May 2013 edition The Huaraz Telegraph

THE HUARAZ TELEGRAPHMade in Huaraz May 2013 FREE/GRATIS!

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Huaraz becoming less safe?Mugging near Monterrey & backpack stolen at supermarket

Leaving your backpack at the lockers of this supermarket is no guarantee of finding it back afterwards

Shocking conclusion:Huaraz-based agencies give incomplete and

inconsistent information when contacted

page 14

page 6The men´s finalists of the climbing event in Huaraz

page 4

Huarazćlimbing event

pages 18 & 22

Edition 2013 online

Who´s in and who´s left out in the 2013 edition Peru´s favourite bubble gum drink

Love it or hate it!

page 8

No happy Easter HuanchacoNumber of visitors impacted by growing popularity of Lima’s southern beaches

page 22Regional Chamber of Tourism claims Huanchaco received 2,000 less tourists

Same hike, different classifications by agencies

Huaraz´ local agencies show no sign of any form of professionalism (picture not related)

2 The Huaraz TelegraphMAY 2013

VISIT: WWW.THEHUARAZTELEGRAPH.COM

The EditorialWords of concern

I believe we have delivered another great edition of The Huaraz Telegraph. Some have asked me this week where I have the paper printed. We print The Huaraz Telegraph in

Lima because in Huaraz the professional printers aren’t capable of delivering the standards and the quality we strive for at The Huaraz Telegraph. Next time you´re on the main street, spend fifty cents on El Diario Ya or some of the other available newspapers and compare them to The Huaraz Telegraph. Since the first edition of 2013 came out we

have been overwhelmed with compliments. Thanks to you all for that, but we are still looking for people that can help us make the paper better. More people would mean more shared knowledge, and that should translate into more efficiency. The edition you´re read-ing now wasn’t even finished before we started working on the next one. This shows our

level of enthusiasm.

Last year The Huaraz Telegraph was criticized for concentrating on the darker side of life, and not focusing on promoting tourism. In this edition you will find two short stories of unfortunate tourists that were mugged, and I suspect that those same criticasters will

use this as an excuse, blaming us for trying to scare people away from Huaraz. Last year some said: Ïf tourists in Trujillo or Lima read that Huaraz is getting more dangerous, they will avoid Huaraz.¨ This view is very shortsighted and in many cases not true. Should we hide the truth? Should we choose between not publishing the facts and maybe changing the facts? Is it The Huaraz Telegraph´s fault that people get robbed? Is it our fault tourism

is falling year after year?

Our function is to inform, to entertain and to question, and it´s a fact that The Huaraz Telegraph would flourish even more if there were more tourists because this would mean

they spend their money in the city so infrastructure can be improved. Huaraz has its problems, and if you just read Patrick´s point of view on page ten, you will understand that those problems have existed for years, and that little has been done to try to solve them.

It will take many years and lots of hard work to solve these problems, and I personally don’t believe that this newspaper influences people’s decisions to come to Huaraz or not. I believe that the paper provides them with a better understanding of what is going on in the

city, and this is an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

The main item in our May edition is the outcome of a survey we did among 14 randomly selected tour agencies. The conclusion is that most agencies do not inform their clients

about possible risks such as altitude problems etc. More concerning is the fact that similar treks are classified differently by the agencies (see our graph on the front page). An easy hike for one agency is a demanding or difficult trek for another one. There is no standard

scale in Huaraz which is of great concern. I am pretty sure I will get my butt kicked by some of those agencies, but they should not focus their attention on The Huaraz

Telegraph, they should make sure tourists are given the correct information and are well-served.

Rex Broekman

Editor and founder of The Huaraz Telegraph

The Huaraz Telegraph freely available!Apart from i-Perú, cafés and many restaurants, The Huaraz Telegraph is also available for free at the following hostels and hotels in Huaraz. The Huaraz Telegraph does not

recommend any hostel in particular as we are completely neutral.

Terms and conditions St!ck !t Interactive Wall (back page) The Huaraz Telegraph reserves the right to reject any advertisement, message or photo

which does not fit within theThe Huaraz Telegraph publication specifications.

Términos y condiciones Muro Interactivo (contra caratula)The Telegraph Huaraz se reserva el derecho de rechazar cualquier anuncio, mensaje o foto que no se adapta a las normas estéticas y sociales establecidas por la Dirección del The Huaraz Telegraph.

More information / más información: [email protected]

The Telegraph® is a registered Trademark at INDECOPI. All current and previous articles are owned and claimed by The Huaraz Telegraph and may not be reproduced by any means without written permission from The Telegraph®. General Copyright on all Contents, Composition & Design by The Huaraz Telegraph, Huaraz, Perú - © 2012 – 2013. Hecho el deposito legal: ……

3The Huaraz TelegraphMay 2013


Advertorial/Publirreportaje

Gastronomy at TRIVIOFrom the makers of SIERRA ANDINA beer

In the last edition of the Huaraz Telegraph we shared with readers some of the founding principles of the Sierra Andina’s in-town tap room TRIVIO.

We named it TRIVIO – from the Latin word Trivium which means “the junction of three trails”. It was at these trail junctions that the people would take a moment on their way to the market or to work and catch up on what is going on and chat about the day-to-day stuff in their lives; hence the word ‘trivial’ has come to mean ‘day-to-day topics’.

As the name implies, our new restaurant TRIVIO is also a junction of three trails –

* the trail or story of our beer that we brew,

* the trail or story of the food that we prepare

* the story of our own organic coffee that we grow and toast.

In this edition we would like to delve more deeply into the culinary aspect of the taproom.

Our key goal is to consistently deliver to our patrons an exceptional gastronomical experience. We realize that to deliver this, we need to: prepare exceptional food and have it served by exceptionally attentive and friendly staff in a warm, welcoming ambience.

Exceptional Food And Drink – Last year we were all sad to see the culinary legend, Kristof, leave Huaraz and return to Europe. As the new owners of his old restaurant “Mi Chef Kristof” we have chosen to continue serving the very best of his menu in addition to many new and exciting entrées of our own.

We prepare our dishes and food with as many organic, locally sourced ingredients that we can get our hands on – much of it comes from our own organic farm ‘Semillas de Vida’ because food just tastes better when it is fresh and grown with lots of love!

Many of us that work at Trivio are outdoor enthusiasts and we fully understand the need for a delicious nourishing meal after some arduous days climbing mountains or trekking through the national park and our menu has plates designed for the hungry! Our fire-grilled sirloin steaks, big juicy burgers or signature pasta dishes have proven to be just the ticket for the adventurer returning from getting it done in the great outdoors!

And we have not forgotten about our vegetarian friends and patrons! With our assortment of garden fresh salads, quiches and what is widely considered to be the best veggie burger in Huaraz! The phrase “this is the best food and service we have had in South America” is something we hear often by patrons after polishing off a plate of Trivio goodness.

Of course all these great dishes taste better when paired with one of our Sierra Andina craft beers served on tap – or for you coffee connoisseurs, a cup of our own organic coffee, ‘Shuqush’ might just blow your mind!

Attentive Service – Really, this is the key to a great experience and we have worked hard to find the right folks with the passion for the food and the products that we serve. You will find our staff to be refreshingly attentive and dedicated to making your experience with us remarkable. The great thing is that we all really enjoy coming to work and are proud of our food and beverages that we serve. Sharing that with our Patrons is just plain fun!

Warm Ambience – We offer our patrons the choice between our casual bar / café area with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the pedestrian plaza ‘Parque Periodista’ and our elegant dining area. Both areas are set up with high speed internet and carefully developed repertoire of music to fit the scene. (You can find Trivio on the second floor in the Parque Periodista)

After so much ‘tooting our own horn’ I had better stop typing and get back to the restaurant to triple check that the beer is cold, our coffee hot and our steaks are tender!

So as our ancestors have done before us, stop, take a load off at TRIVIO and treat yourself to something exceptional!

Written by Ted Alexander,

General Manager of Sierra Andina

Not to be missed in Parque del Periodista, Resto-Bar Sierra Andina

Beer and burgers, another golden combination of Sierra Andina

Great service and happy customers at TRIVIO

Trivio can be found at Parque del Periodista in Huaraz



Local NewsLocal News

This year, the Federación Deportiva Peruana de Andinismo y Deportes de Invierno decided for the first time to include the town of Huaraz as a venue for the national climbing championships. This tournament is crucial to the competitors as it’s a means of selecting the best climbers to represent Peru in the XVII Bolivarian Games of 2013, which will take place in Trujillo from 16th to 30th of November. The Bolivarian Games – held every four years in honour of Simon Bolivar – are open to athletes from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. It is the first time that climbing will be included in the games.

The first round of the national rankings tournament took place over the Easter weekend in Huaraz, and the 29 climbers provided some great climbing action. They came from all over Peru to compete in this exciting two-day event, which was organised by the Huaraz mountaineering club CASAM (Club de Andinismo Santiago Antunez Mayolo), and held at the Monttrek disco. This great sporting event saw men and women climbing up a 10m high artificial wall.

Organising the event wasn’t without its problems since the Municipality of Huaraz proved, once again, most unhelpful and finding sponsors and a venue was a battle in itself. Lack of funding for alternative sports is a real problem in Peru, but thanks to the help of CASAM members and a few local climbers and businesses, the event turned out to be a resounding success in the end. Let’s hope that the Huaraz municipality and local businesses will take note, and support more of these events in the future. It can only benefit the town; Huaraz is after all known as the adventure capital of Peru!

Being one of the best rock climbing and bouldering spots in the country, it is no surprise that our local climbers showed some extraordinary talent, most notably Andrey Mata, Ike Castillo and Juanito Lazo. But the climbers from Lima proved themselves to be more than worthy competitors, and indeed one of them ended up winning the competition;

18-year-old Diego Lequerica. The girls from Lima also showed some very impressive moves, and Karina Lingan from Lima won the women’s final.

Personally, I was very impressed with this competition. Having been involved in the organisation process, and having seen how difficult it was, I believe what CASAM achieved, with very little help, was truly outstanding! My hope is that in future more people will help to support this type of sporting event.

Comments:

Juanito Lazo (participant from Huaraz, mountain guide)

“It was a good competition, one of the few competitions to have taken place in Huaraz with climbers from Lima. As a competitor, you always learn a lot from this type of competition, even more so if there are participants with different techniques and skill levels. Even though the climbing wall wasn’t tall enough for this specific event, the difficulty level was adequate and the routes well thought out. It would be much better to have a 30-metre-high wall for competitions of such a level, so I hope that the authorities will take note and give more support to this type of event in future.”

Matias Rubio (competition judge, member of the Federación Deportiva Peruana de Andinismo y Deportes de Invierno, owner of Pirqa climbing wall)

“As head judge and representative of the climbing committee of the federation, I can say that the competition was very good from the point of view of the organisation and the sport. Taking into consideration that it was the first time this event was held in Huaraz and that there were significant limitations in this regard.

With much joy I saw how much commitment and enthusiasm the organisers and competitors put into this event. This is admirable and worthy of pride. However, enthusiasm motivation and work are merely a small part of what is needed to achieve substantial improvements in a sport, whatever it is. There are many young people in Ancash with outstanding skills and the ability to climb at the highest level, not only at the region’s level, but also in the whole country, and who knows, maybe even the world!

So why did Huaraz not join the national climbing circuit before? Why haven’t the climbers exploited their full potential? Why are the climbers from Ancash not competing across the continent?

There are many reasons for this, the main ones being lack of infrastructure and institutional support. It is true that Huaraz is surrounded by great natural places outdoors to practice rock climbing. However, there is a lack of indoor climbing walls in the town, which are essential in preparing athletes for competitions, and allow climbers to train all year round, whatever the weather.

Another reason is the lack of institutional support. Climbers like any other elite athletes, need to dedicate many disciplined hours to training, they have to travel out of town to take part in competitions, they need to constantly renew their equipment, etc. This, without financial support from the private sector or the state, is almost impossible, given that training sessions can last for over eight hours and need to be held daily.

The Pirqa climbing academy in Lima where I work (www.pirqa.com) was established for the same reasons. We decided to make an effort to push the level of climbing in Peru. We invested in a

quality structure for the practice, training and dissemination of climbing. We chose to focus on teaching and training in this discipline, and to support our elite athletes in all that is within our reach. I think that in the short time that we have been running, we have achieved very good results.

Imagine what could be achieved in Huaraz if authorities and private companies did provide support to the sport of climbing?”

Alexandra Soledad C. Rodriguez (CASAM club member and event organiser)

“As co-ordinator of the first round of the national indoor climbing competition, I can say that in Huaraz we need to work much harder if we want to develop the sport of climbing.

When you approach companies asking for support or donations to help with the organisation of such an event, you are pretty much ignored or just told to leave your documents and that they will call you later. With this kind of response, sometimes I feel like I want to cry with anger, after all we do not work for personal gain, but for the good of Ancash and Huaraz.

