Huaraz

In Huarez we planned to hike to the Lagoon 69 so we booked a transport and hopped on at 5:30am. The hike would be a strenuous 4 hours up to see a crystal clear lagoon. But it should come differently.

Due to a strike we got stuck in a road block. This is very typical in Peru and very efficient. When we wanted to turn around to head back to Huaraz the road behind us was also blocked. One option left was a path into the mountains.

So we headed up the dirt road which was not so ideal for our small bus. When we had to cross a small river we got stuck and the driver had to support the tires with rocks and push up the bus with the car jack.

When we finally got free we continued into the mountains. Close to a waterfall we stopped and some locals told us that there is a very beautiful lagoon close by. Since there was no clear path one of the girls from the village accompanied us to show us the way.

After three hard hours we reached the lagoon and just collapsed in the grass next to it. My cold and cough combined with the altitude and the massive incline made it hard to breath. When the clouds suddenly came in Michael just got worried about snow so the two of us decided to get back to the waiting bus. Since our guide hasn’t been at the lagoon yet – he was waiting for some people who had a hard time hiking this terrain up – we navigated back and had some people following us.

First it started hailing and then we ended in the way down in rain. Even with our rain covers we got pretty soaked and were shivering in the bus. Here we had to wait for the others who hadn’t returned yet.

Back in Huaraz we were happy to have a hot shower and enjoyed a hot soup and pasta. After dinner we planned our trip to Ecuador and went to bed early.

Accommodation: La Cabaña

Price: PEN $ 25 p. double room, own bathroom, wifi, kitchen

Comment: The kitchen was very small and had only two cooking plates. Otherwise very clean
                    and friendly, helpful owners.