The days book-ending our three day trek through the Cordilleras were devoted to relaxation, preparation, and exploring the town of Huaraz.

After two full days of hiking prior to Santa Cruz, we decided to take a day to relax and weigh our options for the last couple of days in Peru. We had yet to commit to the Santa Cruz trek in fear of the rainy season and were debating between that or playing it a little more safe by volunteering with a permaculture project at the Hof hostel. Both would have put us close to the Cordilleras but the trek was definitely the more intimate option. After much back and forth we decided to commit to Santa Cruz.

Meanwhile we wandered through town, tried some tasty pork sandwiches, set off some fireworks with some drunk Peruvians, and enjoyed the town happenings. We strolled through the central market and picked up some provisions for our upcoming trek and then headed back to the hostel to package our food supplies and plan our route and transportation to the trail head (Churup was VERY helpful in helping us organize the aforementioned). We finished off the night with one last substantial meal, prayed for good weather, and hit the hay.To read about our Santa Cruz experience click here.

Three days, roughly 35 kilometers, and lots of precipitation later we had completed our Santa Cruz trek and had one last afternoon in Huaraz. We hit the market for an almuerzo special and found an awesome microbrewery called Lucho’s specializing in a dark beer infused with coco leaves which was delicious. We sipped on these high gravity beers, hung out with Lucho, and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

All in all, we really really enjoyed Huaraz. Between the three of us, it was our favorite place in Peru.