Traveling is not holidays! I know I have said that before. It's true! Believe me, it can be really hard at times... At the moment I am having a little down - and hence decided to take a break from traveling. Well, maybe it would be more appropriate to say my body has been demanding a break. Not only did I have some trouble during the last two weeks with a probable infection with amoebae, but also a cold that has grown into a full-blown bronchitis. The latter is still not really over yet, while I hope to have done with the amoebae thanks to a strong course of antibiotics. I am therefore not doing anything here in Huaraz for a while, a purpose for which this town is actually quite suited.
Found a nice little hotel, enjoying a private room with bathroom and TV, which - compared to Bolivan standards - is rather expensive (about 8€), but still not yet killing my budget. And then there is the Cafe Andino, supplied with a great balcony, a huge lounge-like area, an open fireplace, and a big library. Plus - most important - it serves really superb coffee! What a pleasure for a coffee-snob as me. Especially after having been deprived from proper coffee for so long! And then the summits of about five 6000m-plus mountains and many other peaks are visible from the cafes panoramic windows. All in all, Huaraz is hence quite a nice place to crash out for a while.
I admit, a couple of days ago I was quite fed up with traveling and Peru in general. The tourism machinery of Cusco is truly horrible. Especially coming from lovely Bolivia, this was a terrible shock. There still is tourism around hereabouts, but much more low key.
The day before yesterday I have read "Touching the Void" by Joe Simpson and seen the film the same night in a little Cafe con cinema. What a gripping-ugly mountain story! A very suitable read since the whole thing happened only about a 100km away from here on Siula Grande. Recommended.
OK, enough rambling for now. Will write again once I have something to report. Might not be for a little while, though.
Btw., the picture shows Huascarán, 6768m, at sunset seen from Cafe Andino a couple of minutes ago. Just one of the many marvelous peaks around...