We hosted a major sporting event, but the local community and authorities didn’t give it consideration. Imagine if one of the athletes from the climbing team for the Bolivarian Games was from Huaraz, then for sure someone will give us a call to make sure that his company name will be associated with the event. Thanks to the work of the CASAM team and a few others, the event turned out wonderfully.

Of all the companies we asked, only very few gave us support: Monttrek Disco, Quechuandes Travel & Adventure

Winner of the contest Karina Lingan ascending the climbing wall

Peruvian Sports Institute not cooperating at climbing event

Andrey Mata in action

The Huaraz Telegraph




Local NewsAgency, Waras Climbing Holds, Rumi Stone, Yuraq Janka, Rubrix, San Pablo Clinic, Climber Land, Cevicheria Gato Loco, Sierra Andina, Amma Tequila, Empresa de Turismo Andino, Hotel La Joya, Tattoo, i-Perú, Antamina, Galaxia Expeditions and Mirko Brito.

As for getting premises suitable for the event, unfortunately in Huaraz, we do not have adequate premises for such an event. When we asked the IPD (Instituto Peruano de Deporte), and the municipality to help they messed us around and in the end gave us no helpful support whatsoever.

Thank goodness Mr. Alberto Sotelo Gracia, owner of the Monttrek Disco, was extremely kind and agreed to lend us his place for free.

Thanks to the CASAM team for working hard organising the event. Things didn’t go quite smoothly, but every time we learn more in order to work together more efficiently in future.

We are grateful that the federation asked us to organise the event, but more constant work is needed so that not only people from Lima participate, but also the team from Cusco and Arequipa. What happened to them?

Thanks to all the boys and girls from Lima who travelled for eight hours to get to Huaraz to take part in this competition.

In the end, a lot was achieved for the sport of climbing in Huaraz out of very little. We will continue to work, not only with the club CASAM, but with all those who wish to see Huaraz back to how it was many years ago: FIRST IN ADVENTURE SPORTS!”

Andrey Mata (participant from Huaraz)

“Support is needed for the sport of climbing, because Huaraz has many natural areas which offer great potential to develop climbing tourism. As in many other Latin American countries, the government doesn’t give much importance to the sport of climbing, but what it fails to see is that actually climbing has great potential in Peru.

There are so many incredible sites to practice climbing in this country, but unfortunately because of lack of information and lack of development of these sites (such as equipping routes), these places remain unknown to most

foreign climbers.

I hope that the local authorities and the government will soon realise this, and start to give more support to the sport, that way a lot more people from abroad will come to Peru to climb.

Experiences such as this competition are very important to climbers, but without receiving much support, apart from the people who themselves climb, and few others who are trying to help develop the sport, it is very difficult to organise high quality events. So for sure with more support from the local authorities and businesses, and with the construction of quality climbing walls to train on, we could put Peru on the climbing world map.”

Fabrizzia Torres (participant from Huaraz, student)

“I started out of curiosity because none of my family is involved in climbing or such types of activities. At the beginning it was physically very difficult, but gradually I started improving, especially when I observed and listened to climbers with years of experience who encouraged me. As a novice, I found the competitions to be a very rewarding experience, because I learned many things, among them perseverance. I thought the routes were well conceived. I think it’s very important that more people provide support to this kind of sporting event, in order to give this sport more potential, and to motivate young people who may otherwise end up getting involved in the wrong things. After all, Huaraz is a place where both climbing and mountaineering could reach another level, yet both are extremely underfunded.”

Augusto Ortega (spectator, mountaineer)

“The inclusion of the sport of climbing in the next Bolivarian Games, which will be held in the city of Trujillo, has created much interest among climbers across

the country. It means that Peru must submit a team of athletes for that event. The Federación Peruana de Andinismo y Deportes de Invierno is supporting a legal conflict and power struggle between a group of people with personal interests and the representatives of mountain clubs in Peru (in Lima and Huaraz only). Without drastic changes, this crisis will be eternal and, therefore, will always affect the development of competitions such as the one that took place in Huaraz during the Easter weekend.

The competitions programmed by the federation for the National Climbing Circuit, are very much organised at the last minute, this is mostly due to economic factors, leaving clubs to assume the costs of such events. The mountaineering club CASAM, representative of the town of Huaraz, found itself in the difficult position to take on the organisation of this first competition. I think it was the best competition I have seen in Huaraz in recent years, especially as I am aware of the very limited help and financial support that these guys received. It is true however, that the organisation was still far from being 100% professional, which should certainly be the case for a competition at the national level.

Without a doubt we are making slow progress. People, institutions and tourism companies have collaborated symbolically in this event; this tells us that interest for climbing is growing, even in the midst of an institutional crisis. So it’s down to the people with an interest in climbing, and to climbers to try and address this institutional crisis that exists in Peru; we will not achieve our goals as long as we are engaged in conflict, non-constructive criticisms, lack of interest from organizations and even prejudices that only do harm to this sport. It is time to change and get organised for the sake of climbing in Peru.”

Text & Pictures: Marie Timmermans: Quechuandes Travel & Adventure Agency

The women´s top three posing for a picture at the award ceremony of the event in Huaraz after Easter

A close-up of Jim Li Lin Way while contemplating his next move





Agencies Scrutinised

Huaraz is surrounded by world-renowned opportunities for trekking, mountain climbing and other outdoor activities. Deciding what you would like to do and comparing offers can be a challenge, with the abundance of zealous salesmen, guidebook advice and websites and so on. For tourists, it’s important to thoroughly evaluate an agency before making a commitment. Going out into the mountains is a considerably risky endeavor that should not be taken lightly. We wanted to see exactly how forthright agencies are with potential clients. For example, what information is initially given? Would all agencies in Huaraz be honest about trekking conditions and necessary skill level?

According to Marco Carrera Torres, head of the Rescue Unit High Mountain National Police, between 2010 and July 2011, 27 foreigners were killed, and 21 were injured after practicing adventure sports in the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca. These worrying figures were published by Peru21 on the 12th of July 2011. Carrera Torres also stated in the same document that annually between June and September, the peaks of the Cordillera Blanca are visited by approximately eight thousand tourists, mostly Europeans and Americans, some of whom risk their lives to climb mountains without taking appropriate safety measures. Carrera said to RPP-noticias: “Many show no evidence of being professional mountaineers. They risk the snowy areas without a guide and, even when they have an instructor, they sometimes recklessly flee.” Carrera also mentioned that foreign participants do not take into account the climate, geography and the heights of the Cordillera Blanca.

The statistics also report missing adventurers. In 1999 three climbers were lost: two foreigners and one Peruvian, their bodies have not yet been found.

According to a survey done by IKAR-CISA (1998–2002), 1.5% of all mountain accidents happen because of equipment failure and 20% of accidents are caused by the sudden climate changes in the mountains. A shocking 79% of calamities are down to human error such as miscommunication between adventurer and guide, recklessness, and acts of stupidity. Last year in August, Ted Alexander of guiding company Skyline Adventures, coordinated the retrieval of the remains of fellow countrymen Ben Horne and Gil Weiss. The bodies of the two Americans, still roped together, were discovered below Palcaraju West, a remote 6,096 metre summit in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca range. They were thought to have been descending after pioneering a new ascent. In an edition of The Global Post Alexander said: “I have seen plenty of what I would call grossly inept guides, people I wouldn’t let walk my dog, never mind take me up a mountain. I am always surprised by how few accidents there are.” The mountains in the Cordillera area are only a two-hour drive from Huaraz; compared to other mountains in the world they are relatively easily accessible.

As you might understand, climbing a mountain is not without its risks and proper preparation is essential. The Huaraz Telegraph set up a small survey to find out the level of professionalism in Huaraz. Rather than focusing on price, we were interested in the information in general like weather conditions, and necessary skill level. The Huaraz

Telegraph randomly selected 14 tour companies active in Huaraz. To qualify for our survey, each needed to have an office in town and active internet website. Our research was initially done by email, but unfortunately even though all the selected agencies have a website, not all were able to answer our emails. And why should they? Nowadays nobody uses the internet! We presented ourselves as a Polish-American couple with plans to visit Huaraz just before the end of April with a four-day itinerary, including a hike towards Laguna 69, and the climb of Pisco Mountain. We asked the same seven questions to each agency.

1.How much would the agency charge for this adventure?

2.Exactly what does the tour agency include in their price – for example, insurance or emergency transport in the case of accidents?

3.What equipment or other requirements are not included in the price, and what do we need to provide?

4.How difficult will it be; what is the required skill level as described by the agency?

5.Although very hard to predict in the Andes, what are the expected weather conditions?

6.Are guides officially certified or otherwise professionally trained?

7.Do guides speak English?

Our investigation revealed considerable price differences between companies. But perhaps more importantly, answers varied significantly in response to crucial questions such as equipment, skill requirements and weather conditions. Aside from these inconsistencies, there were agencies who neglected to answer some questions. Whether by intention or just being careless or unprofessional, this raises the question: is there something these agencies are not willing to share, or even worse, they themselves are ignorant of?

The agencies we contacted gave prices ranging from USD350 per person, to USD705 per person. Peruvian Andes Adventures, while the most expensive agency at USD705 per person, was also the only one to specify that neither climbing equipment nor emergency transport back to Huaraz was included in their price. Such considerations may be particularly important for those interested in higher-risk activities such as climbing. The second most expensive offer was

provided by Huascaran Travel, who charges USD620 per person. This price includes climbing equipment, and is also said to include (alcoholic) Pisco Sour drinks when returning home safely, plus souvenirs of unknown quality. In general it became clear that very few agencies were able to or interested in providing the requested information. Something The Huaraz Telegraph finds very concerning.

While price is naturally an important consideration for most tourists, it is perhaps even more important that the agency accurately and honestly describes the skill level required for their tours, hikes or adventures. We uncovered some potentially very serious discrepancies. For instance, Peruvian Andes Adventures grades Pisco Mountain as difficult/demanding, whilst in stark contrast Huascaran Travel writes that it is an easy climb and does not require previous experience. While we have no personal experience with this particular climb, various guides and other sources asserted that it is by no means an easy climb.

With tourists from all over the world visiting the Huaraz region, another important factor is of course which languages the guide speaks. All but one of the agencies claimed to have English speaking guides, but in a town where fluent English speakers are few and far between it is uncertain to what extent these claims are credible. Enrique Tours credibly described their guides as speaking basic English; an answer The Huaraz Telegraph considers as honest and trustworthy. Maybe this is the answer that could apply to all, but as mentioned all the other agencies state that their guides speak (fluent) English. Who are we to not believe them?

(L) Lalo Travel, (M) Peaks Peru, and (N) Explorandes Peru are three other agencies that we attempted to contact various times by phone and email but were never able to reach. Lalo Travel is an agency that mainly relies on the sales of conventional tours such as Chavín de Huántar and the Llanganuco Lakes. On their website we noticed that they do offer hiking, climbing and mountain biking and even canyoning which makes us question if they are even aware of this being on their website. Peaks Peru, if we believe their website, is an outdoor and travel agency based in Huaraz which offers adventure travels, trekking, mountaineering, cultural tours, climbing courses, logistical supply for expeditions in the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash, as well as in Machu Picchu – Cusco.

Though weather in the Andes is very unpredictable between October and the end of April, some agencies dare to say it will be perfectly clear, others expect a lot of rain during the hike

Meaning of symbols:

Lack of information could be putting lives at risk



Agencies Scrutinised

They have certified trekking and mountain guides who are members of UIAGM – IFMGA, are a well-trained multidisciplinary team, with good mountaineering equipment and their director Jose Chacon has 26 years of experience as a mountain guide leading and managing trekking, climbing and mountaineering tours in the Cordilleras. Maybe their director was outdoors when we tried to contact them!

Most concerning is the logo on the Prom Peru website. Prom Peru (Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Export and Tourism) is a governmental arm of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. Do they support this agency?

Explorandes, nominated as winner of the World Tourism Awards as World´s Leading Green Tour Operator, operates their own programs in Cuzco, Huaraz, Lima and Puno, but were apparently not interested in organising a small trip for a couple from Poland.

Casa de Guias, often mistakenly represented as a non-profit organisation, offered thorough answers to most of our questions, and gave the impression of having knowledgeable and friendly staff. They also stood out as the only agency to include medical insurance in their trekking package. On the other hand, opening hours at the Casa De Guias are erratic, and it took numerous unanswered emails and visits to their office before we eventually got in touch with a representative. Casa de Guias is, however, the only institute allowed to train aspiring guides at their own training establishment.

