The Many Faces of Kids

"The Gang of Mtae". Usambara Mountain Range, Tanzania 

It was easier some years ago when a digital camera was not very well known to kids. Kids were mostly rather reluctant to be taken picture of, but when they saw themselves seconds later at the display they were all in for another picture (and many more). Usually the second and third photo turned out best, and you could delete the first you shot. This way I got some lively pictures from Tanzania and Philippines, while they for example were more doubtful looking in the Annapurna mountain range in Nepal.

Some of the kids asked for bribes like money, candy or whatever, but usually they were just genuinely interested in a shabby backpacker with a small pocket-camera (and bad soccer-skills). I have never paid for a picture but if you really want to give something, it should be something useful for their education. Candy is the last thing you should give, because the dental health service is not like back home.

Maybe this will be an ongoing feature of this blog, so here are a few more pictures of mine to kick things off:

Malapascua Island, Philippines

Livingston, Guatemala

Ausangate Mountain Range, Peru

Annapurna Mountain Range, Nepal

Annapurna Mountain Range, Nepal

Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru

Yerupajá, 6634 meters, in the background

Cordillera Huayhuash in Peru is probably best known for climbing. Part of the fame can be linked to Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' successful but disastrous and nearly fatal climb of Siula Grande in 1985. A book named "Touching the void" was published in 1988, and a documentary followed in 2003.

Cordillera Huayhuash was also one of the strongholds of "Sendero Luminoso" (Shining Path), a Maoist guerrilla insurgent organization in Peru. It was a few hostage situations until the party was broken down in 1992. The safety deteriorated between 2002 and 2004 with a few killings, but the area has now been considered safe for a long time.

Close to Rondoy

So, when did I go to Huayhuash? 2001! Not for climbing, but trekking around this stunningly beautiful mountain range. It is said to be 2-week trek. I did it in 8 days. Solo, in a rather bad locally bough tent. In my opinion the trekking was way better than the much more popular Santa Cruz trek closer to Huaraz. Since most of the trekking is above 4000 meters, you should be properly acclimatized before you go on this trek, but most of the passes are not too hard to get over.

I saw some traces of road construction in 2001 so I don't know if the area has been "destroyed" since then. However, for me this ranks as the best hike in Peru, followed by Ausangate and a rather demanding trek from Choquequirao to Machu Picchu. Maybe I will tell you more about those treks later on?