Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [247]
Huancayo is a sizable town: you’ll end up doing a lot of walking. Buses arrive at either to the north or south of the Plaza de la Constitución.
BCP, Interbank, Banco Continental, Banco Wiese and other banks and casas de cambio are on Real. Most banks open on Saturday morning and have ATMs. Many places offering internet access are found along Giráldez and other central streets.
Clínica Ortega (23-2921; Carrín 1124; 24hr) English is spoken.
Dr Luis Mendoza (23-9133; Real 968) For a dentist, try here.
Incas del Perú (22-3303; www.incasdelperu.org; Giráldez 652) A recommended source for information on just about anything in the area.
Lavandería Chic (23-1107; Breña 154; 8am-10pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun) Offers both self-service (S10 per load, wash and dry, soap included) and drop-off laundry (S12 per load).
Locutorio Telefonica (Puno 200) Internet access and cheap phone calls.
Main post office (Centro Cívico)
Policía de Turismo (23-4714; Ferrocarril 580) Can help with tourist information, as well as with emergencies.
Tourist office (Casa del Artesano, Real 481; 10am-1:30pm & 4-7:30pm Mon-Fri) Located upstairs in the indoor crafts market and has limited information about Río Mantaro valley sightseeing and public transport.
Sights
Museo Salesiano (24-7763; Arequipa 105; admission S2; 9am-1pm & 3-5pm Mon-Fri) can be entered from the Salesian school, and has Amazon fauna, pottery and archaeology exhibits. Hours vary.
Head northeast on Giráldez for a great view of the city. About 2km from the town center is Cerro de la Libertad, a popular recreational and dining locale where, apart from the city view, there are artwork stalls and a playground. About 2km further (there is a sign and an obvious path), you will come to the eroded geological formations known as Torre Torre. Some of the formations look like towers – hence the name (torre means ‘tower’).
In the city itself, the Iglesia de La Merced, on the first block of Real, is where the Peruvian Constitution of 1839 was approved. In the suburb of San Antonio, the Parque de la Identidad Huanca is a fanciful park full of stone statues and miniature buildings representing the area’s culture.
Activities
The ever-active Lucho Hurtado of Incas del Perú (22-3303; www.incasdelperu.org; Giráldez 652), in the same building as the restaurant La Cabaña, organizes most activities. Lucho is a local who speaks English and knows the surrounding area well. He arranges demanding, multiday mountain-bike tours and Andean mountain-trekking expeditions to the lake and glacier of Huaytapallana for up to three days; the cost for trekking is around S140 per person day.
* * *
AÑO NUEVO
Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day) is particularly colorful in the Huancayo area, with partygoers wearing yellow (including yellow underwear!) to welcome it in. Festivities continue until January 6. Many local dances are performed, including the huaconada, in which revelers dress up to look like quirky old men with big noses, representing village elders who, in times past, would drop by the houses of lazy or mischief-making villagers and whip them into behaving for the coming year. Plenty of butt-whipping takes place. Mito, an hour north of Huancayo, also has vivid celebrations.
* * *
Incas del Perú arranges Spanish and even Quechua lessons, including meals and accommodations with a local family (if you wish), from S420 to S840 per week for the interactive course. Lessons can be modified to fit your interests. You can also learn to cook local dishes, make jewelry, engage in gourd carving, practice regional dances or discover how to play the panpipes.
Tours are arranged by Lucho, who guides treks down the eastern slopes of the Andes and into high jungle on foot, horseback or public transport. It isn’t luxurious, but it’s a good chance to experience something of the real rural Peru: you can stay on Lucho’s father’s ranch in the middle of nowhere. Trips last anywhere from four to eight days and cost about S120 per person per day including food. Accommodations are rustic and trips can involve