Fortunately for those who are less than fluent in Spanish, a number of guidebooks devote a few pages to the Huancayo area. A good map will orient you to the town center and the central plaza and suggest some places to see. But if you want details of places to go and how to get there, you'll be best off if you can approach people in Spanish. A tourism office in the Casa de Artesano (a handy and reasonably priced place to buy regional crafts, and it's right on the main plaza) can provide a detailed brochure of the region complete with maps and explanations of the region's culinary specialties.
Here are some of the highlights of the area:
- The outdoor Sunday market is the must-see of the area and is said to be the largest outdoor market in Peru. Filling a blocked-off street and stretching at least a kilometer, the market features booths selling everything from kitchen utensils to prestige-brand tennis shoes (which may not be authentic) to bulk grains to crafts and souvenirs. This isn't a market made for tourists; only a handful of the hundreds of vendors specialize in souvenirs and items targeted at foreigners. But you will find blankets and crafts at extremely reasonable prices.
- Many other towns in the area have weekly markets of their own on other days, but they're much smaller than Huancayo's.
- Nearly every town in the region has a large central square fronting a cathedral. Most of them are open for a look or for worship. You can take a taxi to many of the outlying towns for under $5 U.S., and buses run frequently for extremely low fares.
- Perhaps the most interesting museum in the area is the former convent at Ocopa. There you will find a magnificent library developed by the Franciscans and, if you can understand the Spanish in a guided tour, learn more about the rich history of the region.
- For a place to stay, check the three hotels right on the plaza, all of which offer standard accommodations for around $20 per night. Or if you're feeling flush, the guidebooks indicate that the most expensive place in town charges about twice that much; if you're adventurous or on an extremely tight budget, you can look around for places that charge just a few dollars. During our visit, we stayed at the Hostal Santa Felicita on the plaza; although the accommodations were basic and the traffic was noisy, the room provided an outstanding view overlooking the plaza.
- Restaurants and small eateries can be found almost anywhere. Most of the ones that would look inviting to tourists are located along Giráldez and Real streets near the plaza. They say that if you go to places that appear to be popular you're less likely to face problems with food contamination. I can't vouch for that, but it worked for us. We ate a variety of foods (avoiding only raw vegetables that might have been washed in tap water) and had no problems. The restaurant that does the most to cater to tourists is La Cabaña on Giráldez; there you'll find Peruvian specialties, pizza and sandwiches, as well as live music on weekends. Popular local specialties you can find around town include articuchos (skewered beef hearts), cuy (guinea pig), various preparations of papas (potatoes), and trucha (trout). Sandwiches and other American-style foods are easy to find, although you won't find a McDonald's or any other American chains.
- One popular walk in Huancayo takes you to Cerro de la Libertad viewpoint and then to Los Torres, a small but interesting rock formation.
- There doesn't appear to be much nightlife in Huancayo. La Cabaña often has live music on weekends, and there are a couple sleazy-looking bars on Giráldez that feature female dancers. A two-screen cinema (about $2 U.S., less for matinees) features first-run movies, most of them American films with Spanish subtitles, although the sound and projection quality aren't the best. There are also a couple of small gambling establishments.
Although there aren't any supermarkets, you'll easily find plenty of small shops and most of the conveniences you're likely to need: banks, ATMs, Internet terminals, groceries, some health services. But it does help to keep a supply of small change; many of the small shops are unable to provide change for even a S/.20 bill (less than $6 U.S.). Keep in mind that Huancayo is in a fairly poor region; many of the people here earn not much more than 100 nuevos soles (about $28 U.S.) per week.
Even so, unlike some of the more tourist-oriented spots in the Third World, you will be welcomed in Huancayo for more than your money. The area provides an unusual opportunity to the Andean culture and how it is changing with the times. You're sure to come away with memories that you're unlikely to find elsewhere.
¡Buen viaje!
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Related Links:
Impressions
of Lima (on About's
South
American Travel site)
The Spanish of Peru
Quechua, Peru's Second Language (to come)
Spanish
for Travel
