Month: October 2016

Chimbote to Caraz – Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Most of the buses from Chimbote to Caraz take a faster but longer route than the route we took today. We specifically wanted to take a bus through the Cañon del Pato. When Duke was in this area in 1979 he remembers going through Cañon Del Pato riding on top of a bus.  When he bought the tickets yesterday at the bus station he told the lady about riding on top of the bus and ask jokingly if he could still do that. She laughed and said definitely not. 

Cañyon del Pato is deep, desert and narrow.  It was well worth taking the scenic route along narrow roads through tunnels and over one lane bridges. 


Caraz where we are tonight sits at the head of a valley between the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra mountain ranges. The Cordillera Blanca range has some of the highest peaks in the Peruvian Andes including the highest peak in Peru which  is 22,200 feet. We caught a look at some of the snow covered peaks through the clouds as we came into town.

One thing that Peru has tons of that we never saw in Ecuador is mototaxis. Today we took our first ride in one. The poor motorcycle engine had to really work to pull a driver, two adults and their luggage to our hotel. And he had to stop a couple of times to ask directions. 

We are staying at the Hotel Santa Rosa. We had a good dinner at Entre Panes restaurant. 

Huamachuco to Chimbote – Sunday, October 2, 2016

Sunday morning we left Huamachuco and headed towards the coast. Huamachuco is at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Our road to Trujillo went up to well over 12,000 feet before descending to sea level. 

Sunday is a  busy travel day. We arrived in Trujillo about 1:30. The next bus to Chimbote where we planned to spend the night was soldout so Duke bought us tickets on the 6:20 bus. This gave us a chance to walk about Trujillo a bit and have some lunch. 

We got to our hotel in Chimbote about 9:30 last night. This morning we headed first to the bus station so that Duke could buy us tickets for tomorrow. 


Then we took a taxi to the main square. I think one of the results of my cold is that now I have an ear infection. I’m sure that the enormous altitude change yesterday didn’t help either. Although more oxygen is certainly a good thing!

We went to the pharmacy and talked to a pharmacist She gave me antibiotics. After looking at my personal medical records I realized that she gave me the same drug that I received in Reno when I had an ear infection last Spring. Here the drugs cost me about $15.  


We walked back to our hotel. Who knew there was a Moulin Rouge outside of Paris!!


Chimbote is a port town. There are a huge number of boats in the fishing fleet. 

We are staying at the Hotel Brilia here in Chimbote. 

Cajamarca to Huamachuco

Friday we left Cajamarca and took a bus to Cajabamba. The bus was full and very warm. It was about a three hour ride. From Cajabamba we took a very full collectivo over a bumpy road to Huamachuco, about a 90 minute ride. 

I’ve picked up a head cold so Saturday I pretty much rested all day in our hotel room. 

Something I have seen several times in the past few days is women walking down the street knitting! I’ve also seen a couple of women spinning wool into yarn while walking!!

Probably the most memorable thing about Huamachuco is the topiary in the main square.

Our first night in Huamachuco we stayed in an ok hotel called the Hotel Santa Fe but our room was right over the street and it was very loud. The second night we stayed in a wonderful hotel called Mama Wasi.