When planning your treks, it’s important to understand guide certification. The two most commonly heard acronyms are UIAGM, and AGMP. What do these abbreviations stand for? UIAGM stands for Unión Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes; it’s French for the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations. This means that guides at agencies that claim this title have allegedly been through an intensive three year course, certifying them as competent on an international level. AGMP is the Association of Mountain Guides of Peru. Guides with this certification are licensed to work as guides in the country of Peru. You may also come across AGMP-RA, which means guides are specialised in the region of Ancash in the Cordilleras.

Often not taken into consideration is the fact that most peaks of the Cordillera Blanca lie within the National Park Huascarán, and thus require a park entrance fee of 65 soles. JM Expeditions was the only agency that actually includes the 65 soles entrance fee of the National Park Huascarán within their price of USD 425.

Now let us have a more detailed look at the feedback we got from those 14 randomly selected agencies that operate in Huaraz.

(A) Casa de Guias

Cost per person (USD): 350

Included: transportation to and from trekking circuits, food, medical insurance, camping and climbing equipment

Not included: 65 soles park entrance fee

Difficulty: Hard to determine. First day is relatively easy, the 2nd and 3rd day are longer

Weather: can be cloudy and rainy in the afternoon, the rainy season is almost over

English spoken

Certification: UIAGM

(B) Galaxia Expeditions


Included: Meals, camping equipment, campsite guard, private Huaraz-to-hotel transportation

Not included: 65 soles park entrance fee

Difficulty: Relatively easy, no experience needed

Weather: Unstable

English spoken


(C) JM Expeditions


Included: Climbing equipment, all meals during treks and climbs, private transportation to and from trekking circuits, two-person tents, porter for food and gear, 65 soles park entrance fee

Not included: Outerwear, personal

medication, alcoholic/soft drinks

Difficulty: not specified

Weather: Plenty of rain

English spoken


(D) Monttrek


Included: Transportation, food, climbing equipment, camping equipment

Not included: 65 soles park entrance fee, breakfast on the first day, dinner on the last night

Difficulty: a bit difficult

Weather: Perfect for climbing Pisco

English spoken

Certification: not specified

(E) Enrique Expeditions


Included: Pickup at Huaraz bus terminal transportation to hotel, technical climbing gear, kitchen supplies, pack animals and porters, cook, all meals during the expedition

Not included: Transportation to/from Lima, 65 soles park entrance fee, meals while in Huaraz

Difficulty: Moderate – difficult

Weather: 12–23◦C day, -4 – 6◦C night

Basic, functional English spoken

Certification: AGMP, UIAGM

(F) Huascaran Travel


Included: Transportation to/from Huaraz bus station, day hike for acclimatisation around Huaraz, cook, all meals and snacks during expedition, hot wine on the last night, hot water for washing, first aid kit, donkeys, muleteers, camping equipment, all kitchen supplies, Pisco Sour and souvenirs, climbing equipment

Not included: 65 soles park entrance fee, sleeping bag, breakfast the first day, dinner the last night

Difficulty: easy. No previous experience necessary

Weather: Normally good. Good for climbing Pisco

English spoken

Certification: not specified

Below are the results of Andes Camp. This is an example of the lack of information provided. How can this agency give us a price for the hike while not explaining what we can expect? They unmistakably do not take their job or potential clients seriously.

(G) Andes Camp


Included: not specified

Not included: not specified

Difficulty level: intermediate

Weather: good for climbing Pisco

English spoken

Certification: Casa de Guias

(H) Peruvian Andes Adventures


Included: Cook, experienced climbing porters, donkeys, meals during trek, base camp set up, personal tents, sleeping mats, first aid kit, information pack, all cooking equipment, private trek transport in a well maintenance vehicle

Not included: Hotels, meals and drinks in the city, sleeping bags, extra acclimatisation walks, return to Huaraz if departing the climb early, extra hotel nights, climbing equipment (apart from group rope, snow stakes, ice screws), 65 soles park entrance fee

Difficulty level: difficult/demanding

Weather: Generally good; unstable

English spoken


(I) Andean Sky Expeditions


Included: Transportation to and from treks, food, climbing gear, camping gear

Not included: Breakfast the first day, dinner the last night, 65 soles park entrance fee

Difficulty: Not specified

Weather: Good, still a bit rainy

English spoken


(J) Edward’s Adventures

Cost per person (USD): Not specified

Included and not included: Not specified

Difficulty level: Not specified

Weather: Good, better towards the end of April

English spoken


(K) Pablo Tours

Despite numerous attempts to contact this agency we were unable to acquire any information. After two email attempts, we called and spoke to an employee who assured us he would correspond via email the following day. We have yet to hear back.

The graph to the right shows the prices charged by the

agencies. Price is naturally an important consideration

for tourists, especially in a place like Huaraz that

attracts backpackers on low budgets. Normally the rule is the less you pay, the less you can expect. The graph does not specify whether climbing equipment, Pisco

Sour drinks or souvenirs are included, as is the case at

Huascaran Travel.



National PrideNational flavour –

The history of Inca KolaStepping off a ship in the port of Callao in 1910 a British immigrant-couple,

called the Lindleys, was starting a new life in the Americas. Little did they know that they’d become an integral part of Peru’s national identity by creating one of

the greatest modern Peruvian icons.

nationalism.

The Peruvian name and the Peruvian ingredients were accompanied with marketing promoting Inca Kola as Peru’s drink, the national flavour. Coca Cola be-came the foreign competitor and Peruvi-ans chose to buy Peruvian.

Now read an interview conducted with Johnny Lindley.

What did you learn from your father?

“That we are all equal, that we should all respect and help each other. One should not abuse dominance, never. Respect returns respect, that’s my rule.”

Was it a mistake to sell a stake in the business to Coca Cola?

“That’s an incorrect interpretation, a manipulation by competitors that stood

So the Lindley’s have 50%, and Coca Cola the other 50%?

No, they have about 40%, we have a bit more that 50%, and the rest is owned by other members of the family and other companies.”

Why couldn’t Coca Cola beat Inca Kola?

“We learned from them how to manage the market, we improved with time we can’t deny it, Coca Cola was our school. The other thing was the flavour, and I don’t want to boast, but I can say that it was also due to the building of the brand through advertising.”

Why do you think you managed to find a place in the hearts of Peruvians?

“We knew how to communicate to the people that we felt like part of this

to secure new clients, and I had to sell.”

Johnny had only been involved in the family business a couple of years when his father Isaac invested all his savings in the expansion of his bottling shop – which was now turning into a bottling plant. Their business was now entirely focused on this unique yellow drink that was quite unlike anything else – and the business was doing well. Early sales techniques were cunning and ingenious in their simplicity.

“Twelve of us would go to all the restau-rants, and we’d always order the best and most expensive dishes. We’d then order Inca Kola to accompany them, and if they didn’t stock it, we’d cancel our order and leave. The next day one of our sales people would show up and offer them the drink, and of course, they’d buy it, Johnny explains with a grin. “We did it often, it was the only way to increase the demand at the start… the waiters just loved us.”

There is only one Inca Kola and it’s like no other. The flavour of Peru. These phrases, in Spanish, are essentially the reason why this is only one of just two territories in the world that doesn´t have Coca Cola as the number one selling soft drink. To study of Inca Kola’s history is to study how to market a product correctly. Johnny’s parents eventually parted this world, and Johnny took the reins of the family businesses.

By the 1970s Inca Kola controlled 38% of the country’s soft drinks market. It was the sweetness of the drink that started Inca Kola down the road to success (Pe-ruvians have an incredible sweet-tooth), but it took more than that to compete with larger, wealthier and older drinks such as the already popular Coca Cola.

Coca Cola had already been forced to change its secret recipe for Peru, in-creasing its sweetness to better suit the local palette, one of just three countries world-wide where they had to do this.To compete with and eventually leave Peru’s exceptionally sweet Coca Cola trailing in the dust, the Lindley Corpora-tion tapped into Peruvians’ stubborn

to gain. This is a strategic alliance; we’ve associated ourselves with the number one producer of soft drinks in the world, something that was never done before. Coca-Cola, the company with the best-selling soft drink in the world, the king of the world, asked to partner with us – something that has also never been repeated.

The young couple established them-selves in the historic working-class district of Rímac and got off to a great start. Their small bottling business had taken off, and their soft drinks were enjoyed by locals. They had started a family and integrated well into their new homeland, growing increasingly patriotic. In 1935 when Lima was celebrating its 400th anniversary, the Lindley family decided to release a new drink that was decidedly Peruvian – they named it Inca Kola and based its flavor on a local herb Hierba Luisa, already enjoyed as an infusion. This new sug-ary and lightly carbonated Hierba Luisa based drink was quickly accepted. In fact, it quickly became a hit, and the rate of consumption grew, spreading across most of Lima.The ageing Don Isaac Lindley, head of the family, would man-age his increasingly large bottling facility while son Johnny would drive the delivery truck from Callao to Barranco, delivering new stock to restaurants and local shops, as well as trying to secure deals with new customers.

Johnny, now aged 80 years old, remem-bers: “As a 5-year-old [the same year that Inca Kola was invented] my father would take me outside to count the load on the truck. My childhood obsession was to drive the trucks; that’s what I wanted to do, deliver. I began delivering Inca Kola as soon as I left school. At 18 years old I drove across Surquillo, Barranco, also to La Punta. There was a lot of competition

Inca Kola products available in Peru

The Inca Kola logo



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Call: 971863202 RPM #0417713We are located 15 mins from

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From only10 soles p.p. Parking possibility available

National Pridecountry. In the days of terrorism we would say that Inca Kola was the flavour that united us, it gave us strength, when the times of pain passed, it became the flavour of joy, the flavour of the party. When confronted with copies [Isaac Kola] we said that Inca Kola was the national flavour. We always made that distinction; we have always felt proud of Peru.”

Long before the Peruvian gastronomic boom, you’ve been proud of Peruvian food…

“I’ve always liked Peruvian food, we also wanted to find a channel with which to associate our product, and we felt we had a flavor that was Peruvian.”

You’re now 80 years old; Inca Kola is 75 years old, and the Lindley business 100. What changes have you seen in Peru?

“I think that all countries are optimistic when it comes to their development, but Peru has demonstrated that it can sup-port a crisis better than anyone, we’re an example of that. Peruvians are very hard-working, we like to advance our lot, and I see that. If our company has made it through 100 years it is only because the people work hard, I’m thankful for that. I believe in Peru, we’ve fought to improve things, and we’re still working to do so.”

Entrenching their now superior market share, the Lindleys associate Inca Kola with Peru’s national dishes. Today you’ll struggle to find a Peruvian who disagrees that Inca Kola goes well with every Pe-ruvian dish. A particular success was the association with Peruvian Chinese food in the country’s Chifas. Chifa without Inca Kola just isn’t Chifa to most people.

Coca Cola was struggling; lagging behind in sales and market share while in every other country in the world (bar Scotland) it was in the #1 position, Coca Cola tried everything. Incredible amounts of money were being spent, at one point representatives were standing outside almost every point of sale big or small encouraging consumers to leave that bottle Inca Kola on the shelf just that one

time and buy Coca Cola.

Desperation turned to capitulation after Bembos, the equally stubborn Peruvian fast-food chain that was a thorn in Mc-Donald’s side, switched to exclusively selling Inca Kola. McDonald’s, not al-lowed to sell Inca Kola because of the nature of its exclusivity agreement with Coca Cola, was forced to make a special agreement with the drinks company to allow it to sell a competitor’s drink side by side. With McDonald’s business in Peru at risk merely because people preferred to wash down their fast food with Inca Kola, Coca Cola was forced to accept the agreement, the first time in their history anywhere in the world.

Coca Cola threw in the towel and entered into negotiations with the Lindley family. They couldn’t beat them, so were forced to join them. Coca Cola essentially tried to buy-out the Lindleys, but the family of British immigrants wasn’t having it. Why would they? Hundreds of millions of dollars were offered over the course of three years until the Lindleys got a deal they were happy with. Coca Cola’s surrender came in 1999 when Coca Cola paid the family the sum of $300 million for a minority share of 49% in the business. The Lindleys also received an agreement that Coca Cola would use its distribution networks worldwide to take Inca Kola international.

Coca Cola’s CEO, Mr Ivestor, was obliged to visit Lima and acknowledge the embarrassing defeat by drinking Inca Kola at the press conference announcing the deal. With Coca Cola’s bottling rights in Peru, and new markets already be-ing exploited in Ecuador, parts of the US and Canada , and retaining a controlling share of the business, the Lindley’s got nothing short of a great deal.Johnny Lindley has since passed the reins to his son Johnny Lindley Jr.

