little BIG adventure

We had to get back to the village of Llamac to get the bus back to Huaraz by 11am, so it was an early start in the bitter cold.  We didn´t worry with breakfast, just swallowing a hot coffee to get us going and were on the trail at dawn.

It was easy to go quickly in the early morning cold and we made good progress on the same route as Day 1, only in reverse.  The journey back was the usual game of “how many can you squeeze into a single minibus?” (23 I think it was - and a box of ducklings).  We witnessed an unpleasant incident between a group of Israelis who were refusing to pay the community´s charge at Llamac.  It´s hardly a surprise when you see the way certain Israelis act, and the lack of respect they have for the local people, that they have such a bad reputation across South America.  Many of the agencies we have come across refuse to deal with them at all as a result.  I would hate to be this sort of embassador for my country.

Having covered many a mile on foot across South America now, I can truly say this is one of the nicest treks I´ve ever done.  The scenery is intensely beautiful from start to finish and the area is still wonderfully remote despite becoming increasingly popular.  The area is wide-open for exploration and there are so many different routes you could take.  I would love to think one day I might be back to explore it further.  Well, we can dream.