The Huanchaco hostel has been fun and it’s too tempting to stick around indefinitely, but the Cordilleras lay ahead. I said goodbye to the Pacific and hopped on the first of three buses required to get to Huaraz by day.
I am glad I ended up on the day bus. The views along the road from Trujillo to Chimbote are fascinating as utter desert alienates with lush irrigated areas. With less than 50 miles from the sea to the 3km high city, the views through the valley up to Huaraz are incredible all the way up. Some hours in, the shining white tip of a mountain peaks out above the hills. As the bus crested the hill to the view of the mountain range and the valley below, my jaw dropped and stayed there for several minutes.
Copyright 2015 CC-BY-SA
Copyright 2015 CC-BY-SA
Looking back to the sea. Copyright 2015 CC-BY-SA
Costs
Cost today: $22.67
Cumulative cost: $4,864.45