Huaraz, Peru: Altitude Headaches and Avocado Toast Dreams
woke up gasping for air in huaraz, 3,052 meters above sea level, and immediately blamed the altitude instead of last night's questionable street food. the weather app said 24.41Ā°c, but it felt like 24.76Ā°c and my brain was running at about 12% capacity. i just checked and it's hovering around there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
this town is a magnet for hikers, climbers, and people who own way too much gore-tex. i'm here as a freelance photographer, chasing golden hour over the cordillera blanca, but mostly chasing my breath back after climbing stairs. someone told me that the laguna 69 trek will either ruin your knees or change your life-locals seem split on which.
"don't drink the tap water, but do drink the coca tea until you vibrate,"
a guy at the hostel bar slurred at me last night. he had the look of someone who'd been here too long and started wearing alpaca everything.
*parque galdĆ£s is where everyone gathers at sunset, and yeah, it's as photogenic as they say. i snapped a few shots while eating a quinoa burger that cost less than my morning coffee back home. if you get bored, trujillo and huĆ”nuco are just a short drive away, though "short" in peruvian bus time might mean seven hours and a roadside llama encounter.
i heard that cafe andino does the best avocado toast in town, but also that their wifi cuts out every time it rains. both turned out to be true. i sat there for three hours, editing photos, pretending the altitude wasn't making me dizzy, and eavesdropping on a couple planning a four-day trek to chopicalqui. they looked terrified and thrilled in equal measure.
if you're into gear, the outdoor shops on jirĆ³n josĆ© de san martĆn will make you want to remortgage your house. i bought a second water bottle just because the shopkeeper called it "vintage-style." it leaks.
locals say the best time to visit is between may and september when the skies are clear and the mountain views are insane. i'm here in october, and it's been a mix of sunburn and surprise drizzle. someone also told me that laguna parĆ³n at sunrise is the move, but you have to leave at 4 a.m., which feels like a personal attack on my sleep schedule.
anyway, i'm off to find more coca tea and maybe book that trek. or just nap. altitude, man. it's undefeated.
read more about peru travel tips* on lonely planet, check out tripadvisor's huaraz forum for real-time advice, or see what's happening on yelp huaraz.
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