Huanchaco Peru
Beaches, Warmth and Sun!
After spending a week in Chachapoyas with rain day and night, I was ready for a change. Huanchaco was exactly the antidote to cold, rainy days; each day was a sunny and warm 75 degrees with mild nights in the mid-60s. I was in heaven and almost didn’t want to leave.
Caballito Boats
I was shooting photos of a local as he brought his caballito boat into the shore. He smiled at me and begged me to come over and get on the boat so he could take a picture of me. He laughed and we setup the photo shoot. I never took it out into the water, but it did look like an interesting form of a small boat!
You can buy a big lunch for just $4. Similar to Japanese sushi, ceviche is raw fish filet cut into pieces and marinated in key lime juice, onions, and lemons. The appetizer was salted corn nuts. The second part of the meal consisted of rice with fried mussels and a small side salad.
Ceviche
I’ve never been a big fan of Japanese sushi, but I absolutely loved Peruvian ceviche which is basically raw fish, onions and tons of lemon or lime juice. I had ceviche at least six times now and enjoyed it every time (I never got sick from eating the raw fish, but did get sick from brushing my teeth using tap water). Oh, and I should mention the appetizers. Most restaurants include a small bowl of roasted corn nuts which have been rolled in an oil and salt. I felt like I was eating potato chips and didn’t want to stop!
Spanish Lessons
I took a couple days of Spanish lessons, but unfortunately forgot to take my camera with me both times. My instruction was one-on-one for $5/hour. I think my Spanish improved in leaps after just two days. I think I’ll look for opportunities in the future to take more lessons as I’m able to find cheap instructors and my schedule permits.
Fireworks on the beach are always nice, especially if you can get a water refection. Locals absolutely loved to drink and dance the entire night. Police were everywhere and only stepped in to stop drunken brawls.
New Years on the Beach
There is no doubt, Peruvians know how to party (and party hard). My hostel was full for the two nights over new years, so I booked a room with AirBnB with a local family who had three extra rooms (my room was $10/night including breakfast). The owner was a jovial man named Eduardo of about 60 who started drinking and partying around 9pm. Music, dancing and singing continued in their house until around 3am (not great for sleeping, but fantastic for local entertainment!). I loved the warm friendliness of the local family who included me in their breakfast at 11am (I had to smile a bit as they struggled to recover in the morning to make breakfast). The partying started again around noon with drinking and dancing in the living room and in front of the house. The owner took his stereo system outside of his house and cranked it to the max so you could hear it a couple blocks away. He and his family (wife and daughters) all danced and sang to local Peruvian music. It was super fun to watch!
Cost of a Typical Day in Huanchaco
I’m going to continue to provide an idea of what it costs to travel “backpacker” style in various locations in South America. Outside of the costs listed below, I paid $5/hour for Spanish lessons. I tried to take surf lessons two different days, but it seems Peruvians have different concepts on scheduling than we do and it didn’t happen. Surf lessons were $17. Also, my overnight bus from Chachapoyas was $20 for an eight hour ride, first class which included my dinner.
Dorm room: $6/night (shared with three roommates)
Breakfast: $3 (full Americano breakfast of eggs, bread, juice and coffee)
Lunch: $4 (soup, chicken, rice and fries)
Dinner: $3 (chicken, rice & veggies)
