Huaraz: Mountains on all sides and street signs absent

Welcome to Huaraz!!

Night 01:

We arrived weary after a 10 hour bus ride over the high mountain pass. After settling into our hostel and finding a delicious Thai restaurant, we enjoyed a walk around the Plaza de Armas. Immediately, we noted the differences in culture between Lima and Huaraz. The people here are dressed in traditional clothes, speak Quechua and Spanish, and carry everything they need on their backs.

Day 01:

We woke early to meet with Dr. Cesar Portocarrero at ANA's Huaraz office....and after about an hour of searching for the office, we hired a taxi to take us. Apparently the locals do not know ANA by the same name, so it took about 7 taxis turning us down to finally agree to drive us to the office. Here I am waiting in the office:

Dr. Portocarrero is a soft-spoken amiable man, very knowledgable about the glacial lakes and water concerns of the region (called ANCASH). He invited us to hike with their group to Laguna 513, a lake that recently scared the communities after an avalanche caused glacial ice to displace water and almost overtake the engineering mechanisms put into place. We also met with the resident hydrologist, who agreed to provide the hydrologic data that would help my model.