Amazing Huaraz Birthday Weekend

For my birthday I got to spend a lovely day with my 'adoptive Peruvian family' and visits from former students. 

Karina and William

In the evening, Karla, Kin, and I headed to Huanchaco for a delicious dinner/tea party with new friends.

 at 'Chocolate' where we were served what is possibly the best apple pie in the world

Kin and I then hopped onto a bus to Huaraz for a weekend of trekking and horseback riding at 10 000 feet above sea level.

Day 1: Laguna Llanganuco and Yungay



choclo

Laguna Llanganuco

 

Cemetary in Yungay dedicated to the earthquake & avalanche of 1970. Prettiest cemetary I've ever seen.



Day 2: Horseback riding in Yungar

Day 3: Laguna Churup

about 500m into our trek, desperate for coca leaves

smiling to hide the fact that I can't breathe and feel like I'm about to die

we made it...

...and it was worth it!

probably not the easiest way down.

Side note: I still have a lot of work to do before I can claim to be perfectly fluent in Spanish, but living at Estella's has made a huuuuge difference.  I'm finally thinking in Spanish rather than thinking in French or English and then translating in my head before I speak.

-S xo