Gwendy and the Lost Mountain Boys

For a few short weeks of August my role as carefree traveler converted briefly to toilette scrubber, bed changer and night waitress extraordinaire. My company in this time has been for the most part, a pack of kind-hearted, honest climbers from a handful of Latin American countries and a smattering of English speaking ones. We live side by side, sharing tales, foodstuff, advice. I clean their showers, wash their clothes, make them tea or serve them mate in the afternoons. Like the lost boys, they live in limbo in Huaraz, blissfully escaping their real lives for a month or two in which time they can live out their rugged fantasies of conquering mountain peaks alongside their brothers. Their humdrum paying jobs, their roles as spouses or fathers fade into memories that are trumped by the magical countryside around them.

 

Spirit Monkeys and Mountain Climbers

Mountain Climbers, or let me qualify this statement, the handful of climbers that I have met since I've been in Huaraz, boast a great affinity for monkeys. To a rock climber the reasons are obvious, but for regular humans like myself, any similarity between monkeys and rock climbers had never crossed my mind (Hell, rock climbing itself just entered my radar within the past three weeks).

When Even Takeout is an Adventure

$3.50 Cevichoco

Meaning ceviche (raw fish cooked in salt and lime) and chocho (tough little white beans with the same preparation). The fish and beans swim in a potent lime and chile broth that leaves you sweating and refreshed at the same time. You may notice the glass of homemade passion fruit juice at its side. So many intense flavors at one time...Dorothy you're not in Argentina anymore!

Super Macho and Just a Little Bit Gay: The Secret Lives of Mountain Climbers

Huaraz, Peru is a mountaineers paradise. The town is engulfed from all sides by different mountain ranges. Endless trekking, bouldering, mountain climbing, and summiting are among some of the regions attractions. While you're apt to find the handful of backpackers floating from place to place like most spots in Latin America, it's more common to encounter Peruvians and foreigners alike for whom Huaraz is the final and only destination. Here they'll set up camp for months during the Mountain Summer (which is actually the opposite of the rest of the Southern Hemisphere or the same as northern hemisphere summer), using Huaraz as a base for weeks of trekking and mountain climbing.

Why Ica, Peru is Good for Dune Buggies and Pisco but not Wine

I, the naively optimistic wine traveler, was so excited to visit Peru's wine capital, Ica. I even signed up for a wine tour, a serious splurge. Having learned from my failed wine touring experiences in Tarija, Bolivia, I didn't want to mess this one up.