First weekend getaway: Churín

Hello again!

I hope you all had a great weekend, enjoying the last of September 2011! Ever since I met Itxel, we have been talking about travelling and experiencing the different sights that Peru has to offer during out time here in Huacho. Our first stop: a weekend trip to the mountain town of Churín, roughly 2.5 hours away by bus (only 61km past Sayán, but this part of the journey takes 1.5 hours as it is on an unpaved road = A LOT of dust to inhale!).

Churín is a quaint little town of 2,000 inhabitants, with an elevation of 2,080 metres. We lucked out because we happened to travel there during the same weekend as their biggest festival, celebrating their patron saint. Itxel and I arrived in the early afternoon to a bright blue sunny sky and warm springtime temperatures. There was a parade going on with marching bands, and tons of people in the streets. A nice couple that we met on the bus (the bus was actually a minivan) helped us find the hotel that my guide book recommended - turns out it was a new hotel, and the best one in the city! We checked in (for only $12 USD/night each) and then set off to explore the town.

Our hotel in Churín: Las Amazonas

The view from our hotel room

Churín is a very popular tourist destination (mostly for people from Lima) because it has some of the best reputed thermal baths in Peru! The main street was also lined with little shops selling various handmade items such as sweaters, purses, etc. A great vibe for a great weekend to come!

After a little bit of browsing we ran into the couple that showed us to the hotel. They offered to show us around the city more. They are currently living in Lima, but Angel (the husband) is originally from Churín, so they came to visit for the weekend (and enjoy the hot baths!). They kindly showed us around the thermal baths of el Novio and la Juventud, and we were able to learn more about the city. Angel said that when he was young, the River Huaura which flows through the city was clear, full of fish, and you could walk along the riverbank. Unfortunately, due to intensive mining upstream in Oyón, the river has turned murky brown, there are much less fish, and there has been a lot of erosion so you can no longer walk along the river. What a shame. That is the same river that flows through Sayán and then to Huacho before dumping into the ocean - quite unfortunate for it to be so polluted when so many people depend on it.

After saying goodbye to our new friends, we went to the hotel to change into our swimsuits and headed to one of the thermal baths in the city. We stayed there for about 2 hours, and made two new friends, sisters from Lima who has come for a few days to enjoy the baths and the festival. Ixtel and I took advantage of the spa services offered there - I got a reflexology foot massage (30 min. for only $4 CAD!) and she got a back massage. It felt AMAZING. On our way out we met out friends Angel and Carmen again, and walked back into town with them. Unfortunately, my sandals broke on the way, but that's okay... I'll replace them sometime!

Itxel and I spent the evening walking around, did a little bit of shopping, and watched some of the processions take place. We felt kind of like ignorant outsiders though, watching the singing and dancing without understanding their purpose. The traditional outfits were absolutely gorgeous as well.

Traditional outfit of the Peruvian sierra (mountains)

After grabbing a bite to eat, we were both pretty tired so we headed up to bed. Itxel passed out quite comfortably, but the music, processions, and fireworks continued until 6am right near out hotel window, and so I had a very disturbed sleep. Still a great day nonetheless.

Sunday after a lazy start we went back to the thermal baths called 'Velo de Novia' (Bridal Veil - called this way because of the lovely waterfall there).

Velo de Novia

We spent hours just relaxing in the pools, and ran into the two women that we had met the previous night at the other baths. We chatted for quite some time, took some more pictures, and then decided that it was time for lunch. After a delicious meal, we headed up the main street to find a bus back to Huacho. 2.5 hours (and a very dusty ride later) we were back in Huacho, far from the warmth and vistas of the Peruvian sierra (mountains). Too bad... one thing is for sure though, we will definitely be heading back to Churín before going back to Canada!

Sheila