Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [255]
If you are in a hurry, from Huancayo it’s a good idea to take a colectivo taxi: these take two hours and ply the scenic route.
BUS
All major buses depart from the terminal terrestre, inconveniently located about 2km to the west of the town center. A taxi here costs S3. Buy your bus tickets in the downtown offices.
Companies serving Huancayo (S10, three hours) include Transportes Ticllas (45-1562; O’Donovan 505) with six daily departures. Other companies go less often or at night, or may go via Huancayo en route to Lima.
For Lima (S30 to S40, 10 to 13 hours) companies go via Huancayo or via Pisco. The higher price tag is for more luxurious bus camas. Via Huancayo is usually a little faster but it depends on road conditions. The Pisco route is freezing at night: bring warm clothes. Transportes Oropesa (45-3181; O’Donovan 599) departs for Lima at 6pm (12 hours) and also has buses to Pisco (S30, nine hours) and Ica (11 hours). Expreso Lobato (Muñoz 489) has comfortable overnight buses via Huancayo. Also try Expreso Huancavelica (Muñoz 516).
For Ayacucho things are a little trickier (see below). The ‘easiest’ option is to take a 4:30am (!) minibus to Rumichaca. In the west of town from Plaza Tupac Amaru, San Juan Bautista (S10, six hours) depart daily. Then wait for an Ayacucho-bound bus coming from the coast – usually from Lima. Most days buses from Lima don’t get to Rumichaca until about 2pm so you might want to try your hitchhiking skills rather than waiting for several hours in this rather bleak spot. Ensure, however, that there are at least two of you, and remember that hitchhiking can always be risky. The other more adventurous option is to minibus it to Lircay, find another onward minibus passage to Julcamarca and finally seek yet another minibus from Julcamarca to Ayacucho. Allow a full day to execute this option: roads are abysmal.
You can get to Lircay by minibus from Huancavelica. Señor de Oropesa (S8, 3½ hours) has a 1pm departure.
TAXI
Colectivo taxis for Huancayo (S25, 2½ hours) leave when full (four-passenger minimum). They leave from the terminal terrestre but a better option is to wander east down Muñoz from the Plaza de Armas and you’ll see various companies touting for your custom.
TRAIN
Trains were not running from Huancavelica at the time of research. Before track improvements, they used to depart at 6.30am from Monday to Saturday for Huancayo. Click here for more details.
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AYACUCHO
066 / pop 151,000 / elev 2750m
The name of this mesmerizing colonial city, originating from the Quechua aya (death, or soul) and cuchu (outback), offers a telling insight into its past. Ayacucho’s status as isolated capital of a traditionally poor department meant it provided the perfect breeding ground for Professor Abimael Guzmán to nurture the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) Maoist revolutionary movement bent on overthrowing the government and causing thousands of deaths in the region during the 1980s and ’90s. Yet the city’s historically poor links with the outside world have also helped foster a fiercely proud, independent spirit evident in everything, from the unique festivals to the booming cultural self-sufficiency.
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THE MISSING LINK
On the map, Huancavelica (Click here) looks tantalizingly close to Ayacucho. A shortish haul northwest across the Andes and you’re there, right? The town is a convenient way station for travelers on a south–north loop towards Huancayo (Click here) and on through the central highlands. That’s where plans almost meet a dead end.
There is no direct bus route from Ayacucho to Huancavelica but the journey can be done. The first option requires taking a local minibus at 4am from Ayacucho to Julcamarca, where you can take a short break while looking for an onward minibus to Lircay, famed as the production centre for Huancavelica department’s traditional clothing. There are simple hotels here. Then seek out yet another local minibus to Huancavelica. Total traveling time: 10 hours.
Option two: take an early-morning