Story: Stuart Starrs

Original story also available on: http://enpe-rublog.com/2010/11/15/sabor-nacional-the-history-of-inca-kola/



Expat in Huaraz

The Peruvian dreamAccording to I.N.E.I. statistics, 10,247 foreigners entered Peru in 2010 and stayed for over a year. Maybe they were looking for the Peruvian dream, or maybe just hanging out as tourists while visiting some supreme undiscovered places in Peru. The Free Dictionary describes the American dream as: “the no-tion that the American social, economic, and political system makes success possible for every individual”. The Huaraz Telegraph is wondering whether the Peruvian dream exists and if so, how to reach for those ideals on the Latin American continent being an expat?

When walking along the street it´s easy to spot the difference between a tour-ist and an expat. Whereas most tourists wear their tiny day backpacks, zip-off pants and have a camera around their neck, most of the time the expat walks at a faster pace from A to B.

When I travelled the world I always won-dered (I still do) how it would be being a foreigner in a country like Cambodia, Egypt or Bolivia. Why would you want to live there in the first place? Well, expats might have their stories and reasons I guess. This is why in every edition of The Huaraz Telegraph, we´re interviewing an expat living in Huaraz. Ever wondered how it would be to leave your friends, family and belongings behind and move to Huaraz? First a small insight into the numbers and stats before we head to the interview.

I know a lot of the foreigners living in Huaraz but not all and, therefore, I doubted they would be registered; resulting in skewed stats. To be com-pletely honest, I was wondering whether there would be any stats at all. I went to the I.N.E.I (National Institute of Statistics and Computer science) in Huaraz and asked them the simple question: How many gringos are living in Huaraz or Ancash? The answer was as interest-ing as the question. After signing up and explaining the purpose of my visit, I was shown a couple of statistical books and told I should be able to find the answer

has increased in the last few years. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of immigrants was 39,576, representing a 62.5% of the total registered between 1994 and 2010. The period between 1999 and 2004 represents an increase of 14,707 ńuevos gringos´ signifying 23.2% of the total.

Another interesting graph in the docu-ment shows that 59% of the immigrants are between 20 and 49 years of age. Immigrants younger than 19 years of age represent 9.7% of the immigrant popula-tion, 16.2% are 60 or older representing 10,257 people. When we look at the gender of the immigrants there is an interesting chart showing us that 39.8% of the immigrants are women whereas 60.2% are men representing a total of 63,316 immigrants (38,145 males to 25,171 females). Their marital status shows that 26,813 (45.5%) of the settlers are married and 19,635 are single. A total of 12,526 people are either divorced, widowed or didn’t want to specify.

Just before the document starts to talk about the country of origin, it mentions that 50,950 people have come to Peru by air, entering the country at Jorge Chavez National Airport. A small 5.9% entered from the south in Tacna (Santa Rosa), 3.3% from Bolivia (Desaguadero) and a 2.5% came from the north crossing the border from Ecuador at Aguas Verdes. A total of 1,389 arrived at the harbour of Callao (probably shipwrecked and unable to return home).

The author of the stats declares that there exists a strong concentration of regional immigrants referring to 33.3% of foreigners coming from Latin American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Leaving the continent, surprisingly to me, the Europeans form 27.6% of the newcomers whereas the North Ameri-can continent only accounts for 17.8%. Asian countries, mainly China and Japan, are good for 16.7% where Mexico helps

Central America with 3.5%. Oceania and Africa have the least immigrants with respectively 0.7% and 0.5%.

As you just have read, to qualify for the status of immigrant you will need to stay in Peru for over a year. This is also the condition for our interview, in this edi-tion we conducted the interview with the owner of Creperie Patrick.

1. Who are you?

“I am Patrick Bertrand from France.” 2. How old are you and what’s your profession?

“I am now 52 years old and my original profession is electro-technical mechanic, in Peru I have re-trained as a cook.”

3. How long have you been living in Huaraz?

“Since 1983, and I have been running my business, Creperie Patrick on the main street, since 1986.”

4. What brought you to Huaraz?

“I travelled the world, as many do today, and arrived as a backpacker the first time. I mainly came for the mountains. I planned to stay only a couple of months, I stayed for years.”

5. How has your life changed over the years?

“Not much. I still prefer to spend quality time with my family, and we still take a couple of months off with the family every year to go on a short holiday. What has changed a lot is the city of Huaraz. There is chaos, disorder and more crimes. The population has grown from 30,000 to 150,000 in 30 years, five times the size. Thirty years back you had only 15 taxis in the city, one at the market, another one at the Plaza de Armas, and you had to

there. Well, after half an hour of searching …nothing!

How about the number of foreigners in Peru and the number of immigrants every year? That was a little easier to find. On the I.N.E.I website(http://www.inei.gob.pe/biblioineipub/bancopub/Est/Lib1038/libro.pdf) there are loads of stats on Peruvian emigration as well as Peruvian immigration between 1990 and 2011. Not bad, still up-to-date and even easily accessible. All stats men-tioned in chapter IV on page 73 are for Foreign Residential Immigrants in Peru, concerning foreigners that have arrived to Peru between 1994 and 2010 and have NOT left the country after less than a year. This means that, even though Peru has a law that visitors may only stay up to a maximum of 183 days a year, ´gringos´ are, after one year, considered immigrants in the Republic of Peru.

Between 1994 and 2010, 63,316 foreign-ers were considered residents of Peru without any migration movement noticed crossing borders to leave the country. Be-tween 1994 and 2003, the number of for-eigners entering Peru was never higher than 2,500 individuals. However, between 2004 and 2006, the number of immi-grants reached up to almost 4,000 people with 6,000 in 2007. The latest stats show that in 2010 at least 10,247 foreigners stayed in Peru longer than one year and are considered as immigrants. This study also notes that the number of immigrants

33.3% of the Peruvian immigrants are from the same continent (South America)

The number of immigrants is growing by the year (I.N.E.I. stats)



Expat in Huarazsearch for them.”

6. What are your favourite hangout spots in Huaraz?

“To be completely honest, there are very few of those places in Huaraz. Very few. I like to eat at the Pizzeria of Francois, Bruno, or at some of the Chifas (Peruvi-an-made Chinese food). For a drink I like to go to Café Andino, Lucho´s, X-treme or maybe the Tambo Discotheque. Unfortu-nately there is not much to do in Huaraz.”

7. What is it you miss the most from back home, and how often do you go back?

“That would be my family in France. My dad is getting older and I now have to go back to France more frequently. In terms of food: not much. Peru is a rich country, and if ingredients are not available you can grow or make them yourself. My wife and my son cook. I don’t miss that much, maybe some decent cheese. I am an innovator (referring to his home-grown mushrooms, and his invention of Licor de Coca). I like to create things such as the muesli we produce and sell.”

8. What is it you like most about Huaraz?

“The people! People here have time to talk with you, and this gives a good vibe to the city. I never feel lonely because I can always find someone to have a chat with, they´re only a block away, or around the corner.”

9. What’s your opinion about the tourist business in Huaraz?

“Tourism has fallen dramatically. Thirty years ago Huaraz was the second city af-ter Cusco. Now we have become one of the least favourite cities among tourists. This is all because of those incapables

charged by agencies and hotels, and abysmal restaurants that have an even poorer service. People in Huaraz really don’t know what it is to work in tourism. Only a few have the real passion to serve the client. The rest are only there be-cause, sadly, they believe they can make shiploads of money. I have lived here for 27 years now and can’t be bothered any-more. I have tried to join meetings, but when, after the second meeting, half of the people don’t show up anymore, what can I do? My business doesn’t depend on tourists, my children have grown up, and I live a happy life. If others want to waste their time on meetings where in years nothing concrete has been decided, let them do it. I have given up.”

10. What sites or activities do you recommend (or not) to our readers?

“Hmmm, I have already mentioned the restaurants, and unfortunately Mi Chef Kristof and Terracotta Fusion have disap-peared. I recommend people to go to La Buona Pizza because the owner Andrey put a lot of work into his business. People should not go to Pastoruri because that place has died. Basically every hike is beautiful, but that depends a lot on the weather. Lake Aguac is nice and not re-ally known among the tourists. I would go there.”

11. If you were to become the Mayor of Huaraz one day, what would you do or change?

“In the first place, I will never be mayor because I don’t want to get into trouble. That’s all I want to say.”

After pushing Patrick a bit he said the following:

“I would start a revolution, I would com-pletely change the system. There is too much to do here, I wouldn’t know where to start. Maybe with the tourist business, yeah 100%, so the money floats back into the city. The Kilquay River is a com-

Patrick Bertrand enjoying a day off with his Kawasaki motorbike

plete garbage dump. There is too much concrete in the city. Where are the places for children to play? Where are the trees and flowers?”

“Furthermore, cleaning up the city, that’s where I would invest the money. This place is corrupt, that’s why I didn’t want to answer your question. I would be strict, but righteous. Things should work and they aren’t working right now. We need people that can delegate, give and receive orders, but mostly professionals. The money of the city floats back into the river, not to the city itself. I want nothing to do with politics, that’s why I will never become mayor.”

12. Are you living the Peruvian dream (explain)?

“I am enjoying my life. I enjoyed living my life back in France as there was no crisis, but I was looking for something else. Huaraz gave me that opportunity. I can’t compare it with the American dream; where many migrants go and then after arriving have to live like dogs. I live in harmony with the people here. I believe it has been destiny, more than a dream. I am very happy living in Huaraz; I don’t feel I have any shortages.”

13. How do you see your future in Huaraz?

“My future will be the same as my past, but more quiet. I did my part, my children have grown up, but I will take some more time off for my wife and myself. I have worked really hard the past years and would like to give more responsibility to the staff of the restaurant. I like the con-tact with the clients, and I like my job. I will never go back to France to live. What would I do there? I don’t like to go back to France at all! I don’t like the people; you should know that, you’re Dutch! You know about the French mentality! Don’t get me wrong, the country and landscapes are fantastic to travel around but… The French are… I don’t feel French anymore either. If I had to give a percentage, I feel 95% Peruvian. I go back to France every year because both of my parents are in a bad health; other-wise I would NEVER go back. I couldn’t live there anymore, impossible. I should have obtained Peruvian nationality ages ago but I hate doing the paperwork.”

Thanks for your time

Are you an expat living in Huaraz?Contact us for an interview!


working at the Municipality, authorities in general and because the people here don’t care. It is clearly impossible to get all noses pointing in the same direction, and make a real improvement in tour-ism. In 2005 we had 27,000 visitors in the Parque National Huascarán, last year only 7,000. Look at the difference, it’s incredible! Why? For different reasons. For example the exaggeration of prices

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Ï will never go back to France to live. What would I do there? I don’t

like to go back to France at all! I don’t like the people; you should

know that, you’re Dutch! You know about the French mentality!¨

The French Patrick Bertrand is well aware of the prejudices of the Dutch

towards the French



Tourists Talk!

Is Huaraz becoming unsafe for tourists or not?The Huaraz Telegraph went to the office of the Tourist Police at the Plaza de Armas and found that even though we are barely in to 2013 there have already been 15 reports of robberies and scams; and the high season hasn’t even started yet!

While with the Tourist Police we were also informed that on the same morning of the interview with Corinne and Ryan from Canada, similarly Jeff Clanet from New York was very unfortunate; having had his backpack stolen while shopping at Nova Plaza supermarket. From experience I know that you cannot take backpacks, purses or luggage into the shop, they need to be stored in secure boxes near the entrance where a watchman looks after your belongings so you are free do your supermarket run. The Huaraz Telegraph was interested in both stories and first met with Corinne and Ryan.

Ok guys, what happened?

Corinne: “We were mugged on April 13th while walking from the Wilcahuain ruins towards the thermal baths of Monterrey. It happened at around two o’clock in the afternoon. We came down from this place where there is a cross and we saw what we thought was a young man working in a field. The moment we passed we saw him go ahead of us. We think it´s the same guy. He was going very, very fast and had a hoodie up. We were actually commenting on how fast he was going. Then he got to a certain point where there is a little forest, but he took a turn and went down a small path and went the other way. Then he turned and looked at us, but we didn’t think that was rare. After a few minutes we were at the same spot where he took a turn, and we went into the forest where he surprised us with a big silver-coloured gun pointed at our heads. He started screaming: ‘dinero, dinero, mochilas, mochilas’. We handed him the money, and got our wallet back; he was apparently only interested in cash. Unfortunately he also took my camera which I was carrying on my body. He also took our day backpack which was filled with raincoats, sweaters,

socks and swimming clothes such as a bikini and flip-flops. He also got the 280 soles that we were carrying on us. In total everything was worth around 3,000 dollars, with the camera etc. After the mugging he yelled at us that we had to walk down the way, but we couldn’t find a way out of the little forest. There was some construction going on and my boyfriend Ryan went back with three of the construction workers to see if there were any traces of the robber. We finally got to Monterrey where we went to Ollon de Barro (restaurant serving typical regional dishes) and those people were very kind. The owners called our hostel and our hostel owner sent us a taxi.”

