Lows and Highs of Huaraz

Huaraz sits in the Codillera Blanca (white spine) of the Andes mountains. It is supposedly the second highest mountain range in the world, after the Himalayas, but we can't see anything! It is back to cloudy wintertime as we headed back to the sierra. When we got to our bed and breakfast, the first thing the señora did was bring us coca tea. I am pretty sold on this stuff. Not only does it have a deep earthy flavor, it helps with altitude sickness, naseau, digestion, fatigue, and diarreah. We were all ready to go see some ruins the next day, but I woke up in the middle of the night and started puking. There were a few hours when I couldn't keep any liquids down... not a fun night. Serena was still a little sick too, so the whole next day was recoup for both of us. I was so much better by the next day, so we headed to Chavin, which are ruins that are over 3000 years old. We had to cross a crazy pass to get there, climbing up switchbacks to about 14,000 feet, then going through a tunnel, then coming out to a huge statue of a white Christ before descending.