The Hot Springs With No Water!
Trip Start
Sep 13, 2010
1
28
182
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Hotel El Mirador
Pomabamba, Ancash, Peru
Monday, November 1, 2010
Accommodation
There are two far better accommodation options than those that are recommended in the Lonely Planet handbook, so give those a miss unless you are travelling on the tightest of budgets.
Whilst here I stayed at Hotel El Mirador, on the corner of Jr. Moquegua and Jr. Centenario, Tel: (043) 451067. The hotel is easy to find hence its name, just look up to your right when coming into town and you'll see the hotel on the hill. This is by far the best option in Pomabamba, despite the steep walk to reach it. The hotel is nicely tiled and exceptionally clean throughout; and boasts twelve modern rooms that offer excellent private bathrooms, hot water, cable with LCD TV’s and excellent beds with proper duvet covers. The hotel has been open for sixteen months – but doesn’t look or feel it. Why an earth it’s not recommended in the latest Lonely Planet handbook published 2010, god only knows. If you ask, they will discount their advertised rates of 35, 50 and 60 soles, for 1 or 2 persons, the latter price with two beds. They do offer one room where only the shower is separate for 30 soles, which I got for 25 soles – which is excellent value. For the standard of rooms on offer I had no complaints with their rates – especially when you see the other options in town.
Hospedaje Las Begonias, Jr. Huamachuco 274, Tel: (043) 451057. This was the next best option in town located just off the plaza. Run by a pleasant elderly couple, they offer a choice of basic rooms with private or communal bathrooms that are set around a plant filled courtyard. All have cable TV and they supply round the clock hot water. This is nowhere near as nice as Hotel El Mirador, but is better than the other four in town. Their rates were 20 soles per person for a room with communal bathroom or 30 and 35 soles for 1 or 2 persons with private bathroom. They will discount if you ask, but still, it’s overpriced when you see the standard of rooms at Hotel El Mirador.
If you are travelling on the tightest of budgets then stay at any of the three hostals that are mentioned in the Lonely Planet. They all offer very basic rooms with communal bathroom and cold showers for 10 soles per person; Hostal Pomabamba, Albergue Turistico Via and Hostal Estrada.
Piscobamba
If you do get stuck here, then Piscobamba does offer two basic hotels. The nicer of the two is located on the plaza.
Transport
Lima–Transportes El Solitario have buses leaving for the capital on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays for the eighteen hour journey. They leave at 06.30 hours, going via Huari and Catac and cost 50 soles. Note these are standard buses with no toilets. Your best option would be to get a bus via Yanama to Huaraz and connect here for a better bus to Lima.
Yanama–Transportes Renzo have buses leaving at 11.00 and 19.00 hours for the four hour journey to Yanama, costing 15 soles. This bus continues on to Yungay a further four hours and costs 25 soles.
Chimbote–Transportes San Francisco have a daily bus at 01.00 hours via Sihuas, costing 45 soles for the twelve hour journey.
I had another great day hitching but also a long one. I decided to leave Chacas early as it was around five hours for the 93km journey to Pomabamba, and that was without waiting for lifts. I was going to have to hitch lifts in three stages; first to San Luis - one hour; then to Piscobamba, 50km – around three hours; and finally to Pomabamba 20km – one hour. Knowing how little used these roads were I decided to leave around 07.30, but unfortunately I woke up to rain. I eventually left around 08.30 but then had a forty-five minute wait on the edge of Chacas before André’s pulled over to offer me a ride to San Luis. Once here I headed to the edge of the village and waited for at least an hour without a vehicle passing by. A few minutes later a 4x4 did finally approach but drove straight past; then to my delight they stopped one hundred metres down the hill and started beeping the horn and waving me down. Jesus and his friend were heading for the turn off for Yanama, 21 km further on, with a journey time of seventy minutes. This point was just a cluster of half a dozen rustic homes lining the Rio Hacma. Once here the heavens opened but fortunately one of the families invited me into their home. I waited for nearly two hours for a lift without a car passing by, but I was kept entertained by a homeless puppy, which seemed very fond of me. Finally a vehicle did approach and pulled over to offer me a ride to Piscobamba, but even then the dog wanted to get in with me – it was hard to leave him behind. Pepe was from Huaraz and chauffeured engineers around this mountainous region in his Toyota Hilux; and, had seen me hitching a few days ago, midway between San Marcos and Huari. The journey to Piscobamba took ninety minutes, arriving just before 16.30 hours. Once here I had no chance of hitching on to Pomabamba so I took a combi that was just about to leave.
Pomabamba sitting at an altitude of 3068 metres did nothing for me at all. This wasn’t helped by every other street in town being dug up, poor weather and the hot springs having no water. I literally have nothing to report, other than meeting great people whilst hitching to get here and the stunning scenery along the way.
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