Peru travel blog by Mark Berman -
August 2011
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Andahuaylas was the next place I wanted to visit in Peru's southern highlands. