Huaraz

Hey there folks, it´s time for Jill´s latest update.

I am in Huaraz, Perú. It is located in the mountains about midway up in the country. The town is the center for trekking, as there are a lot of things to do in the surrounding countryside. The national park here is about 100 miles long and covers a lot of mountains, which for people like me, means a lot of play. Unfortunately, I have been recovering from a cold so was not able to do a trek.

I did do a counple of outtings though. The first was a trip to Pastoruri, a glacier, located more than 5000m (16,000ft) up on a mountain. The pictures are really cool. In one I look like I am in Antartica. One day I will do an activity where it is warm. Being next to a glacier guarantees it is going to be cold.

THe next day I went to a lake really high up in the mountains. The lake is the product of snow melting from neighboring mountains, again with really great pics. Now, there is kind of a tragic story about one of the mountains. Exactly 40 years ago today, a major earthquake hit off the coast of Peru and the traditional adobe buiildings were not up to the tremor. But, one really unlucky town was located below a giant glacier, one that had fractured from the mountain. The earthquake loosened it and 63,000,000 cubic meters of material went flying down the mountain and covered the town. Literally 20-30ft of rock plus another 20-30ft of ice and snow sat over the town. Over 25,000 people died.

Next I am going to another mountain town, but due to mountain roads, there is no easy way to get there. I hope to visit some Peace Corps Peru volunteers in the area and see what their service is like.

I´ll put up picks when I can.

Jill