day one: huaraz

selling fruit on the street

grains and a glimpse of the traditional dress

delicious street food

chicken shop

at the meat market

We made it to Huaraz! And of my goodness, it is amazing. This little mountain town has somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 people and is nesteled in a small valley within the Peruvian Andes. After an uneventful bus ride, we rocked up about 5am and grabbed a few hours kip before spending our fist day exploring the city.

The first thing I noticed was all the colour. Loads of women still wear the traditional Peruvian dress, which here consists of a dark skirt with a peak of lace showing beneath the hem, a brightly colored cardigan sweater and a large top hat!

Our hostel is literally across the street from the market and right outside our window are chicken and meat shops as well as little old ladies holding bags of live chicken and guinea pig ready to sell.

We decided to brave a bit of street food for lunch and as expected, it was delicious. We ditched the bravery for dinner and headed to an English owned mountain style lodge for our first non Peruvian food since our arrival. Some might consider it a copout, but after two weeks, it was worth it.

Our plan is to spend the next two days treking in the mountains, can´t wait. The air here is crisp and clear. Whoop!