Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [268]
Turismo Unión (52-6308; Tarapaca 449) La Unión at 7:15am.
Other companies near Turismo Unión also go west toward villages on the eastern side of the Cordillera Blanca: rough roads, poor buses.
For Tingo María (S10, 3½ hours), take a Pucallpa-bound bus or a colectivo taxi (S18) with Comité Autos No 5 (51-8346; General Prado 1085) near the river. There are more colectivo taxis for Tingo María on the other side of the river such as Trans Milagros, or wait here for a passing bus.
For Cerro de Pasco, minibuses (S6, three hours) or colectivo taxis (S20, two hours) leave from Paradero de Cayhuayna, a 1km mototaxi ride from the center.
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LA UNIÓN
This tiny town is the first significant community on the rocky road from Huánuco to Huaraz: from here you can hike to the extensive Inca ruins of Huánuco Viejo (admission S4; 8am-6pm) on a swathe of barren pampa at 3700m. It’s a two-hour trek on a steep path from behind the market heading toward a cross on a hill. Minivans leaving from the market place at 5am, as well as other vehicles, can take you to within a 30-minute walk of the site. There are 2 sq km of ruins and supposedly more than 1000 buildings and storehouses in total here. Most impressive is the usnu, a huge 4m-high ceremonial platform with engravings of animals (monkeys with lion faces) adorning the entrance. A key figure in the Inca resistance against the Spanish, Illa Tupac defended Huánuco Viejo until 1543, significantly after many Inca settlements had fallen.
La Unión has public but no listed phones and a handy Banco de la Nación (Jirón 2 de Mayo 798) with what is surely Peru’s remotest Visa ATM. Just a block from here you’ll also find Hostal Picaflor (Jirón 2 de Mayo 840; s/d without bathroom S10/20). Basic but agreeable rooms cluster around a bright courtyard. Restaurant Recreo (Jirón 2 de Mayo 971; mains S10-15) is the best of a basic bunch of eateries (Commercio has others) with relaxed courtyard dining.
All transport arrives/departs from the well-ordered bus terminal on Commercio at the west end of town. Several companies leave around 6pm for Lima (S20, 10 hours) while two or three buses daily ply the route east to Huánuco (S15, five hours). (For more information on the back route from Lima see below.) La Unión Huánuco has a service to Huaraz that departs at the ungodly hour of 3:45am, taking five hours.
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TANTAMAYO
elev 3400m
Tantamayo is connected only by a rough track to the outside world. The first sign you are approaching is the green-brown patchwork of fields standing out from the stark, precipitous sides of the Upper Marañon valley. From this serene, chilly village flows a river that will, hundreds of kilometers downstream, morph into the Amazon itself. Tantamayo was capital of the pre-Columbian Yarowilca culture, remains of which are scattered throughout the nearby hills. The most impressive ruins are those at Piruro and Susupillo. This culture was one of the oldest known in Peru and very architecturally advanced. Buildings were constructed with up to six floors connected via internal spiral staircases, giving them a different appearance to the constructions of the Incas, whom many believe were unable to emulate Yarowilca style.
Piruro is easiest to visit: it’s a 1½-hour walk down from Tantamayo village and up the other side of the valley. Vehicles can take you as far as Coyllabamba; then it’s a 20-minute uphill walk. The path is hard to find: be sure to ask. The most photogenic ruins as seen in the pictures adorning the walls of almost every house in Huánuco are towards the top of the complex. For Susupillo, vehicles can take you to the village of Florida, a 20-minute drive from Tantamayo, from where you can hike to the site.
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ROAD TO THE RUINS
Heading to the highlands from Lima? Fascinated by ancient Peruvian civilizations and off-the-beaten-path attractions? Listen up: an adventurous back route between Huánuco and the capital exists, taking in tantalizing scenery and a glut of the country’s best archaeological