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Home , Architecture of Peru, Huanca, Huancayo, Tourist trap

Peru -

Welcome to Project Huancayo, ! We hope you are looking forward to your volunteer trip! While we highly value all of the great work volunteers do in the field with FIMRC staff and community members, we recognize your important opportunity to explore Peru! Since volunteer activities coincide with normal business hours, Monday through Friday are spent volunteering and Saturday and Sunday are typically spent learning about the local culture or traveling on . While no excursions are required, many volunteers like to take advantage of this opportunity.

The following guide includes the most popular options among staff and volunteers . Once on-site, our staff will help you make all arrangements. Please note, excursions as well as the associated cost are not included in your program fee paid to FIMRC.

History & Culture Peru is a country located in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean. Peruvian territory has had a long history, being colonized by many ancient civilizations such as the Norte Chico people and the Incas. In the 16th century, Peru was conquered by Spain and did not gain its independence until 1821. Since Huancayo that time, Peru has established a representative democratic republic and has experienced periods of political and economic turmoil, as well as periods of stability and economic upswing. Peru is an ethnically diverse nation with a long history, and the mixture of cultural traditions has resulted in a wide variety of expressions in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music. Did You Know... • Peru has three official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Roughly 84% of the population speaks Spanish. Many also speak a wide variety of native languages. • Peru is divided into 25 regions.­ Huancayo is found in the Junín region. • Peru has the second largest segment of Amazonian rainforest. • Peruvian artistic traditions date back to the elaborate handicrafts of the Pre-­Inca cultures. • The Incas were known for their many architectural achievements, the most notable of which is . • Guinea Pigs may be adorable, docile pets in the US, but in Peru, they are an important source of food and are featured heavily in Peruvian folklore.

1 Peru - Huancayo Excursions

1 Excursions

The following options include the most popular activities in and around Huancayo. Please note, excursions as well as the associated transport cost are not included in your program fee paid to FIMRC. While some activities are free of charge, tranportation may be needed. All prices listed are in USD.

1 Identity Park (Parque de la Identidad Huanca) This quaint park is a common location for wedding photos. Made entirely of stones, the park was designed to promote Huancaino culture and identity. Throughout the park you’ll see representations of Huancaino crafts and 2 statues of famous Andean folkloric artists such as “The Great Gourd,” the pools of Gourd and Maguey, and the Tower of Children.

Pricing: Free 2 Chapel ‘Le Merced’ The Chapel “Le Merced” is a National Historical Monument in Peru where the first congress met to sign the Constitution in 1839. The Chapel has an altar and a wooden pulpit carved in style, reflecting the historical architecture in Peru. Due to natural disasters, the Chapel has had to be restored on several occasions, but it still remains to be a beautiful preservation of colonial culture in Peru.

Pricing: Free 3 Torre Torre (Tower Tower) 3 In the outskirts of the city, you’ll find a series of geological formations up to 100 feet tall. These structures of red clay were formed into natural towers and castles over many years of erosion. From these sights, you will get a fantastic view of the city. You also have the opportunity to hike or have a picnic nearby! It is recommended to get a for this excursion.

Pricing: Prices vary for tours, but admission to the towers is free. 4 Plaza de la Constitución Plaza de la Constitución, or Constitution Square, is one of two squares in Huancayo and a popular destination that was named after the Constitution, signed in 1813. It provides a popular, historic site to visitors, as it is surrounded by the Cathedral, the Theater Nuestra Señora del Valle and the offices of the Archbishop. The other square in Huancayo is named Huanmamarca Square 4 and is also a good location to visit.

Pricing: Free 5 Cerro de la Libertad Cerro de la Libertad, or “Liberty Hill,” is a natural roof that is located 1 km northeast of Huancayo. Also known as “the lookout,” Cerro de la Libertad provides visitors one of the most beautiful views of Huancayo and its surrounding . It has a heated pool, a mini zoo, recreational games for children, a bandshell, and a chapel.

Pricing: Free

2 Peru - Huancayo Weekday Excursion Options

7 6 House of Youth and Culture In this modern building, there is a dance workshop, cinema, shops, a café, internet booths, and more. This destination in Huancayo gives tourists a more modern view of the city and allows them to stay connected! The House of Youth and Culture is a great visit to do in conjunction with some of the older attractions to really get a feel of Huancayo lifestyle.

