Day 291 - Laguna Llanganuco

(Ursula) The entire Huaraz Valley, all the way to Chimbote, suffered a strong earthquake four years ago. Most houses collapsed or were left with large cracks. Some survived but still, look crooked. Rebuilding is ongoing everywhere. There isn’t much money around this poor mountain region, so it’s a slow process. But people seem very resilient.

The village of Yungay suffered the most damage. When we came to where the village once stood, we saw only the top of the church tower and a few tips of palm trees. The rest was entirely buried by a massive landslide triggered by the earthquake. A statue of Christ was erected in memory of those who died here. It was a sad picture. Yungay Nuevo is being built about 3/4 miles to the North.

We like the Huaraz Valley. It is green thanks to irrigation channels with agricultural fields, mainly wheat, and potatoes. There are also a handful of tin and lead mines in operation here.

In the afternoon, we drove to the beautiful Laguna Llanganuco at the foot of the Chopicalqui. Heinz was out of fishing lures. But he managed to attach a fishhook to a red plastic spoon and went to try his luck. A few hours later, he came back with seven rainbow trouts. They tasted terrific with my homemade mayonnaise and roasted potatoes. There is plenty of fish left for tomorrow’s dinner!

Stats: Miles 36, Expenses $1.00Read more