Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [369]
Transport east to the mining town of Pataz runs during the dry season, from where expeditions can be mounted to the little-explored ruins of various jungle cities. The largest of these are the vast Chachapoyas ruins of Gran Pajatén. The ruins are north of the recently formed Parque Nacional Río Abiseo, which has no infrastructure for travelers at this time and is very hard to get to. This is an undertaking for determined explorers, archaeologists or Indiana Jones.
Basic and clean, Hostal San José (Bolívar 361; s/d S10/17) has cold water and offers little else in the way of amenities. The better Hostal Huamachuco (44-1393; Castilla 354; s/d S29/34 s/d without bathroom S18/25) is on the plaza and has hot water and TV. Hostal Colonial (51-1101, 44-1334; Castilla 347; s/d/tr S30/40/60), in a pleasant colonial-style house (no surprises there), is similar and has a good restaurant downstairs.
Several minivans leave from the Plaza de Armas throughout the day bound for Cajabamba (S4.80, three hours). Transportes Horna and Los Andes both have several early morning and evening buses to Cajamarca (S7 to S9, seven hours) and Trujillo (S14, six hours). Colectivo (shared) buses to Otuzco leave when full from near the plaza (S7, four hours).
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CELENDÍN
076 / pop 16,600 / elev 2625m
Easily reached by an unpaved road from Cajamarca, Celendín itself is a delightfully sleepy little town that receives few travelers except for those taking the wild and scenic route to Chachapoyas. Celendín is particularly known for high-quality straw hats, which can be bought at its interesting Sunday market. It’s an ideal place to observe traditional highland life and interact with local indigenous people, who will certainly take an interest in your unexpected visit.
There’s a Banco de la Nación (Calle 2 de Mayo 530) here that can change US dollars and has an ATM. The annual fiesta (July 29 to August 3) coincides with Fiestas Patrias and features bullfighting with matadors from Mexico and Spain. The fiesta of La Virgen del Carmen is celebrated on July 16.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GUINEA PIG
Love it or loathe it, cuy, or guinea pig (or Cavia porcellus if you really must know), is an Andean favorite that’s been part of the local culinary repertoire since pre-Inca times. And before you dredge up childhood memories of cuddly mascots in protest, know that these rascally rodents were gracing Andean dinner plates long before anyone in the West considered them worthy pet material.
Pinpointing the gastronomic history of the cuy, a native of the New World, is harder than trying to catch one with your bare hands. It’s believed that cuy may have been domesticated as early as 7000 years ago in the mountains of southern Peru, where wild populations of cuy still roam today. Direct evidence from Chavín de Huántar shows that they were certainly cultivated across the Andes by 900 BC. Arrival of the Spanish in the 18th century led to the European debut of cuy, where they rode a wave of popularity as the must-have exotic pet of the season (Queen Elizabeth I of England supposedly kept one).
How they earned the name guinea pig is also in doubt. Guinea may be a corruption of the South American colony of Guiana, or it may refer to Guinea, the African country that cuy would have passed through on their voyage to Europe. Their squeals probably account for the latter half of their name.
Cuy are practical animals to raise and have adapted well over the centuries to survive in environments ranging from the high Andean plains to the barren coastal deserts. Many Andean households today raise cuy as part of their animal stock and you’ll often see them scampering around the kitchen in true free-range style. Cuy are the ideal livestock alternative: they’re high in protein, feed on kitchen scraps, breed profusely and require much less room and maintenance than traditional domesticated animals.