Some of Dan's Photos of Huaraz Hike

This one is for Isaac!

Circle mountain by Nate

We took a really long hike along the mountains that surround the city.  We packed a lot of water and food.  Triple decker ham and cheese sandwiches, red delicious apples, lemon hard candies and chocolatey swirly things.  I had to put on sunscreen all over my face and the back of my hands.  The sun is so strong, especially in Peru because we are at a higher altitude. 

 This hike circles around the city of Huaraz.  It's like walking around the rim of a volcano.  The trail is right next to a sheer drop. 

 You can see the city in the background.

 The view of the city about 1/2 way around.

 A lovely hut.

My dad made hiking sticks so we wouldn't feint.  We saw donkeys, sheep, and cows eating grass in the fields.  I saw 2 hawks trying to attack a turkey vulture.  There were a few huts made out of straw and bricks and sticks.  I think someone was living in them. 

Nate's Day

We took long walks today.  There was a festival.  There were lots of fire crackers. They sounded like gun shots.  We went to a house to see if we wanted to move there.  I found out that lots of the stray dogs will bite if you pet them.  That's what everybody kept telling me even though I wanted to pet them.  They were so adorable.  They looked very hungry.  One kept on following me.
There are some down parts to Peru.  There is lots of litter.  The houses look small and looks like a tornado came through. But one didn't come through. 
Today we got ice cream. Shane and my dad climbed the mountains.  They say it was a lot of fun.  They came back when it was dark.  

The day's sights

Where we have breakfast and hang out when at our B & B. This view is why people are here in Huaraz.

These religious sidewalk paintings are done with dyed sand and sawdust.  Some were made with flower petals.  After they were all done, a procession of church goers led by the priest walk over all the paintings making stops at certain ones while singing hymns.

Traditional Peruvian dress. 

Dan's first hike just behind the city.

Happy Uno de Mayo!

It seems we've arrived in Huaraz just in time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which will be a week long celebration here.  I can already feel the effects of the higher altitude.  It takes about 3 days to acclimatize, so I have until then to blame my lack of fitness on the altitude.
The light vapor surrounding the mountains makes them still so surreal.  The morning started out in the 50's and now has warmed up to the mid 60's.  Our room is sparse, with no lamps or tables, just 3 beds and an overhead lamp.  Climbers don't need all those luxuries, I suppose.
The small city of Huaraz is a mixture of ramshackle and less ramshackle.  We're going for a walk about town now, so perhaps perception may change.  The fiestas have already started and loud music is in the air.....
Jenny

Waking up surrounded by mountains of Huaraz by Nate

That's my friend Shane and me waiting for breakfast.  After breakfast, I felt good.  We had eggs, fruit and some of the fruit was cactus and had too many seeds.  It was a maroon colored circle that had so many seeds, like a strawberry, but bigger.  It tastes like nothing.  I also had bread that was big and puffy and hollow and delicious.  I ate it with butter and jelly.
The mountains are very snowy and tall and wide.  There are lots of stray dogs here.  Most of the dogs were cute. 
The bus ride here was very long.  It was 8 and a half hours.  We stopped and got snacks and went to the bathroom on the bus.  The bathroom was really disturbing.  We passed deserts and the ocean.  I also watched movies in Spanish.  They were about war.  The bus smelled like rotten, gushy cheese.  I had a good nights sleep.
I got to play Pokemon on Shane's computer.  I had a lot of fun!

HAVING FUN by Nate

So far we went to the airport and our flight was canceled and we had to wait in line for 6 hours to get new tickets. The next day we got on the plane 8 hours in till we landed I felt sick because the plane was wobbly. I learned huevos means eggs, and playa means beach. (Now my dad is typing for me)- We are about to leave the hotel now to go to a desert. More later!