Pricing: Prices vary depending on activity 7 Craft Village Tour in Mantaro Valley The surrounding Mantaro Valley near Huancayo houses multiple diverse villages that each specialize in certain crafts, such as gourd carving, weaving, or silverwork. Each day in the week there is a market in a certain 8 village where these handicrafts are sold. Even if you do not wish to purchase items, it is interesting to watch some of the crafts being produced! There are many tour operators that offer tours throughout the Mantaro Valley villages, many of which are easy to contact once in Peru.

Pricing: Prices vary for tour operators; also bring money to purchase crafts 8 Huaytapallana Glacier The Huaytapallana glacier is found at the top of a mountain range in Huaytapallana, in Mantaro Valley, about 3 km from Huancayo. It is famous not because of size, but because of its extremely high melting rate, sparking the establishment of many conservation efforts. An excursion to the Huaytapallana glacier is usually a full day excursion requiring a guide, and Papa a la Huancaina is recommended for those who are physically fit. Additionally the glacier is about 5000 meters above sea level and acclimatization is advised prior to climbing, as the trek is steep and rigorous in places. Tickets for the trek 9 up the glacier with a tour guide can be purchased at the tourist kiosk in Huanmamarca Plaza in Huancayo.

Pricing: $20 9 La Feria Dominical The Sunday Fair in Huancayo occurs every Sunday and dominates 10 full city blocks in the city center, from the 2nd to the 12th block of Av. . Hundreds of vendors to the city from the surrounding towns to display and sell their crafts, such as jewelry and textiles. You can also enjoy traditional Peruvian culinary options and immerse yourself further in the culture of Huancayo. This market has been running continuously since 1572, and is a very wellknown­ attraction for tourists.

Pricing: Free entry, spending money recommended 9 10 Casa del Artesanía If you are able to make it to the Sunday market, this is the place to go to find typical Peruvian artisanal goods in Huancayo. Prices of goods can vary widely; negotiating with vendors is highly recommended.

Pricing: Free entry, spending money recommended

Chifa

3 Peru - Huancayo WeekdayRestaurants Excursion and Nightlife Options

2 Popular Culinary and Nightlife Options

The following options include popular and nightlife options in the Huancayo area. Prices vary greatly, those below are listed in USD.

1 Rustica Located inside of the Real Plaza mall, Rustica is a popular destination for volunteers. It is a three-story karaoke bar with large video screens located all around. Definitely a fun night on the town! A typical “calientito” 2 El Inka & Antojitos 3 Both of these restaurants/bars offer a traditional Huancayan specialty, “calientitos”, and are extremely popular during the Peruvian happy hour. These drinks, typically comprised of rum or pisco, are served hot, like tea, due to the cold climate of Huancayo, which gets even chillier at night. 3 Olímpico Right by the main plaza, Hotel Olímpico has been a mainstay in Huancayo for many years. This is one of the best places to try papa a la Huancaina, a traditional Peruvian dish of salad with boiled yellow potatoes in a spicy, creamy sauce.

Pricing: Entrees range between $1 and $7. Papa a la Huancaina 4 Insomnio This two story discoteca is known as the best in Huancayo, and attracts people from all over Peru, as well as a sizable group of tourists. The music 5 is a blend of reggaeton and electronic, and dancing is highly encouraged!

5 Detrás de la Catédral Located behind the cathedral in the Plaza de la Constitución (hence the name), this is one of the better restaurants in the city of Huancayo, if not the best. This , which received four stars on TripAdvisor, is the perfect place to try cuy (guinea pig) or anticucho (cow heart). For those less adventurous, there are other terrific options as well.

Pricing: Entrees range from $6-$12 6 Cafe Grosella Located very close to the Thomas family , Cafe Grosella offers a wide variety of menu items, most quite delicious. Additionally, their frozen 8 drink offerings are unique to Peru, such as maracuya and guanabana. 7 La Cabaña This restaurant is owned by a local Huancaino and provides the ultimate dinner location for both locals and tourists alike. The restaurant is famous for its calientitos and its live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Pricing: Entrees range between $2­ - 13 8 Centro This eatery is the best place in Huancayo to get chifa, which is Peruvian­ Chinese food. Website: http://www.chifacentro.com/ Chifa

4 Peru - Huancayo Weekday Excursion Options

FORMER FIMRC VOLUNTEERS’ UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO VISITING MACHU PICCHU

Length of Trip Ideally you should allow four days to fully enjoy all that and Machu Picchu have to offer. It’s not a cheap trip so four days is definitely worth the value. However, some of our FIMRC volunteers have done it in as little as two days.

