Huaraz de Peru, 7 de Deciembre.

The 440km journey that turned into 36 hours. 
Rather than bringing you pictures of the high alps and our outdoor adventures, we deliver you the story of a week long protest and our adventures in and out of Huaraz!

After a brief visit to Lima we headed north for Huaraz – for what was to be a 7 hour overnight bus trip. Being such a short journey by South American standards we didn't bother with food or much water. 

Just two hours from Lima the bus pulled over and we slept on the roadside for the night - for no known reason. We weren’t overly surprised by this random stop as this had happened in Bolivia, however after climbing out of the bus in the morning we discovered an extended queue of trucks, buses and vans as far as the eye could see - with an obvious protest and road block up ahead.

At 10am we hit the road for what was to be the start of 6 more road blocks in the space of 200-odd km. The highly effective method being rocks and boulders covering the roads and locals on cliff edges armed and ready with rocks.  After a while it became no surprise when the bus engine would cut and we would sit for 2-4 hours waiting for the action to clear.

It was as we departed from the third road block that we were warned to close our curtains in case protesters threatened the bus and I recall thinking – it won’t come to that, it seems all pretty relaxed out there………famous last words as 20 minutes later I woke to a rock through my window and glass all over my lap. The curtain acting as a brilliant net which perhaps spared Matt and I a bruise or two. At nearly 4000m it made for a very cold night in the bus with 2 broken windows!

After a few bus trips you learn to choose a seat strategically away from the bathroom to spare having to hear and smell the happenings of the toilet. Unfortunately after the broken window episode, we were re-seated to the back – in front of the toilet – which on a journey this long became increasingly feral as the hours ticked over. No matter how flash the bus company, the toilets are always deeeeesgusting!!

The cherry on-top came when we realised the hill we parked on for the second night had caused the toilet to leak!

With no food and no water left we were stoked to learn of a freight truck that had opened up shop 300m behind the bus - and was doing a roaring trade on muffins, chips, drinks and toilet paper. We joined the locals in buying a bag of 12 small muffins and water to tie us over for the next 24 hours.

After a second night in the bus, in some random town 1 hour from Huaraz, the locals began to get ratty! Further road blocks forced all the buses onto an alternative and very muddy single lane back road. Half an hour later...........yet another block, this time caused by a bus ahead that had slid in the mud, into the bank, leaving no hope of any other traffic getting past. 

This is where we gave up, got our bags and took off with two local lads to walk to Huaraz. Don't worry Mum's, we had had ample time to get to know them in the bus. We were told to leave our bags and collect them from the bus station in the afternoon - thankfully we were persistent in taking ours with us as 5 days later we met 2 people who still didn't have their luggage!

Anyhow a short walk to the first village, a banana and some buns for Matt, a corn cob for me, a hitch-hike later and we finally arrived in Huaraz. Our hostel thankfully very easy going about us turning up more than 24 hours late.

Matt y Juan-Carlos - hitching to Huaraz (Matt clearly having a great time)

One of the many forms of road blocking adopted by the locals

10 people jammed on the back of a Hilux - very happy to be moving!

At a glance it appeared that the police were really not making an impression as they were interspersed amongst the protesters looking as if they were having a social chat, clearly doing nothing to control the situations or clear the road. As it turns out the police are friends and family of all the protesters and also share the same opinion of the situation, hence their uselessness!!

Highly effective means of road blocking - basically as soon as it was
cleared the kids in town would throw them out again.



Riot police looking very official and useful!

The strike was supposedly for 24 hours to stop the government from allowing a Chilean mining company expand as it is causing contamination of the local river. A fair protest!!
6 days in and things were only gaining momentum.............

Tyres burnt in streets, rocks and broken concrete blocked all major roads. No traffic was allowed to enter or leave Huaraz until further notice and we were instructed not to leave the hostel as demonstration's worsened. All of the foreign owned business' were destroyed with rocks. Again the police appeared to be merely on show!
As we didn't have any travel deadlines to meet it really didn't matter, our only issue was boredom and everyday stuck meant one less in Ecuador.

Banco de Chile.........



One of the many contradictions we saw throughout the protests.
Cop caught and stripped by protesters (view from our hostel window)
- note tear gas looming in the background!

 Our first two days in Huaraz were relatively normal and some fun was had, we squeezed in a mountain bike ride in the Cordillera Blanca and a horse trek in the Cordillera Negro. This place is an outdoor mecca with 22 mountains over 6000m! Although it was business as usual initially, the protests grew momentum and the city went into complete lock-down on our second day there. The following 4 days were spent reading, blogging and wandering amongst all the action.





 

Pre-Inca mountain bike track

One afternoon we found a small supermarket with people in it and were allowed in via the back door to stock up on supplies..............we ended up being locked in there while a huge stampede of protesters went by. Everything was supposed to be closed and any shop caught doing business was trashed with rocks! Not such a bad place to be stuck!

 Hitler is going for president in Peru - adobe houses useful for campaigning!

We were stuck in Huaraz for another 4 days when our hostel got wind of taxi drivers getting tourists out via a mountain pass in the middle of the night. We jumped at this and took off at midnight for Casma which is 4 hours away on the Panamerican highway. The only time we felt scared was as we left town and approached burning tyres and protesters armed with rocks - was both relieving and hilarious that an offering of 2 Solas from the driver broke their guard and let us through (equivalent to about 65c).

A muddy and bumpy mountain pass in the rainy season wasn't without its difficulties either..... adding to the fun was 2 flat tyres from our fellow convoy car (also ferrying about the only other tourists in town) and squeezing past a truck stuck and tipped in the mud (again on a single lane road).

Once in Casma, our very sweet taxi driver hailed all the night buses and got us on one to Trujillo, 3 hours further, which is where we could meet connecting buses north. We were privileged and stoked to be thrown into the cockpit alongside the driver - greeted at 5am with a big Peruvian grin, handshake, and a sing along to some Spanish opera classics.

All this said, Huaraz was a lovely town (although doesn't look or sound it here) and Peru is still my favourite country so far! The locals we dealt with were great and were more than helpful towards us. It really wasn't unsafe for us in Huaraz, just a very eventful time to be there.

A day lulling around Trujillo and we were finally headed for Mancora, a small beach town in the north of Peru. We were down to just 2 days left in Peru so we made the most of the sunshine.

Feliz navidad y feliz nuevo ano amigo's xox