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DAY 3, OCTOBER 30, 2007
We awoke in the Hotel Turista in Huancayo, one of the city’s most historic hotels, it’s wide halls and salons hung with beautiful reproductions of paintings of the Cuzco school, dating from the 17th century. Huancayo, founded by the Spanish in 1572, is situated in the Mantaro Valley, in the central highlands of Peru, on the shore of the Mantaro River. It is the capital of the department of Junín.
We ate an abundant breakfast including varied and exquisite regional fruit, and in which we drank copious amounts of mate de coca—by far the best remedy against altitude sickness.
Afterwards we traveled to the Events Center of EDPYME Confianza. Following the institutional presentation we headed to the fertile and productive Mantara Valley to visit clients of EDPYME.
Our first stop was at Señora Mercedes’s, a successful small producer of artichokes. The experience was enriched by a dynamic interchange between the participants and the farmer.
We ate lunch reside the Mantaro River, a sudden rain shower drumming on the roof. We sampled exquisite typical Peruvian cuisine-- papas a la Huancaína and cebiche among others.
After lunch we visited the Rio Seco Stable, where we met the young owner Jorge Mercado Palacios, who raises cows and sheep. He shared his credit experience with us and gave us cheese made from sheep’s milk and yoghurt to taste.
We headed on to Jauja, invited by EDPYME Confianza, where we attended a ceremony in the municipal hall. Each participant and member of the organizing team was given a present made by local artisans and a folkloric group presented typical dances.
On our return to Lima, we crossed a pass of 4,800 meters. Those who were still awake watched white snowflakes falling in the darkness.On our return to Lima, we crossed a pass of 4,800 meters. Those who were still awake watched white snowflakes falling in the darkness.
More photos from the Path
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