2 to 4 March 2017 – Huaraz (Peru)

We left the hotel in Lima at 0500 hrs to escape the traffic of the city  and which was successfully done having a clear ride out of the city. By midday we were starting the climb up to the Hostel Jo’s Place in Huaraz at an altitude of 3050 metres (10,006 feet) with the quick change in altitude being felt by some. Later that evening one of the girls knocked on my door, there being no-one else in the hostel, in obvious pain, with the result that a taxi was called and I took her to the local clinic. Although she had said that she had been at altitude before .she was still diagnosed (by an English speaking doctor) with altitude sickness. As she was vomiting as well she was given medicine by IV and after a few hours in the clinic went back to the hostel and was reasonably well the following day.

The following day I was not feeling well so took myself to the clinic to be greeted by the same doctor as the night before. He was surprised that I wanted to be looked at so after paying consultation fee of £10 I was checked over. A sample of urine was taken and I paid another £3 for it to be tested. An hour later the results of the test was available so I was given a prescription for the vaccine, went three doors up to the pharmacist, paid £4 for the vaccine, went back to the clinic where I was given an injection with the vaccine. By the following day I was well again.

Medical treatment in Peru is not free, no money, no treatment, as far as I am aware.

I was going to go and see some ruins that day which included a two hour walk back to the town after a taxi ride to the ruins. Because of going to the clinic it was early in the afternoon when that was finished and then it started to rain, this keeping on into the evening so I did not go to the ruins but walked around the town in the rain quietly enjoying myself just watching people and looking in the shops. I did arrange to go on a tour the following day to see the Pastoruri Glacier.

The following morning I (no-one else from the group was there) was picked up from the hostel and eventually arrived at the glacier parking area at midday.On the way we stopped to look at some huge cacti which were 15 metres (49 feet) high with the base part (rosette) being 4 metres (13 feet) high. Puya raimondii, also known as the Queen of the Andes, is a giant bromeliad (relative of the pineapple family) and has adapted to grow high in the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Each plant grows a rosette then a trunk and when large enough with the conditions right the plant blooms and then dies. The plant may grow for 50 to 100 years before flowering. A single plant might produce 10 million seeds but the cold and dry air at these altitudes mean that only a few seedlings grow into mature plants. The remaining seeds help to feed the birds and small mammals.

The glacier parking area area was at an altitude of about 5000 metres (16,404 feet) and it took me a slow hour to walk up to the lake at the bottom of the glacier at 5150 metres (16,896 feet) with the peak over the glacier being 5245 metres (17,208 feet) high. The glacier was smaller than I expected, this  being explained by boards showing how it had been reduced in size by 22% over 30 years. It is said that the Pastoruri Glacier is no longer technically a glacier because it does not build up ice in the winter to release in the summer. Nevertheless it was impressive and I was glad that I had made the effort to go there especially as I walked up to the glacier while younger people were going up (and down) on horses. On the way up it rained and sleeted a little. Once at the glacier the sun came out which helped the photos I took. On the way back to the bus I had to walk through a snow storm and that is probably why it only took me 30 minutes to get back down.

Views on the way up the valley

Views of the Glacier

 Leaving the car park at 1430 hours and on the way back to town it poured down and when having lunch (at 1600 hours) the heavens really opened and with thunder and lightening resulting in the power in the restaurant going out. The rain continued into the evening and when it stopped I went out to eat then partially packed to be ready to leave in the morning. An enjoyable day, made more so by the snowstorm.