We’ve been so busy seeing things lately we have not had time to post anything! Will try to fix that over the holiday season. From the town of Chacas in Peru we drove west, over a beautiful pass high in the Andes mountains, and then headed due south until we made a left and recrossed the Andes at another stunningly picturesque pass! If the descriptions and pictures get monotonous I can assure you that in person that never happens. We arrived late that same day at the town of Chavin, very tired and sore in the tush. Our hotel did not have a garage for our motorcycles, but they were happy to offer a large room to park the bikes in, only catch was driving the heavy bikes over the sidewalk and on to the slippery tile floor! While in Chavin we visited a large archaeological site that dates back to 2500 BC and included many underground chambers that we were allowed to explore (like junior archaeologists – only we’re not as cool). We also got to share the site with a roaming llama whose real interest seemed to be in the current flora at the site and consuming as much as possible :). The last great thing about Chavin was meeting up with our friends Jim and Carol again – which is always a refreshing and delicious encounter.
After finishing our explorations of the Chavin area we headed back over the Andes to the city of Huaraz (10,000 ft) a popular tourist spot for hiking in the nearby mountains. We spent over a week here to acclimatize ourselves to high altitude hiking for the 8 day Huayhuash Trek! Our first hike in this area was to Lake Wilcacocha. And although the views during the hike were spectacular to behold the lake itself was pretty disappointing (large pond would be generous:). What made this hike really special was that a small village located on the hiking route was celebrating the birthday of their patron saint (Santa Cruz) and we were privileged to be able to see some of the amazing ceremony and pageantry. The large crosses inside the small church are composed entirely of fresh flowers (see picture)!!!
Our last acclimatization hike before Huayhuash was to Lake Churup. We saved this one to last because it is one of the hardest hikes in the area, both in elevation gain and distance. Unlike our last lake hike this one did not disappoint from start to finish. The color of the lake water was unbelievable (and so was the temperature – Brrrr!). We were exhausted by the end, but felt as prepared was possible for our big hike next week. And because we had not visited a ruin for almost a week straight (Sharon’s hands were beginning to tremble) we capped off the week by visiting TWO ruins – Willkawain and Ichik Willkawain. I used to know what the names meant, but now I don’t. They were very large stone constructions, some as high as three stories. And by large stone, I mean LARGE stone (single stones weighing more than 2,000 lbs). It pains me to think of the hernia rates in these ancient civilizations…
Next time, the epic (at least it felt epic) Huayhuash Trek.
Chris & Sharon
You two sure do have great adventures! Merry Christmas!
We sure do Marjie! We feel extremely blessed to be able to have so many adventures in so short a time (or an entire lifetime really). Merry Christmas to you and Don and the whole clan!
Sharon your hair is long!! Great pics!! Trip of a lifetime!! Love & miss you 2!! Merry Christmas! Love , Mom
Hey Mom! Glad you are enjoying our blog updates. Sharon says she likes her hair longer, but the upkeep continues to grow as well :). Merry Christmas – wish we could be there celebrating it with you! Love, Chris & Sharon
I enjoyed reading and seeing these pictures, especially since our time in this part of Peru significantly overlapped with yours. It is strange, something about a trip this epic; these pictures bring back memories that seem both long ago and just yesterday at the same time. In time it was not so long ago, but in experience, so much has happened (e.g., Bolivia!) between then and now. Looking forward to seeing you both down the road!
We can’t wait to see you two again as well! You hit the nail on the head with your time/experiences insight Jim – we feel exactly the same! Merry Christmas to you both! We hope you are able to enjoy the celebration of Jesus’ birth no matter where you are (or how hot it is:). Feliz Navidad!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and pictures. Merry Christmas to you both. Glenn Hamburger
Our pleasure and privilege to be sure. Merry Christmas Glenn!
Merry Christmas guys! We love you!!
Merry Christmas Cindy, Daymen, Cayden, Evan, and Bryce! We love and miss you all!