September 10, 2009
We got up early again today (the sun rises at 6 A.M. in Peru and the hotel windows don’t have venetian blinds). We went to a hotel that is in downtown Huancayo, next to the cathedral. Once there, we decided to purchase a tour of some of the sites we saw yesterday plus others we did not. That way, we would be able to see lots of sites in less time. We chose the classic tour that includes the villages of Hualhuas and San Jeronimo (even though we saw them yesterday), Lake Paca, the Mantaro Dairy Plant, Ingenio, and lastly the Ocopa Monastery.
We walked to the cathedral and found an agency offering such a package. They told us to be back by 9:50, so we took advantage of the time left to us to find out the train schedule for the city of Huancavelica because we were planning to go there tomorrow. They say you mustn’t miss out on the train ride from Huancayo to Huancavelica. It’s only 128 kilometers long, but you pass through 38 tunnels and over 15 bridges. The train is also called “macho” because it has an attitude: leaving when it wants to and arriving at its destination when it feels like it or can. To our dismay, they were working on the lines, so the train was out of service. The only option left to us was a bus or “colectivo”. Tomorrow we will have to gather the information.
It was time for us to leave, and the bus arrived on time. We were the only foreigners on the trip; the rest were from Lima, Huancayo, and Ancash… a rather mixed and quaint group we made. With a jerk, off we went towards Hualhuas. When we arrived, we found ourselves in the handicraft center again, but this time we were actually shown how to work mud and to use molds, just as the Mochicans did. We also watched weavers on their looms and were told how wool is dyed using things from nature.
Next stop was San Jeronimo. There, we were taken to a workshop, and the artisans showed us how they worked silver to produce what we see in the markets: pendants, bracelets, rings, and filigree. They then showed us what was for sale, like any good salesperson… after awhile, when everyone had gotten back together from strolling through the many stalls and stores, we continued our journey.
Lake Paca was next on the agenda. It lies some 40 kilometers away, close to the city of Jauja. It is surrounded by reeds and filled with all types of aquatic birds. In the middle of the lake sits a small manmade island, the Island of Love. We took a boat ride, and the boy steering it told us the story of the lake’s origin:
One day, God came down to Earth. He found his way to a small house and knocked on the door. From within a voice shouted, “Get out of here, you filthy varmint!” So, he walked to the next house and knocked on its door. Living there were two old men, very poor, and they were making dinner in a terracotta pot. There wasn’t much food, barely enough for even one person, so God put his hands over the pot and increased the amount. Now there was plenty for three people. Once supper had ended, God said, “Let’s go.” One old man brought a drum with them. They climbed a hill, the old men in front and God bringing up the rear. Sometime later, God asked the old man to give him the drum, and then he said, “Don’t turn around.” He let go of the drum, which rolled down the hill, and the sound it made grew louder the longer it rolled. The old men were too curious about what was happening and turned around to watch. They were instantly changed into white stones. The drum continued to roll until it reached the town below, where it exploded. Out of its remains poured out a quantity of water so great that it flooded the town and everything around it until it formed a lake.
After the boat ride, we drove to the town of Concepcion and walked through the Mantaro Dairy Plant. We were given a brief explanation of certain processes, but the best part was the free samples of cheese, yogurt, and milk jam. Delicious. Afterwards, you can stop by the small store and purchase any of the products made there. We recommend the ice cream, which is fabulous. I don’t think there is any better around. We all ate some, and there were members of the group that went back for seconds.
The dairy plant was just a way of wetting our appetite because then we took off for Ingenio, famous for its trout farms. There are plenty of restaurants which offer trout in a thousand different ways: cebiche, fried whole or in chunks, grilled.
Once lunch was over, the group had to decide whether to continue the trout visit or go on to the Santa Rosa Monastery in Ocopa. It was unanimous: Ocopa.
It wasn’t very far, but the last tour started at 5 P.M. (there are only guided tours available) and when we arrived, we had only five minutes to buy our tickets. Whew. We barely made it!
It is a very old Franciscan monastery, founded in 1725 by Francisco de San Jose. It became the staging area for missions to the jungle to evangelize the natives living there. We entered the olive cloister first, covered with paintings on the wall depicting the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. They were reproductions from masters of the Cusco School. We also walked through the cafeteria where not more than sixteen years ago, Josue Sanchez painted the walls and ceiling with vividly colorful scenes from when the Franciscans arrived in the jungle.
We also were allowed in the library, which contains more than 20,000 very old books, and the art gallery as well as two on site museums: of Sacred Art and of Natural History of the Jungle. The latter displays dissected jungle animals, possibly the most interesting part of the entire complex.
We also passed through the buildings that made up the original monastery, called the Obreria. There they’ve maintained the old rooms, the forge, and the loom.
We got back to Huancayo and stopped by where our friends were staying to pick them up for dinner. Instead of Peruvian food, they took us to a small, homelike pizzeria far from the mall experience. Sorry, we’ve forgotten its name.
Now it is time to sleep after such a long day because there is more to see tomorrow.