Could you describe the attacker?

Ryan: “He seemed about my height, maybe 1.75 cm in height. He had a dark complexion with dark hair and wore a dark navy jacket with some stripes across the top towards his shoulders. No distinguishing marks unfortunately. He wore a ski mask when pointing the

gun at us so we couldn’t see his face, but the police never really asked for a description.”

Then you got back to Huaraz and the paperwork started?

Corinne: “Yeah, it took a long time; a couple of hours. We went to the Tourist Police, but there was only one person that spoke English and that girl helped us. It didn’t seem standard. There was no form to fill in we had to write down everything on a piece of paper and the Tourist Police did the same. Afterwards we were told to come back in two hours when they would give us some sort of declaration, but this declaration only started when we got back there. This took them another hour and a half as they did it when we were there instead of in advance. We were then told that we had to pay for this declaration at Caja Trujillo (bank), and because it was Saturday evening it was closed.”

Ryan: “There is a template they used at

the Tourist Police for our description but it was more a cut and paste. It wasn’t very effective.”

What did all this do to you both?

Corinne: “We were lucky because we didn’t have our passports in the backpack. At the time it wasn’t frightening, but now it is even more so when I think back. We were joking when we got to the trees, asking each other, how you say ´help´ in Spanish? We didn’t have time to be afraid while it was happening, but afterwards we were. We are upset about the things we lost but we met a man this morning that lost his backpack containing his passport, and he didn’t have any insurance, we do. It was an inconvenience. A little too unreal.”

What advice would you give to other tourists?

Corinne: “I wouldn’t recommend anyone going there! ”

Ryan: “You could ask one of the villagers at the ruins to direct or guide you to the hot springs, and then tip him for protecting you, more than being a guide because the trail is clear. I am sure that when you are there with a local, you wouldn’t be in danger. It might not have happened to us had we taken that course of action. It´s still a wonderful hike.”

Was the Tourist Police any help?

Ryan: “uhmm (hesitating to answer), they gave us a form we can use for our insurance, that’s about it. They didn’t really give us any other assistance, but we didn’t expect it either. We don’t expect to get our stuff back, and we don’t expect them to do anything about it.”

Corinne: “They didn’t seem to be concerned to prevent anything. They ate a lot of ice-cream, and were talking on their cells the whole time. But they were friendly and nice.”

How has this mugging influenced your stay in Huaraz?

Corinne: “We´re leaving tonight to travel on to Colombia. It has put a downer on our stay in Peru, but everything else has

Backpack stolen at local supermarket and mugging near Monterrey hot springs


clinica San Pablo

Corinne Staley from Calgary and Ryan Hoetmer from Edmonton, Canada



Tourists Talk!been fantastic. We hoped to stay a bit longer in Huaraz, but we want to move on. We did a hike to Lake Churup and we enjoyed it a lot, it is a safe hike.”

Ryan: “We´ll be back someday.”

Corinne:“There were some people at Ollon de Barro (the restaurant) and they overheard the story and they gave us 40 soles which were great. Also the hostel paid for our taxi, and we felt really good there.”

What follows is a short interview we conducted with Jeff Clanet from the United States; another unfortunate victim of a mugging in Huaraz.

Tell us what happened.

“After a two-day summit, my travelling companion and I returned to Huaraz. On our way back to the hostel from the tour shop I decide to stop at Nova Plaza to pick up some water and Gatorade, I had been very sick over the course of the weekend and needed to rehydrate. As per Nova Plaza protocol, I was not permitted to wear my pack in the store while shopping, so I placed it beside the lockers; as directed by the security guard. I spent about ten minutes shopping. When I was finished I returned to the place where I had left my pack, but it was gone. After a moment of panic I got the security guard’s attention and we proceeded to search the surrounding blocks on foot. After about 15 minutes of running around we returned to the store. I then returned to the hostel to grab some friends who could assist me.”

Afterwards you went to the Tourist Police, was this helpful?

“The Tourist Police were helpful. A police report was drafted the same night as the incident, and the next day the security guard from the Nova Plaza was brought in for questioning.”

Who do you blame?

“I blame Nova Plaza and the security guard’s negligence more specifically, for the theft. You trust that if you are to leave your bag it will be looked after and secure.”

How did Nova Plaza respond?

“Nova Plaza called the police as soon as it became clear what had happened. They arrived about 45 minutes later along with the store manager to review the security tapes, and begin a formal report.”

There are cameras at Nova Plaza was there an image of the subject?

“The cameras at Nova Plaza were able to catch the suspect from the torso down, so they didn’t exactly do their job.”

How did all this affect your stay in Huaraz?

“Despite my stay in Huaraz being cut short by about ten days, because I was planning on doing the Huayhuash trek, I really had a great experience in Huaraz. It was unfortunate that my stay had to

end like this. I really loved the town and the people, I was just very unlucky.¨

“I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to the staff at the Alpes Huaraz hostel. Sr. Juan, Roberto, Danny, and Paty all empathised with my situation, and were extremely helpful. Without them I most likely would have had a much more difficult time navigating the legal system. It truly felt like I was with family.¨

Five days after the theft at Nova Plaza The Huaraz Telegraph went to the supermarket for their side of the story. We wanted to speak to the manager but because Mr. Guzmán was unavailable we spoke to the store´s assistant manager who´s in charge of sales. She wished to remain anonymous, but gave us the following statement: “In the surveillance video you cannot see the entire body of the subject, you can only see his legs. We have handed the evidence of the robbery to the Tourist Police. They now have this video. What happened is the following: last Sunday this foreigner left his backpack at the entrance of our shop near the lockers. On the video we see no communication between the tourist and our watchman at the entrance. Normally tourists take their backpacks into the shop and we allow them to. While he was doing his shopping, an unidentified person grabbed his backpack and left. This unidentified person was wearing a red jacket. He also wore a cap and kept his head down. From the other side there appeared to be a second companion. I wasn’t there that Sunday I was informed by my manager and we tried to solve it by calling the police. I wouldn’t want to say it´s 100% the tourist´s fault, but he did leave his backpack on the floor near the entrance of the shop. I would like to wait to hear the outcome of the investigation by the police.”

Where I conducted the interview there was a bank of screens registering the 16 cameras installed at the shop, I asked them again how it is possible that the burglar didn’t appear on any of them. “This is because our cameras register what happens in inside the shop, not outside. Our vigilance requires more tasks than just checking the lockers; we also make sure customers don’t run of without paying. This happens unfortunately. We are considering placing another camera near the entrance.” I then asked them if Nova Plaza claims responsibility or offers apologies. “We would like to wait until the outcome of the investigation.” I then told them that this happened IN their shop, which makes Nova Plaza responsible. Or am I mistaken? “Right… We have had a meeting with the managers and have discussed this topic. I believe both parties are guilty in this instance, and this all could have been avoided, but we will make sure it doesn’t happen in the future by installing an extra camera filming the outer part of the shop. Next time no one should leave their backpack on the floor near the entrance. You aren’t going to publish this, are you?”

Text: Rex Broekman

Irishman opens Papa Loca restaurant in Huaraz

Only restaurant in Huaraz serving traditional English fish and chips, Irish stew, cottage pie and apple crumble with homemade custard.

On April 20th Trevor Eagleson opened the doors to his new restaurant Papa Loca with free samples, cocktails and good company enjoying its cosy fire

place.

When asked about the restaurant Trevor replied “I want to create something different in Huaraz, of course most of the usual Peruvian dishes are available

but I also want to focus on bringing more diversity to the international cuisine in Huaraz.

I’ve travelled a lot in South America and know how it feels to miss certain foods; hopefully with this menu I can cater to those travellers missing some home

comforts. Add a few cocktails with an 8-10pm buy one get one free happy hour, good portions at reasonable prices and we should have a few smiling faces

leaving the restaurant.”

Papa Loca can be found in Hotel Los Portales, Raimondi 903 and is open from 5pm-11pm Tuesday-Sunday.

Come in May for a free glass of wine with your order.

Opening night cocktails at Papa Loca



Tourist Information

The Cordillera Blanca offers countless opportunities for trekkers and climbers, as well as for people not so keen on physical activities. The wonderful lakes and glaciers of the White Range are easily accessible from the town of Huaraz. Here is a quick guide to the best activities around Huaraz.

DAY TRIPS

Daily sightseeing tours

These tours are great for those of you who are not so active, or who need to acclimatise before heading out into the mountains.

LLANGANUCO – This tour visits the villages in the Huaylas Valley (Carhuaz, Yungay, Caraz), and the beautiful Llanganuco Lake. Be aware that you will only spend from 40 minutes to one hour at the lake. Daily departures.

CHAVIN DE HUANTAR – This tour takes you to Chavin, a village situated on the other side of the Cordillera Blanca in the Conchucos Valley. Here you can visit the Chavin de Huantar UNESCO World Heritage site, featuring some of the oldest and most significant pre-Inca ruins in Peru. You also make a stop at the lovely Lake Querococha along the way. Departs every day except Mondays when the ruins are closed for maintenance.

PASTORURI – This tour visits the southern section of the Cordillera Blanca, with the amazing Pastoruri glacier, which is still well worth a visit despite having lost 40% of its ice in recent years. You can’t help but be impressed by the huge ice cliffs and the Puya Raimondii – a rare 12m high bromeliad plant which you visit on the way to the glacier. Make sure you become acclimatised before going on this tour as the glacier is at 5000m. Departs every day.

Day hikes

These hikes are perfect for those needing to acclimatise before a trek, or for those with limited time.

LAKE CHURUP, 4485m – This is one of the closest and easily accessible hiking routes from Huaraz, leading to a very beautiful turquoise/emerald green coloured glacial lake. It can be quite challenging as there are some steep sections, and there is a rock wall before the lake which you need to scramble up to (there are wires to help you up). It can be tricky in the rainy season when the rock is wet and incredibly slippery, so be careful. It is recommended not to hike alone; for those of you with limited hiking experience it is advisable to go with a guide, as he will carry a rope that will help you go up and down the rock wall safely.

For experienced hikers a guide is not necessary as the path is easy to find. The trailhead at Llupa can be easily reached by public transport.

LAKE 69, 4550m – This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful hikes in the Cordillera Blanca. Located in the northern section of the national park. From Huaraz it’s roughly a three hour drive to the trailhead (Cebollapampa), the journey is incredibly scenic with great views of Mount Huascaran and the Llanganuco Lakes. The hike is of moderate difficulty, but can be challenging for those with limited acclimatisation. You can reach the trailhead by public transport, but finding transport to get back can prove very difficult, so it is recommended to hire private transport from Huaraz. For those with hiking experience a guide is not necessary as the path is clear. The lake is stunning for its pristine blue colour, and its fantastic location at the foot of the mighty Mount Chacraraju. You are rewarded with awesome views of the Cordillera Blanca’s highest summits during the hike.

LAKE LLACA, 4470m – This is one of the closest lakes to Huaraz. It takes two hours by private transport to reach the trailhead at the Llaca refuge. From there it is a short hike to reach the lake. The lake is not as stunning as others in the region, but it is a good option for those wishing to acclimatise with limited effort and time. It is possible to do ice climbing here, but the ice walls tend to be full of sand.

LAKE AGUAC, 4580m – This is another lake located close to Huaraz. The trail starts at the ruins of Wilcahuain and is fairly easy to find. It is quite a long hike and the altitude can make it challenging. The lake doesn’t have a special colour, but there are some great mountain views.

LAKE PARON, 4140m – The lake is located in the northern section of the national park. You need to first go to the town of Caraz before ascending towards the Cordillera Blanca, a long but scenic journey going through the Paron Valley, where huge granite cliffs tower high on all sides. You can go all the way to the lake by private transport, and then those who wish can follow the path that skirts the northern shores of the lake and leads to the Artesonraju base camp. This is the largest and one of the most beautiful lakes in the range, as it is surrounded by many impressive snow-capped peaks. Be aware that the water levels of the lake vary and it can be very low at times.

TREKKING

Easy to moderate treks

SANTA CRUZ TREK (four days) –

Undoubtedly the Cordillera Blanca’s most famous and popular trek. It is suitable for novice hikers, but good acclimatisation is essential before starting the trek. This trek deserves its fame; offering varied scenery and endless views of majestic snow-capped peaks, jewelled glacial lakes and gorgeous Andean valleys. For those with ample experience of trekking at high altitude, this trek is doable without a guide, but be sure to follow the national park rules especially to carry all your rubbish out of the park. Ask in town for directions before heading out, as although easy to follow, the path is not signposted. Departures for this trek in an all-inclusive organised group run daily in high season, but standards vary from one company to the next. The trek can be completed in three or four days, but if you do it in three days you will miss the side trip to the Alpamayo base camp and Lake Arhuaycocha, which is undoubtedly one of the trek’s highlights.

