Ancash Love

A few facts about Ancas:  (the name of the state in Peru that I am lucky enough to call home)

• "Ancash" is a Quechua word that means "blue". The Inca named it this because of the impossible blue color of the sky. 
• Ancash is home to the second highest mountain range in the world: The "Cordillera Blanca". 
• Not ironically, Ancash is also home to the biggest mine in the world and because of this is the "richest" area of Peru but also the most corrupt and has the most poverty and wealth disparity.
• Ancash is the most beautiful part of Peru...Okay maybe that's not a fact but it is my opinion and I may or may not be biased :-)

Ancash has been my home for the past two years and I have an immense amount of Ancash pride. It is a place where we literally have some of the most beautiful mountains in the world in out back yard and we can go hiking, camping, and have awesome mountain adventures every weekend. The indigenous culture and traditions are still very much alive here and daily we see women and men dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing and hear people speaking Quechua. 

About a week ago, the Ancash volunteers had a regional meeting in a part Ancash called "Huari". My friend Leland and I decided that instead of conventionally arriving to Huari by bus, we would hike a well known trail from Olleros-Chavin to get part of the way there which was typically a 3 day, 2 night trek and we tried to do it in 2 days and 1 night. We made it but of course had some interesting adventures and struggles along the way :)

Such awesome mountains!

Day 1

There were many farms along the way and cute animals to be seen :) It's always amazing to see that people have farms in places that took us two days to reach by foot!

I just love these cute little guys!

Enjoying the view on our lunch break.

Such unique mountains!

Passing Quinoa farms

After two days of walking through the mountains, we arrived to Chavin Ancash, spent a night there, and got up early to take a car to Huari to meet up with the rest of the volunteers for out meeting and fun activities such as doing a few more hikes, hitting up the town in traditional Ancash clothing, and eating cat. More on that later.

The lake that we reached after a hike that we did.

The main plaza in adorable Huari.

We had decided previously that in when we went to Huari we wanted to dress up in traditional Ancash clothing to hit up the town in all our Ancash pride. So we went shopping ahead of time and bought our beautiful polleras, chompas, llanquis, and sombreros.

Getting ready!

More getting ready...

Ready to rock our Ancash pride on the town!

Cholita linda from head to toe: Sombrero (hat), chompa (sweater), lliclla (blanket/shawl), pollera (skirt), chicles (leggings), and finally my llanquis (mountain sandels made out of tires).

Some of us dressed up in full traditional clothing while others only wore parts like a sombrero or lliclla. But we all have the Ancash spirit :)

Certain parts of Ancash have the tradition of eating cat that they still keep to this day. This idea seemed quite strange to us but we all wanted to try it because well, "When in Rome" and all that. But I guess this time it's "When in Ancash". So we ate some cat! It tasted like rabbit. Please don't judge us, most of us ladies felt like terrible people after we ate the cat, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And quite frankly I have eaten much worse while in the Peace Corps.

Fried cat.

Tyler and Ivan enjoying some cat.

After eating our cat, we headed to the plaza to start a drinking circle like true Peruvians.

My site mate and I. True Peruvians never smile in photos.

We ended the night in true Peruvian style with some huayno dancing in the plaza :)

I love Ancash and I feel so lucky to have lived in such a culturally rich and beautiful area of Peru for the past two years. I will soon be moving back to the US but my Ancash pride will shine on forever!