Wednesday 02/05 (2/2)
We arrive at noon in Huancavelica.
I take a taxi with the girls and the luggage while Isabelle walks with Jules.
Our hotel (Hotel Ascension) is correct; it’s location is great, right on the Plaza de Armas.
We go for lunch in a restaurant near the Plaza de Armas. Only the menu of the day is available. It’s definitely not in the Andes that we eat well…
The main reason I wanted to stop here is to attend the Festival of the Crosses.
We go to see a corrida in the ‘Plaza de Toros’. We arrive at 2pm; it’s about to start (while the poster mentions 1pm). There’s not much crowd in the stands. It’s a very local spectacle. The “opening ceremony” is a bit folkloric with a band and some girls in traditional outfits parading in the arena.
We thought we would only stay less than an hour to see the atmosphere but we actually like the show very much, especially the kids (mainly Jules) and we only leave at 5:30pm! It was great. Kids ate all kinds of healthy “typical” stuff: popcorn, churros, cotton candy… (we also purchase mandarins outside the stadium).
We go back to the Plaza de Armas, on foot.
Isabelle and I go to the “tourism office” to inquire about the Fiesta de las Cruces, which is supposed to take place tomorrow. But the people of the office can’t confirm whether or not it will take place (although it’s tomorrow…)! But they confirm that if it takes place it will be in Sacsamarca, a village a bit further. We also ask how to reach Ayacucho on Friday. We can apparently take a ‘collectivo’.
We relax a bit in the hotel (and also warm up with a very warm shower).
We go and eat before 7pm to the Hotel Presidente, the best in town, which is located just in front of our hotel, also on Plaza de Armas. We want to celebrate Ludivine’s birthday. I hope she has enjoyed this day. I appreciate that it must be hard for her to celebrate her 15th birthday far away from her friends, in a remote place in the Andes, with her parents…
The dinner is good (steak and trouts) and we spend a good evening.
We are all in bed by 9pm. We are all tired (we woke up at 5am this morning). I work on my laptop until 10pm.