OLLEROS – CHAVIN TREK also known as LLAMA TREK (three days) – A less popular trek, it mainly crosses vast expanses of puna, following ancient pre-Inca and Inca paths that lead to the village of Chavin. There are no glacial lakes and few snow-capped mountain views during this trek, but you will come across isolated communities.

Moderate to challenging treks

QUILCAYHUANCA – COJUP TREK (three days) – A stunning trek which goes through some less-visited, but none the less stunning valleys of the Cordillera Blanca. It is a much tougher trek than the Santa Cruz for two reasons. First there are no donkeys to carry all the equipment, so you will have to carry a backpack weighing around 15kg (the weight depends on the number of porters accompanying the group). Second, because the pass is much higher. At 5050m the path leading up to it is very steep, rocky and generally not well trodden. The way down from the pass is even steeper and more challenging. This trek is perfect for fit, experienced hikers who wish to experience peace and tranquillity. Good acclimatisation is essential before starting the trek.

AKILPO – ISHINCA TREK (three days) – This trek is similar in difficulty to the Quilcayhuanca trek, although donkeys can be used (they do not go over the pass but go back and around).

The pass is very high at 5050m and the path leading up to it is steep and not well marked. The trek starts at the pre-Inca ruins of Honcopampa, and then goes up the Akilpo Valley through beautiful forests of local quenual trees, before reaching the superb Lake Akilpo just before the pass. Then you go down to the Ishinca Valley. This trek is perfect for fit, experienced hikers looking for an alternative to the Santa Cruz trek. Good acclimatisation is essential before starting the trek.

ISHINCA – COJUP TREK (three days) – This trek is vastly different to all the others, because it includes a glacier traverse requiring the use of equipment such as crampons and ropes. Bringing you much closer to the giant icy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca, the views are simply spectacular. This trek is only suitable for very fit and experienced hikers, but does not require any mountaineering technical knowledge. Thorough acclimatisation is essential as you will go well over 5000m. It is possible to include a summit climb to Mount Ishinca (5530m) during this trek.

Challenging treks

HUAYHUASH TREK (eight or ten days) – The Huayhuash full circuit trek is considered as one of the world’s most beautiful. It is a trek that requires good physical condition and acclimatisation, because it crosses many high passes (eight passes minimum ranging from 4650m to 5050m) and the campsites are all above 4100m. Trekkers are rewarded with endless breath-taking views of stunning glacial lakes, pristine valleys and icy peaks, which can be extremely close. There are many alternatives possible for the itinerary, but the most common group departures are for the eight day and ten day treks. Those with more time and wishing to explore less visited valleys of the range can do the trek in as many as 15 days, and take the more challenging high trail. Those with limited time can do the four day Mini Huayhuash trek, which visits one of the range’s most beautiful locations: the Lake Jahuacocha area.

CEDROS – ALPAMAYO TREK (seven or ten days) – This trek is less popular than the Huayhuash trek, and also very different, although not less beautiful. It is probably a bit more challenging too, even though the passes are not as high (eight

All you should know about day trips, trekking, mountaineering and bouldering

Prepare yourself for at least one hour of hiking before even seeing the glacier of Pastoruri


WARNING FOR TOURISTS:

AVOID THE RATAQUENUA CROSS AND DON´T HIKE FROM THE RUINS OF WILCAHUAIN TOWARDS THE BAÑOS TERMALES IN MONTERREY



Tourist Informationpasses on the full circuit ranging from 4400m to 4850m), but the trails leading up to the passes are much steeper. You are unlikely to meet many trekkers and will come across several isolated Quechua communities who still follow a traditional lifestyle.

The highlight of this trek is undoubtedly the view from Jancarurish of Mount Alpamayo, known as the World’s most Beautiful Mountain thanks to its near perfect pyramid of ice. You will not see as many glacial lakes and close-up views of glaciers on this trek as on the Huayhuash trek, but the landscape is much more varied and the isolation a real bonus. The trek can be done in seven days starting in Hualcayan or Huancarhuas and finishing in Pomabamba, allowing one worthwhile rest day in Jancarurish, but take into account that you need a full day to travel back to Huaraz from Pomabamba (night buses are not recommended due to frequent robberies on this route). For those with more time, you can add extra days by joining on to the Santa Cruz trek at the end, making it a ten or 11 day itinerary if finishing in Cashapampa, or a nine day itinerary if finishing in Vaqueria. The trek can be done in reverse, but it is tougher.

MOUNTAINEERING

Keep in mind that glacier conditions change from year to year, so what was an easy walk across a glacier one year may be a difficult passage through crevasses the following year. So make sure to check the latest conditions in town before setting out on any of these expeditions.

Non-technical climbs

These expeditions are suitable for people with no previous mountaineering experience; however, even though they are often referred to as trekking peaks these expeditions, although not technical, are harder than a trek, due to the fact that you wake up at midnight, walk in the dark and use heavy equipment such as mountain boots and crampons. If you are fit and have experience of trekking at high altitude and want to experience being on a glacier, then one of these peaks is for you.

MOUNT PISCO, 5752m (three days) – This expedition offers some of the best summit views of any peak of the Cordillera Blanca, and for that reason is very popular. Crossing the moraine takes two to three hours and is considered the most challenging part of the expedition. It is possible to include a hike to Lake 69 on the last day.

MOUNT VALLUNARAJU, 5686m (two days) – This expedition can be quite challenging, because no donkeys can be used, you have to carry a 15kg backpack up a steep path to moraine camp on day one. It is very popular due to its proximity to Huaraz making it a short expedition.

MOUNT ISHINCA, 5530m (three days) – This peak is mostly used as an acclimatisation peak for those wanting to climb the higher and more technical Mount Tocllaraju, which is situated in the same valley.

MOUNT TUCO, 5479m (two days) – A very seldom climbed peak, although it offers a relatively short and easy ascent, as well as the chance to see the rare Puya Raimondii plant.

Intermediate level climbs

These expeditions are suitable for people with some mountaineering experience. It is recommended to climb a 5000m+ peak before starting any of these expeditions in order not to suffer from altitude sickness.

MOUNT TOCLLARAJU, 6034m (four days) – This expedition is perfect for those who have climbed a non-technical summit previously and want to take the next step in the mountaineering world by trying something more technical. It includes the ascent of two 60m high ice walls requiring the use of ice axes. The relatively short summit ascent makes it a perfect first 6000m+ peak.

MOUNT CHOPICALQUI, 6354m (four days) – This expedition has the same technical difficulty level as Mount Tocllaraju, but it is a more difficult climb due to the much longer summit route and higher altitude. It includes the ascent of

from a technical point a view, this is an extremely tough expedition suitable only for mountaineers with plenty of experience, because of the difficult climbing conditions (crevasses, risk of avalanche, extreme cold and altitude). Do not underestimate the difficulty of this climb.

Technical climbs

These expeditions are suitable for people with plenty of technical mountaineering experience. It is recommended to climb a 5000m+ peak before starting any of these expeditions in order not to suffer from altitude sickness.

MOUNT ALPAMAYO, 5947m (seven days) – This is a serious and technically challenging expedition requiring the ascent of a 470m high ice wall. Excellent crampon and ice axe techniques are essential. Please note that the ascent from base camp to high camp is particularly challenging, given that you need to climb up a 60m high ice wall (at a 55 degree incline), carrying your backpack. Known as the World’s Most Beautiful Mountain, each year Alpamayo attracts many mountaineers from the

and ice axe techniques are essential, as well as an excellent physical condition. Two ascent routes are possible, either from Lake Paron or from the Santa Cruz Valley.

ROCK CLIMBING & BOULDERING

Rock climbing and bouldering spots are plentiful around Huaraz. All types of climbing, at all levels, with many different types of rock, fantastic views, and no chance to get bored!

Check with local climbers or travel agencies specialising in rock climbing for a detailed list of the necessary equipment and help with logistics.

CHANCOS – Located 32km northeast of Huaraz in the foothills of the Cordillera Blanca, Chancos is the perfect place for beginners and climbers with limited experience. After climbing, a good option is to visit the Chancos Hot Springs which are situated an easy ten-minute walk away.

LOS OLIVOS – This is the closest climbing spot to Huaraz, situated only three kilometres from the town centre. It features a large number of equipped sport- climbing routes in five different sectors, as well as several boulders, suitable for climbers with some experience. From here you get an amazing panoramic view of the town of Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca.

ANTACOCHA – Situated 35km south of Huaraz in the Cordillera Negra it is one of the few places in the area offering long routes with a variety of difficulty levels, suitable for climbers with limited or a lot of experience alike. The 180m high wall towers high above Lake Antacocha. This place offers a magnificent vantage point of the Cordillera Blanca, especially at sunset.

HATUN MACHAY – Located 104km south of Huaraz at 4300m high in the Cordillera Negra, this stunning rock forest is a paradise for rock climbing and bouldering with some 250 equipped sport-climbing routes and countless boulders, suitable for all levels. It is also a great place for hiking, as it offers some amazing viewpoints with views of the Cordillera Blanca, Huayhuash and the Pacific Ocean, as well as many caves with ancient rock paintings and carvings dating back to 10,000BC.

THE SPHYNX – Also known as The Colossus of the Andes it is situated 90km northeast of Huaraz in the Paron Valley and is considered to be one of the most amazing granite rock walls in South America, offering a variety of traditional climbing routes with superb views of the snow-capped summits of the Cordillera Blanca surrounding it. Given its extreme altitude (5325m), it is essential to be well acclimatised before setting off on this climb and to have sufficient experience in traditional climbing. It takes an average of three days to complete the climb.

Information and photo ´tip of the month´ provided by Marie Timmermans from QUECHUANDES Travel & Adventure Agency

(Please visit www.quechuandes.com)

two 60m high ice walls requiring the use of ice axes. It offers one of the Cordillera Blanca’s most beautiful ascent routes along its southwest ridge.

MOUNT HUASCARAN SOUTH, 6768m (seven days) – Although not very difficult

world over.

MOUNT ARTESONRAJU, 6025m (five days) – This is a mentally, physically and technically demanding climb requiring the ascent of a 600m high ice wall, at an incline of 50 degrees. Excellent crampon

Horse back riding in the Cordillera Negra

Horse back riding opportunities around Huaraz are few but most definitely worthwhile. The Cordillera Negra, although much less famous due to its lack of ice than its neighbour the Cordillera Blanca, offers fantastic horse riding

possibilities. Trips are mostly organised around the village of Yungar, situated in the Callejon de Huaylas some 20km north of Huaraz, but thanks to the

entrepreneurial mind of a young man from the village of Santa Cruz, 22 year old Fernando Chauca Figueroa, trips are now also available around Wilcacocha, a small picturesque lake nestled high in the Cordillera Negra, only 7km from

Huaraz. Whether riding a horse in Yungar or Wilcacocha, one thing is certain: on a clear day, from the barren slopes of the Cordillera Negra, you will be rewarded

with magnificent panoramic views of the splendid perennially snow-capped

peaks of the Cordillera Blanca. You will also get a chance to meet Quechua-speaking locals who still follow a traditional way of life. Since work opportunities

are few in the Cordillera Negra and due to the lack of water, life is generally tougher than on the other side of the valley, horse riding trips offer the locals a good way to supplement their income. So saddle up and ride up the Black

Range, you shall not be disappointed!

TIP OF THE MONTH




Local NewsTHT doubts Huaraz got 40% more tourists during Semana Santa 2013

A brief investigation by The Huaraz Telegraph has called into question the veracity of the claim that there were more tourists in 2013, compared to last year during Easter. Not one single owner of a hostel where The Huaraz Telegraph is freely available confirmed the story. According to HuarazInforma, the Regional Director of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Direcetur), Maricela Cafferata reported that more than 13,000 local and foreign tourists visited the Ancash region during the days of the Holy Week, also known as Easter. The tourism sector director stated that there were a total of 13,074 visitors to Chavin, Llanganuco, Lake Paron and the Sechin Sanctuary. Furthermore, she believed that tourism has increased by 40% in comparison with last year when only 9,000 tourists arrived. “According to the organizations that have made these measurements, tourists have visited the traditional tourist areas such as Chavin de Huantar, The Llanganuco Lakes, the Glacier of Pastoruri, despite the communication problems we had.” Maricela Caffetara also said that this time they have played against the climate factor referring to the heavy rains that occurred weeks before Easter, and the increase in bus ticket prices by transport companies. Bus companies were not the only ones who took advantage of the situation, hostels, hotels, tour agencies and even rice at the market was more expensive than in other periods of the year.

