HUANCAYO - Food, Food, Food and a Bit of Art

A rolled ice cream with a spoon in front of a church at the main square of Huancayo.

Accommodation

Our accommodation at "Hotel JB“ was different than expected; we had booked via Airbnb and were expecting a private house, not a hotel. However, we were quite pleased for a night. The cost for a stay was 16.18 euros. 300 km east of Lima, we make a stop on our way to San Pedro. Exactly as our future guest-father Richard has recommended us. At an elevation of 3249m, we are right in the Andes, towards San Pedro it then goes downhill towards the rainforest. An old house made of unfired clay bricks, painted with a beautiful graffiti.

Sightseeing

Due to our very limited time, we unfortunately could not see anything near as much of Huancayo and its surroundings as we had hoped. Our stops were:

Plaza de la Constitución
Basílica Catedral de la Santisima Trinidad - Arquidiócesis Metropolitana de Huancayo
Casa del Artesano
Parque Huamanmarca We also saw loads of antique printing presses, very impressive!

Transportation

We took the taxi to the accommodation and moved around the city on foot.

Food and Drinks

Richard recommended Huancayo to us because there are all sorts of delicacies available here. At "Las Donas" we had Ceviche de Trucha, Papa a la Ocopa and Patita con Maní (some kind of beef with peanut sauce). We paid 25 soles for everything (= 6.13 euros). Then I had a "Rolled Ice" with Oreo for 5 soles. We also ate delicious dough pockets (made from yeast dough), Hamburgesas for 5 soles, fries for 6 soles, and 4 Picarones for 5 soles. These are a fried dough pastry with a special syrup sauce. In addition, we drank sugared herbal tea for 1 sol. I also snatched churros for 2 soles and Pascal got a menu for 18 soles, consisting of a boiled vegetable salad and a "Papa rellena" (a stuffed potato) with rice and fresh salad at "Los Balcones". The very delicious and visually appealing salad for starters.

Cafes and Restaurants

Las Donas
Picarones Lili
Los Balcones We sourced the rest of the delicious food from street stalls.

Number of Germans in the City

No sightings.

Contact with Locals

We had a friendly chat with our hamburger cook, who had her sizzling stand on the street.

Expenses

We bought fabric for 50 Soles and gifts for Pascal's family. Additionally, I had my shoes polished for 6 Soles.

Standard Stand Offer

Food, crochet keychains and carnival costumes in the shops.

Laundry

We did not do laundry in Huancayo.

Unsolved Mysteries

Why are the fries tucked inside the hamburger and not served separately? A very delicious fish dish, which is called Ceviche, was also available to eat.

Bus to Satipo

With the bus company "LOBATO“, we went from Huancayo to Satipo. We paid 35 Soles per person (= 8.60 Euros). The trip was supposed to start at 21:30 pm, but due to a police check, we were a bit delayed and didn't leave until a quarter of an hour later. We were scheduled to arrive at 5 am, but the actual arrival time was not until 5:30 am. Richard awaited us at the terminal with his motorcycle. With the mototaxi (about 15 Soles), we went about 30 minutes to San Pedro. There we rested a bit and had breakfast at 7:15 am. Then another round of sleep (Richard had to work) and then exploring the area a bit :) More on that in the next article!