Peru: Walking back in time in Waullac, Huaraz
Waullac is said to be linked to other archeological sites, Pumacayan and Willkawain.
“Liliana mentioned that many people are going back to the traditional style houses. If you think about it, these buildings have withstood the two devastating earthquakes of the 40s and 70s. I’ve seen two-storey adobe buildings in Willkawain, but how many people have the knowledge to build those today.”
One of the adobe houses on the Waullac archeological site.
The rainy season has made me claustrophobic. I’ve missed being out hiking but I’ve learned to listen to advice from those who know this area well, because when it rains in the mountains, it’s not just any rain.
It’s glacial rain and it can chill you to the bone.
Liliana and I decided to check out Waullac, an archeological site in Nueva Florida in Independencia, believed to have been in use from 200 AC
- 600 DC. It’s said to be linked to other sites I’ve already been to - Pumacayan (which is where I live) and Willkawain. The adobe house structures are typical of the Wari culture, though it looks more like storage houses than the ceremonial buildings in Willkawain.
We had been in a combi (van collectivo) heading towards Nueva Florida when we realised we had passed the site. Fortunately, we just had to walk about ten minutes downhill. It was a sunny day and good to be away from the tooting taxis and people.
As we walked past the gate, we saw four guys huddled around a mound of dirt and rocks. It turned out that they had made an adobe oven to cook Pachamanca - Liliana told me that this was the traditional, Incan style. Afterwards, we saw them hacking at some of the nearby trees to collect more wood. This is a popular spot for family picnics and I even saw a concrete barbecue area, free for public use.
Ronna the Explorer has found her donkey!
Even though this was only twenty minutes walk from my house, this part of Huaraz could be considered the start of the countryside. There were plenty of potato and corn crops all around. I even saw a donkey, which
I stopped to pat, because for some reason, I go a bit gaga over donkeys.
We walked slowly through the site, getting some pictures and exploring the adobe houses. Liliana mentioned that many people are going back to the traditional style houses. If you think about it, these buildings have withstood the two devastating earthquakes of the 40s and 70s. I’ve seen two-storey adobe buildings in Willkawain, but how many people have the knowledge to build those today?
The path back to our house took us through the streets of Nicrucampa and to the back of our house. We had planned to go to Monterrey that afternoon, so we stopped at Yen’s Gourmet for their 5 soles menu.
For 5 soles you get a soup, about eight dishes to choose from and a drink. Afterwards as I sat in the apartment, I decided to take a quick nap. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Monterrey that afternoon. We saw the rain clouds to the west, and decided to chill out at home for the rest of the day.
Ronna Grace Funtelar is a thirtyish storyteller, creative, writer and slam poet currently travelling in Peru. She is a hobby hiker, photography and sunrise enthusiast with a passion for mindfully helping others live beyond their comfort zone.
Basically, a shorty who knows her life purpose.