Yungay disaster of 1970

This month sees the 43rd anniversary of one of the worst catastrophes in the history of Peru; the earthquake which destroyed the nearby town of Yungay. As people listened to the commentary of the opening match of the World Cup in 1970 on the radio, the ground started to shake leading to an earthquake that lasted less than a minute, and measured a massive 8.0 on the Richter Scale, resulting in the deaths of more than 25,000 people, and many more missing and displaced. The earthquake was so powerful that it was felt far and wide across the country causing untold damage to infrastructures. The Peruvian Government has since declared Yungay a national cemetery, and a monument has been built to remember the dead. The new Yungay was rebuilt 1.5 km north of the old town which can still be visited as part of the tour towards the Llanganuco Lakes.

Mario Vargas Llosa celebrated his 77th birthday in Chacas

Peruvian author and Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa came to the town of Chacas, in the province of Asunción in Ancash, to celebrate his birthday. He was received by Father Ugo Censi the director of Operation Mato Grosso – a group of Italian volunteers doing social work in the high Andes in Ancash. Vargas Llosa was welcomed by the Oratorian children chanting messages of peace love and hope; showing their admiration for the famous Peruvian. Ronald Broncano, Mayor of Chacas, declared Vargas Llosa

an illustrious guest and handed him the keys to the city, and presented him with a cake in the shape of a book, to celebrate his 77th birthday. Mario Vargas Llosa was accompanied by his wife, daughter, granddaughters and friends, and visited the churches built by Operation Mato Grosso in the Conchucos area before returning to Lima.

Swimming pool finally has hot water

Ever been at an altitude of 3,000 metres, and jumped in a pool of cold water? It´s like returning to your hostel or hotel after a long trek, and standing under a shower that turns cold. On the 27th of last month the Huaracina community was invited to try out its warm-water pool at the recreation centre. Now swimming enthusiasts and the general public can once again enjoy this swimming pool. The installation of a new boiler ensures temperatures of over 28◦C will make swimming in this pool a real pleasure. The Deputy Mayor Jonhy Soto Espinoza, said the city of Huaraz improved the heating system through a maintenance project, so that the pool now works properly. It will allow not only athletes, but also tourists to enjoy swimming from eight in the morning, until six in the evening.

Counterfeit banknotes in Huaraz

In our previous edition we published an article about tourists withdrawing money from the ATMs in Huanchaco. We have now been informed by Huaraz Noticias that there are also counterfeit banknotes in circulation in Huaraz. Two delinquents are circulating among the area of merchants near the Cilcay River at peal times with fake fifty and twenty sole notes; taking advantage of the absence of police and Serenazgo (town guardians). One shopkeeper said to Huaraz Noticias: “These crooks use peak hours where there are a number of customers urging them to distract the vendor, while another asks you to fill a bag. After noticing we had received counterfeit notes there was no police or watchmen near, now we haven’t seen them anymore but we know they are around.” LimaEasy has a perfect guide listed on their website with information

on how you can recognize the counterfeit banknotes. According to LimaEasy, “In November 2010, Peru was named the counterfeit cash capital of the world. Quite surely nothing the country can be proud of; rather an indicator that you might be confronted with fake money while in Peru. Therefore, we highly recommend getting familiar with the Peruvian banknotes, (also the coins – there are even fake coins in circulation, mainly with the higher nominations of S/. 2 and S/. 5) and their standard security features.”

New Lonely Planet Peru 2013 downloadable

By accident we found out that the newest Lonely Planet Peru can be found on the internet, (though at the time of writing this it was not available in the bookstores). There are not many pages available, but from what we have seen it´s pretty much the same as the previous edition, but more interactive. Most of the previous mentioned places have regained their spot. Mi Chef Kristof, (no longer trading) has been named top choice in the eat section along with Café Andino. New in the book is the Sierra Andino Tap Room: “The S5 (5 soles) ride to Cascapampa is a small price to pay for the wares afforded at the genuine microbrewery that brought suds salvation to Huaraz when it opened in 2011.” Ending its review with: “The equipment is top notch, while the space is a bit makeshift in a Berlin sort of way (as long as there´s alcohol, nobody will notice the second-hand furniture). Good times.” In the Huanchaco section there are mentions for sponsors Otra Cosa and Jungle Bar Bily. The Holy Bible of Travelling illustrates the difficulty of writing a book, and publishing it almost a year later; some businesses have disappeared, and others have moved like Transportes Rodrigues who are now to be found at the end of Lucar y Torre, and not on the corner of 27 de Noviembre and Gridilla as the book mentions. Notable in the newest edition is the author´s preference for community tourism. It says: “Almost anything you do with these agencies will benefit the local families, and contribute to the growing community-tourism movement in the region.” Agencies helping the local community? Luckily The Huaraz Telegraph knows better.

Festival Del Andinismo Cordillera Blanca 2013 announced

This year Callejón de Huaylas is preparing once again to host the Festival del Andinismo Cordillera Blanca; a festival that has in previous years been a mixture of adventure sports competitions and cultural and environmental events.

The main aim of the 2013 festival is to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly economic development in Ancash, the region where it takes place, by promoting it as the ideal spot for adventure sports and thus raising the quality of life of the local population that depends on what is arguably the most important economic activity of the area: tourism. The eco-tourist highlights of the region are undeniable. In Ancash there is one of the most impressive geological formations in Peru; the stone forest of Hatun Machay – an ideal location for bouldering and rock climbing. There is also the added attraction of the annual skiing and snowboarding competitions. These in addition to the ideal weather and Andean culture makes the region a must-visit not just for extreme sports fans, but for anyone interested in Peruvian nature and culture. The Festival del Andinismo Cordillera Blanca 2013 will take place at the end of June during Peru´s national holidays, with activities organised by SAVE THE RAJUS (Save the Mountains) and ALDEA (Latin-American Association of Adventure Sports), both with the combined experience of over 40 years organising events of this kind, with the participation of other experienced organisations and public institutions as well.

Huaraz will get shopping mall in 2014

The city of Huaraz will finally get its first shopping centre which will be located in the district of Independencia. The project´s estimated investment is about U.S. $14 million, and the project is due to be completed by 2014.

Action against crime by local authorities

Last month the Superior Court of Ancash (CSJAN) hosted a co-ordination meeting between the authorities that should make up the Provincial Public Safety Committee (COPROSEC) – Huaraz. The session was led by the Mayor of Huaraz, Vladimir Meza Villarreal, who chairs as the first mayor of the provincial authority. At the meeting various safety issues were discussed, and the prime topic on the agenda was what actions can be taken towards the rising violence, and how to prevent those criminals acting in the city. Head of the Superior Court Dr Campos Barranzuela Edhin stressed the importance of implementing a work plan which was briefly prepared by the Provincial Public Safety Committee of Huaraz. Later on, the officials present agreed on the urgency of the implementation of a crime observatory in the city of Huaraz. The convocation was attended by representatives from the Provincial Municipality of Huaraz, District Municipality of Independencia, the National Police, the Regional Government of Ancash and the Judicial Power.

Inkafest Mountain Film Festival 2013 announced

The Inkafest Mountain Film Festival 2013 will be held in August at the Cultural Centre of Huaraz.

Inkafest Mountain Film Festival 2013 flyer

Extreme sports at Festival del Andinismo



Around HuarazPlaces of interest

around HuarazHere we present a guide to the villages around Huaraz in the Callejon de Huaylas and Conchucos. Most of them are easily accessible by microbus (colectivo). Ask your hostel owner or landlord where to catch the colectivos in Huaraz.

Callejon de Conchucos

The Callejon de Conchucos, which runs almost parallel to the Callejon de Huaylas to the east of the Cordillera Blanca, is less accessible and, therefore, less frequented by visitors, but it is equally beautiful. The Callejon de Conchucos is known mostly for the old Chavín de Huántar Ceremonial Complex. It offers a variety of off-the-beaten-path villages complemented by local festivals, typical music and customs. Take enough cash because most villages in the Callejon de Conchucos have no ATMs.

San Marcos (2960m)

San Marcos is located nine kilometres north of Chavín de Huántar, in the Mosna valley. Here you can expect basic tourist services as well as spectacular mountain-biking options. The Mosna Valley is also known as Magnolia Paradise because of the many flowers that enrich the area. At the nearby Antamina mine you could find fossilised remains of dinosaurs.

Huari (3150m)

The province capital is located 152km from Huaraz; about four hours by public transport. It is famous for its gastronomy and the María Jiray Waterfall. Seven kilometres from Huari is Lake Purhuay which also offers camping, trekking and mountain-biking facilities. Also worth visiting is the archaeological centre of Marca Jirca.

Chacas (3359m)

Less-known hikes to Huari or Yanama are accessible from this little village (Yanama is also the start of the Santa Cruz trek). Chacas offers tourists an excellent opportunity to experience the Andean lifestyle when visiting the main plaza. Flanked by the colourful windows and doors of the white painted houses;

many with complex wooden balconies. There is a direct bus route to Huaraz with Transporte Renzo.

San Luis (3131m)

Capital city of the province of Carlos Fermín Fitzcarrald, it will take no less than six hours to reach this township from Cátac. Famous for the archaeological site of Cashajirca located three kilometres north of San Luis, and the beautiful Sanctuary of Pomallucay, this church offers its home to the image of Lord Justice Pomallucay.

Other villages in the Callejon de Conchucos worth considering visiting are Pomabamba, Piscobamba and Llamellín.

Callejon de Huaylas

The Callejon de Huaylas stretches for 150km in the Ancash Region of Peru with the Santa River running along the valley floor. The Huaylas Valley is more crowded and most conventional tours run over paved roads.

Recuay (3422m)

If you have ever wondered how Huaraz looked before the earthquake of 1970, then visit Recuay. The structure of the narrow streets and adobe houses (houses built from sod) give a good impression. From the Bedoya Bridge, on the right hand side, starts the 183km road towards Olleros and Huaripampa, which is also the beginning of the Llama Trek towards Chavín de Huántar.

Carhuaz (2645m)

Famous for its local ice-cream and home to a lively Sunday market were countryside inhabitants sell various handicrafts, fruits and typical products from the region such as Manjar Blanco (blancmange).

Marcará (2950m)

This village mainly serves as a drive-through between Huaraz and Yungay. It is famous for its baños termales (hot springs) of Chancos. Weekdays are a lot quieter; at the weekends locals from the surrounding villages descend and the pools tend to become overcrowded. Expect the temperature of the pools to be around 70°C.

Jangas (2825m)

Here lies the parish of Don Bosco, an Italian Roman Catholic priest who in the 1800s established schools and carpentry and woodcarving workshops for orphans and street children. Jangas is a charming village not far from Tarica, and Anta airport.

Tarica (3600m)

This drive-through town is part of the conventional tour towards the Llanganuco Lakes and is best known for its many roadside shops selling handicrafts and potteries.

Yungay (2500m)

This is where tourists get the best views of the Huascarán, which is the highest mountain in Peru. Nowadays the old city of Yungay is a national cemetery because of the earthquake of 1970 that hit central Peru – killing 25,000 people in the city alone. The new town was rebuilt 1.5km north of the destroyed city. Yungay has the best access to the Llanganuco Lakes, Laguna 69 and Yanama where you could start the Santa Cruz trek.

Caraz (2250m)

Caraz is 32km from Paron Lake, the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca, and is surrounded by 15 snowy peaks. Canyon del Pato – a rock formation formed by the movement of the Cordillera Blanca – is also in this region.

The Huaraz TelegraphNot mentioned in the text below but Monterrey (6km from Huaraz) also has its hot springs


The entrance of the cemetery of Yungay with the Huascarán in the background



Trujillo/Huanchaco

“Surf Hostel Meri with Yenth Ccora Surfboards

in front of the surf pointssingle, double, twin and dorm rooms with hot water

wifi, guest kitchen, car parking, campingcafe with home made cakes and special coffees

surf school & surf shop offering; surf lessons, board rental, board repair

and surf gear such as leashes, fins, grips, wetsuits, waxcustom-made surfboards by local shaper Yenth Ccora

yoga classeshandcrafts & beachwear boutique

Avenida La Rivera 720, HuanchacoTel: 044 462264

[email protected], [email protected]”

Being a volunteer is not always easy, and most volunteer organisations operate smoothly. However, one organization has been having a rough time for the past two months. Normally the people of the Esperanza community know that the organization is doing something good for their community, and takes good care of the workers. But recently things have turned bad and there is a feeling of disappointment everywhere you walk.

The Huaraz Telgraph gets the scoop on the dark story of Esperanza.

On the 13th of February 2013 the volunteers of Horizon Peru in Esperanza, Trujillo had a surprise visit – not a positive one though. It was 5.50 pm, and classes where going on both upstairs and downstairs in the house. The front door that is normally kept closed was open because of the heat. The volunteers of the house felt so safe in the community that they were used to having the front gate and door wide open. It is also normal practice for students to walk in and wait for their classes. On this particular day a young man in his late teens walked in and went up the stairs; as this was the norm no one paid any attention to him.

