Chavin de Huantar / Pativilla
We all together go to visit the archaeological site in the early morning.
Chavín de Huantar is an archaeological site 3,200 m above se level.
He controlled trade routes westward to the Pacific through two passes in the White Cordillera, eastward to the Amazon.
It was originally built by the civilization of Chavín in 900 B.C. and has two main structures, the old temple and the new one.
The courtyard included obelisks and stone monuments decorated with bas-relief representing jaguars, caimans and hawks.
The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Then we go to the museum which gathers all the objects found on the site.
At the market we buy portions of suckling pig before resuming our route.
We are once again going backwards, but this time the weather is better, which allows us to appreciate the beauty of the landscapes.
We stop for the night on the parking lot of a gas station .... Not very romantic to celebrate the transition to the new year.
Chavin de Huantar
We take our time to join our next step.
We go back along the same road that follows the White Cordillera. The weather is not fine but rather threatening.
After lunch we do some shopping, at least we try to find some food.
On our way, we leave the main road for a mountainy one with uneven covering under a cloudy sky that quickly changes into rain and fog.
To reach our destination, we climb to 4,200 m before descending by a twisting and very poorly maintained road.
We have several bivouacs but none of them is accessible. As usual we ask the police who allows us to park next to their police station.
In the late afternoon we are joined by Anne Ségolène and Antony.
Small aperitif outside in the evening, under the astonished eye of passers-by!!! Yes it is very cold ....
Caraz
Early morning, our friends leave to conquer the Laguna Paron ; we leave 1 hour later with our driver.
Laguna Paron, the largest lake in the White Cordillera is a beautiful natural reservoir at 4,185 m and a unique destination for hikers, climbers and nature lovers.
Located in Huasc National Park, the lake stands out for its striking turquoise hue, a result of high concentrations of dissolved lime.
From its shores, we admire the formidable peaks covered with fresh snow.
This site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
From Caraz, the road is a more or less stable track that climbs quietly to the entrance of the site. Then it becomes an impassable mountain track .... Holes, uneven ruts and big pebbles are present until the arrival.
We are very happy to have booked our driver .... We are tossed from left to right throughout the climb ...
Halfway we meet our friends who are moving quietly.
On arrival the show is fabulous, the color of the lake amazes us. We climb the shore side to reach a viewpoint and admire the beauty of the site.
As the agency told us, in the late morning clouds cover the snowy peaks and are accompanied by fog
Back at the campsite, today’s discussion focuses on the political situation.
There was a truce for the holiday season. The resumption of the general strike was originally scheduled for January 2 and is postponed to January 4.
What are we going to do ? Our return to France is scheduled for January 18 and we have planned to join the storage to park the motorhome on January 8, in 10 days... And we have only the capital city to visit .... We decide to arrive in Lima before January 4.
Caraz
The descent to Caraz is as beautiful as the opposite slope.
Then we take the road going north along the white cordillera.
Once in Caraz we settle in a campsite where a Franco-Colombian couple are settled.
After the usual introductions, we learn that the family of Anne Ségolène and Antony arrive ... warm reunions, everyone is happy to meet again.
They went through the famous canyon ... impressive.
We head to town to find out about the two excursions to do. The agencies being closed for lunch we have lunch before strolling... Nothing special except the magnificent view of the snowy peaks.
The information provided by the agency confirms that the access road to both sites is impassable with our motorhome.
We therefore book a driver guide for the next day to the "laguna Paron"
Back at the campsite our friends tell us that they decided to get there with their 4 x 4 truck.
ROAD BOOK 140
MAVROS ODYSSEE