Andes

So I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Huaraz, and it's raining. Hard. After a couple of beautiful days in the Andes the weather seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Went on a guided tour yesterday to Llaganuco, one of several lagoons which is located between two of the tallest mountains in the whole of Peru, Huandoy and Huascaran (the latter being the tallest). The water has a brilliant turqoise colour and the view is just immense. That goes for the whole area. It's breathtaking - endless stretches of mountains cloud the horizon. There's just too much to take in. The guide was Spanish-speaking only though, so it definitely put my knowledge to the test! Stopped off at several villages in the region, but they all look the same to me. I'm sure there's minute cultural differences, but it's hard to spot them. I've noticed that the hat shape and sizes are different but that's about all. For some bizarre reason they're absolutely obsessed with ice cream in Peru! You find vendors everywhere, even in the smallest of places.

We're doing another tour tomorrow, this time to the ruins of Chavin de Huantar. Apparently the Chavin culture was one of the oldest established pre-Inca civilisations and all the fortresses and temples are still intact, so it should be quite impressive. As soon as we return from the trip, we're heading south again to Lima, just for one day, before continuing southwards along the Peruvian coastline. Much to look forward to! We already have an Inca Trail tour booked for the 12th of May, so not long now before we get to see the beast that is Machu Picchu..