The young man stopped at a window, looked out, made a phone call, talked to someone outside and walked back down the stairs.

There were 11 volunteers in the house; six were in classes, three on the ground floor, and three on the first floor. The director, together with the co-founder of the organisation, was in the back office. Four more volunteers were in the backyard preparing for their 6 pm classes.

Everything seemed normal until three young men stormed in through the front door, while a yellow taxicab waited outside with a man inside. One of the intruders hit a mother who was sitting near the entrance waiting for her seven-year-old child to finish his class. They forced her down on the floor. By now only the three volunteers downstairs were aware of the situation. The volunteers in the downstairs front room were all

asked to lie face down on the floor, one volunteer managed to escape to the back office. Meanwhile a teacher upstairs noticed the scared look on the faces of her students, but since she didn’t understand Spanish she could not grasp the seriousness of the situation or what was happening in general.

When she heard someone shout: “SUELTA! SUELTA!” she walked over to the steps, and looked down to see a

iPhones, 600 soles, a mirror, a credit card and a bottle of nail polish.

By now the volunteer who managed to run to the back was in shock and only managed to mumble a couple of words out while crying – “GUNS! MEN! IN THE FRONT! HIDE!” – Then she hid behind the refrigerator. The director, together with the co-founder, hid in the office bathroom. There were three boys in the back seeking somewhere to hide when a young boy pointed a gun at them and asked them to walk with him into the office.

woman lying on the floor, the teacher began to run down the stairs as she thought the woman may have been having a heart attack. But she saw the other volunteer, and the children lying face down on the ground too. She tried to sneak back up but it was too late, one of the intruders noticed her and commanded her and her students – at gun-point – to lay face down on the ground. He then entered the class rooms and stole some

The gunman forced the director and the co-founder out and asked all of them to lie down on the floor. The boy then hit the director on her back, because she tried to talk to him. “Callate!” the gunman shouted while hitting her repeatedly. The boy’s partner entered the back office and grabbed whatever he could see of value: a camera, an iPod, laptop and the printer was shoved into a backpack. It appeared that the thieves panicked, because on

the way out they left the backpack with the printer in it by the door before running out. They all get into the small yellow Tico taxi and sped away.

Everything was over in less than seven minutes, but for the volunteers and the children involved it felt like a lifetime.

After the terrifying ordeal the mom was in shock, and her seven- year-old son, who had just witnessed his mom being beaten down, had wet himself. Two of the volunteers remember that the director had just bought a massive box of chocolates for the Valentine’s Day party, and they decided to bring them out now, and give them all out to eat to help calm everyone down while the director called the police.

When the police arrived everyone told their part of the story, and gave their witness reports, and a guard was designated to stay with them for protection and safety. Even though the volunteers had the number of the taxi, the police stated they were not going to be able to help them. Today, almost two months later, all the volunteers feel safe. They all decided to stay on and finish their scheduled time.

The front door is always locked, and there are bars on the windows. A week ago, on the 20th of March they were shaken a second time. During the volunteers’ lunch break they heard shooting and they all dropped to the floor, luckily though this time they were not the target. The house in front of the school was in a drive by shooting. A 16-year-old girl and her father were injured. Police were at the scene quickly but not much could be done.

I asked the volunteers what they were still doing there.

They all had the same answer: “We have responsibilities! We are here to show the children that we care. We are living amongst them to show them that we are equal. What would it tell them if we all packed our bags and left the: that we are spoiled, that we are fakes? This happened to all of us. We are part of the community now, and we will work hard to recuperate the feeling of safety.”

All for one and one for all indeed!

It’s a hard-knock life for a volunteer

The Huaraz TelegraphVolunteers for Horizon Peru, picture from www.horizonperu.com/



Trujillo/Huanchaco

It is a well-known fact that wherever you dig a hole in Peru chances are you will find something ancient, and of value. Unfortunately there is not enough money to finance all the excavations that archaeologists would want to do.

One of the biggest excavations in Trujillo is Chan Chan, an ancient Moche community 20 minutes outsides Trujillo, and ten minutes away from Huanchaco. Moche archaeologist Alicia Boswall believes that there are many treasures still to be discovered – specifically in Huanchao.

Taking a closer look at the area on

holes in the gravel and sand. One had to wonder if the municipality in on this. A lot of money is put into this industry, and corruption may be causing people to sell their history in order to get money for bread.

Big signs indicating that the property is owned by the government, and designating the site as a protected archaeological zone are just ignored, some are spray-painted indicating new private owners of the area. The archaeologists are faced with what could have given them more answers, but now it is nothing more than a dirt road, the devastation on their faces is clear. Alicia Boswall states: “It’s sad! But what can we

Municipality not doing enough to protect the treasures of Huanchaco

Google Maps you can clearly see an old trail that goes all the way from Chan Chan, through Huanchaco, and on to the village near of El Brujo. Just last year colleagues of Alicia discovered an ancient Moche village at the rescue site Cerro De La Virgen – a settlement from the Moche and Chimu cultures. Excavations began. We visited the area with the archaeologists who worked on the dig just a couple of months before. We were met by devastating scenes; big mining trucks have been carelessly driven through the area leaving big

do! We have had reporters and media up here once. We managed to get the area declared zona intangible, protected, despite the resistance of the locals.¨

It was obvious to the untrained eye; the protruding textiles, ceramics, and bones, once an ancient settlement, now just a garbage dump. Will we ever know more about the history of the Moche? Or has ignorance and corruption taken the history of its country to its grave?

Texts: R. Amad Al Sadi

The location of Chan Chan (A) and Huanchaco (B) on Google MapsThe Huaraz Telegraph



Trujillo/Huanchaco

The Puerto Rican band’s concert was plagued by problems and set-backs from the beginning. From the extortionate ticket prices, to the last minute change of venue. Against all the odds the band gave the crowd what was quite possibly the best concert many had ever been to.

Problems began when the concert organisers decided to change the venue from a club by the beach in Huanchaco, to an area close to the airport. This location was chosen as it could hold a larger crowd. Unfortunately this was counteracted by the price of the tickets – a whopping 150 soles.

The concert was due to start at 11.30pm, but by 9.30 only 30 people had turned up, at this point ticket prices were being lowered to 90 soles to get people through the gate. Then to add to all the troubles the band announced that it would start the concert at the earlier time of 10pm.

The 90 or so people who turned up were

treated to an almost private concert

According to the lead singer Willy Rodriguez, “This was the smallest crowd we have ever played for, but the energy levels and vibes were so strong.” The band outdid themselves, and gave

the audience their very best given the conditions, starting off with the song Baja la tension from their album La Dulzura. They ended the set gracefully, leaving the crowd screaming for more.

The band, which is led by Willy Rodriguez, Omar Silva, Boris Gonzalez Eliut Bilbraut, plays beautiful reggae beats, jazz, funk, and hip-hop. Cultura Profetica spreads awareness with messages in favour of liberty, equality, and the love of nature; vibes that were definitely felt throughout the concert. What could have been a disaster turned into a magical night, well worth the money!


The five band members posing for a picture, picture RPP-noticias

Brief news: Google Street View vehicles spotted in Huanchaco and less tourists in Huanchaco during Semana Santa.

If you have been in Huanchaco for a while, or have been to visit city of Trujillo then you might end up on Google Maps. The cars of Google Street View were recently spotted in Huanchaco on Las Gardenias. The internet giant started implementing its Street View service in Peru in December and they have recently come to our city. Lima was the first city to be served by this popular service along with Piura, Arequipa and Chiclayo. Finally, after its long journey it has reached Trujillo.

So if you are out in the streets keep your eyes open, and smile because you may find your image immortalised on Google!

Huanchaco in Lonely Planet 2013

The Huaraz section of the Lonely Planet is available online (at the time of writing this the book was not in the bookshops), as are snippets of the Trujillo and Huanchaco sections. As mentioned in the brief news section for Huaraz on page 18, there are mentions for Otra Cosa, Mococho, el Caribe and Jungle Bar Bily. The book describes Otra Cosa thus: “This Dutch-Peruvian beach-side pad is Huanchaco´s requisite traveller´s hub, serving up yummy vegetarian victuals like falafel, crepes, Spanish tortillas, Dutch apple pie and tasty curry-laced burritos.” The book also points out that their coffee is organic and they donate half of the tips to charity organisations.

Mococho is described as a tiny seafood place situated in a secluded walled garden, with their food, although not cheap, being fresh and excellent. El Caribe is a local favourite selling reasonably priced seafood and local cuisine and opens at 10 o’clock in the morning. For cocktails and a 50% discount during happy hour, stopover at Bily´s Jungle Bar. Located near the pier and playing music from U2 and R.E.M all year around it is the perfect place to enjoy a drink after surfing.

Less tourists during Semana Santa

According to La Industria, it was not only Huaraz that received fewer tourists during Easter (see page 18 of The

Cultura Profetica for the first time ever in Trujillo

The Google Street View vehicle, picture by Jano Trelles Zegarra


Huaraz Telegraph). The owners of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and the vendors of other services in Huanchaco also suffered losses compared with last year.

A new report from the Regional Chamber of Tourism Cadetur- La Libertad, states that during the days of this religious festival, Huanchaco was visited by approximately ten thousand people. This was clarified by Cadetur President, Leoncio Garcia Rojas, who compared it to the same period in 2012, where the figure rose to twelve thousand people between domestic arrivals and foreigners.

Garcia Rojas said that this situation meant hotels did not to reach the 100% occupancy rate, as in 2012; in many cases managing only 90%, which affected the local businesses. He added: “This Easter hotels were occupied by 90%, while restaurants witnessed a 15% drop from last year. There are several factors to explain the decline; among which the weather stands out, because this year there was little sun and people preferred to go elsewhere, and not on the beach.” He also said that tourism, as in previous years, not only focuses on Huanchaco, but also on other parts of the region and indeed the country. “Now services and tourism have diversified, people have other alternatives on how they spend their weekends. For example, in previous years many came from Lima to visit our bay, but this year they have gone to the beaches south of Lima,” said the union leader.

In the same vein, he also said that mining conflicts that occurred last year in Cajamarca continue to affect tourism in the northern part of the country, impacting on the number of visitors to Huanchaco. Another reason is the social problems that occurred in 2012. In conclusion, this means that Huanchaco and Huaraz have a lot of work to do to get tourism back on track for the years to come.



Trujillo/Huanchaco

A 27-year-old American tourist, Tara Irwin, was visiting Trujillo on a long-term visa. She was initially given a three month visa, and after talking to the embassy was advised that the only way she could renew her tourist visa was through the border customs, which meant that she had to leave the country.

Due to time limits and work, Miss Irwin could not leave the country and got into contact with an immigration officer in Trujillo who helped her with her documents. Six months later when she was trying to leave she wasn’t allowed to. Reason: she was not present in the system. There was no record of her ever being in the country.

Apparently when the immigration officer took her documents a mistake was made and she was erased from the system instead of being put back in. Taking a closer look at her passport she had two entrance stamps into Peru and an exit stamp from Peru, but no entrance or exit stamp to or from another country.

Visa facts

- Normally a tourist visa is issued upon arrival in Peru

- A visa is issued for 30, 60 or 90 days, and in very rare occasions 183 days

- Upon your arrival make sure you always ask for more days than you need to avoid having to renew your visa

- Together with your entrance stamp in your passport you should also receive an Andean migration card, which is always supplied a visa permit. DO NOT LOSE IT!

- The only legal way of renewing your tourist visa is through leaving and re-entering the country. In Trujillo this is achievable by travelling to Ecuador by bus. The less busy border of Loja is recommended since it’s less crowded. You can also visit Vilcabamba while you’re there

- New regulations state that the maximum time on a tourist visa is one year, after this time you will have to stay out of Peru for more than 24 hours

- The immigration office will not renew any tourist visa stamp no matter where you come from

- After the visa has run out you are in the country illegally, and you are liable to a fine of one dollar per overstayed day, payable to the border police on the day of your departure

- CAUTION! If you receive help to renew your visa from someone illegally make sure that you have an exit and entrance stamp, in to and out of Peru, or an entrance and exit stamp in and out of Ecuador. Those two stamps should also match information held about you on the computer system

- You should receive a new Andean migration card with a new visa permit

- Remember if you use illegal processes you are helping to sustain the corruption that is stopping Peru from becoming a developed country

Texts: R. Amad Al Sadi

Tourist escaped Peru after being lost in the system

The airport officials released her after eight hours of interrogation, informing her that since she does not exist in the system they will not be able to let her out of the country by air. Her only option was to return north by bus, and get out of the country through the Ecuadorian border, and then fly from there.

After travelling for two days, Miss Irwin finally left through the northern Ecuadorian border.

Tara Irwin surrounded by childrenThe Huaraz Telegraph


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May 2013 edition The Huaraz Telegraph