup.
Pachamanca is a traditional Peruvian dish based on underground
baking with the aid of hot stones, three choices of meat and four
Andean produces. The dish combines lamb, pork, chicken or beef
marinated in spices from the night before the baking. The potatoes,
sweet potatoes, green lima beans and corn have a unique taste,
and the sweet tamale wrapped in plantain or corn leaves complete
the dish.
Andean produce such as potatoes and corn can be found in wide
variety along the Andes of Peru. Potatoes were first cultivated
in Peru with more than one hundred varieties presently available
in the Peruvian territory. The average Peruvian eats potatoes
daily either boiled, stewed, fried, mashed, or baked, as entrée
or as accompaniment to main dishes. Quoting one of my good friends,
‘Peruvians do know how to eat potatoes’.
After our delicious lunch, we continue to Caraz stopping at the
public square where a local celebration takes place. A band of
more than a dozen are playing folklore music, uniformly dressed,
moving rhythmically with a smile. The fireworks could not be absent;
they are traditionally the main attraction at most public celebrations
in the Andes.
Some are leisurely walking around the main square, devotees lined
up to enter the cathedral to light a candle, a few others basking
in the sun, napping on the grass, and some with ice cream cones
in hand strolling or relaxing on a public bench.
Ice cream is a delight in Carhuaz. Made from the glaciers it
is the reason for the town moniker “sweetness”. For
such a small town, I was impressed with the high number of ice
cream shops and the extensive selection of flavours.
Each town in the Huaylas Alley has a moniker: Caraz “sweetness”,
Yungay “prettiness”, Carhuaz “drunkenness”,
Recuay “robbery”, and Huaraz “arrogance”.
These monikers were given by Antonio Raymondi, an Italian scientist
who investigated the flora in the Huaylas Alley and described
glaciers of the White Mountain Range in 1866.
The afternoon went by quickly as we drove along the Santa River
back to Huaraz. Our bus was departing to Lima later that evening.
In Huaraz we shopped for souvenirs and walked along the main street
of Luzuriaga. Huaraz enjoys the comfort of a capital city, having
an excellent communication services, international cuisine, night
clubs, and brick houses. In comparison to the adobe houses in
all other towns, the brick is considered a luxury.
Suddenly, Huaraz moniker “arrogance” came to mind.
The people I met in Huaraz were far from being arrogant, but compared
with the great humility and purity of heart that I perceived in
people from other towns of Huaylas Alley, I had to agree with
Antonio Raymondi. There was indeed a slight arrogance in the locals
of Huaraz.
Glancing over the pictures I had taken that day, I felt a great
joy and a wave of nostalgia departing the Huaylas Alley. It was
a short visit, but an instructive and delightful journey to a
heavenly place where poverty exists unnoticed because of the richness
of its land, its unique geography, and the goodness of its people.
Adiós Callejon de Huaylas, I shall return!
Check out Part 1 of Esmeralda’s
journey through the Andes.
Esmeralda Campos
was born in Lima - Peru and has traveled extensively most
of the Peruvian territory. She is not a writer, but wants
to bring awareness about the richness of the Peruvian land.
She has lived on three continents and presently resides in
Toronto.