Trip Planning During the rainy season (Nov to Apr) there is much less tourists which is nice but then you also may have some sudden downpours. The peak tourist season is July and August because it’s drier. January and February are the rainiest months, so visits in November, March and April are best to avoid the bad weather and the large crowds. If you’re going during a high tourist time or during typical school breaks you may want to make all your arrangements ahead of time as bookings may go quickly. If you want to hike the Inca trail during the peak times you need to book your reservations with plenty of time to obtain the permits. During the rainy season you can probably just show up and obtain the permit to hike the Inca trail. If you speak some Spanish and are more willing to figure it out once you get there, you may be able to get some good deals in Machu Picchu when you arrive.

Where to Stay Cusco is a beautiful city to explore so spending some time there would be great. Machu Picchu Pueblo or also known as Aguas Calientes to distinguish it from the ruins is often advertised as the best place to spend the night before you go to Machu Picchu. However, this town is quite the tourist trap: everything is overpriced from food to lodging and it lacks a culture outside the tourist frenzy. Thus, a much better option is to spend the night in Ollantaytambo. This town receives much fewer tourists and also has a rail connection straight to Machu Picchu. You can get here by taking a taxi from Cusco. There are other hiking options here as well as whitewater rafting. Peruvians like to go here on .

Getting to Machu Picchu There are a few options and it depends on the time you have available. Many individuals recommend hiking the full Inca Trail (4 days) to feel the thrill of the hike and experiences as the Incas did it in the 15th century. Some companies may offer an abbreviated hike one or two day hikes. For the Inca trail you’ll need permits and a guide. From Aguas Calientes, you can walk up to Machu Picchu which takes about an hour or take the tourist bus that winds up the mountain for 20 minutes. Buses leave starting at 5:30 am every 10 minutes, during peak season lines form starting at 5:00am. If you take one of the many trains that leaves from Cusco or Ollantaytambo you arrive in Aguas Calientes then you can bus up to Machu Picchu. The Huayna Picchu mountain is the mountain with the peak that towers over Machu Picchu which is also a good excursion and has impressive views, especially at sunrise which is around 7:00am when it peaks over the mountain. They only 400 people each day to do the climb so you have to get to Machu Picchu incredibly early in the morning and it likely means spending the night before in Aguas Calientes.

Other Attractions in the Sacred Valley Area Machu Picchu is amazing for sure, but as you’re in the area you may also want to take advantage of some other activities like whitewater rafting, horse back riding, renting ATV four-wheelers, visiting salt mines, terraced farm areas, other snow capped mountains, seeing other Inca Ruins and sights, etc.

Travel Companies There are endless companies that arrange trips to Machu Picchu, so you should review and compare prices and options. We recently had three volunteers coordinate a very quick 2-3 day trip with www.sastravelperu.com. They enjoyed the trip that SAS planned and the accommodations at the Marqueses hotel that they provided. SAS basically took care of coordinating their entire stay and activities in Cusco and Machu Picchu. That’s just one option, so look around as each company offers different packages and a range of prices.

Have additional tips or suggestions? Please send them to [email protected] so we can keep expanding this guide for future FIMRC volunteers.

5 This concludes the volunteer excursion menu for Project Huancayo, Peru. Activities can be arranged with our staff upon your arrival. Please note the availability of excursions depends on your trip length, time of year, and volunteer schedule.

Prices listed are our best estimates and are subject to change. Volunteers are responsible for excursion and transportation cost as excursions are not part of your program fee paid to FIMRC.

Please be aware that all excursions are at the risk of the volunteer. While FIMRC works hard to ensure your safety, you are participating in any extracurricular activities at your own risk. Also, while staff is happy to assist with planning, FIMRC does not guarantee that a staff member will accompany you.

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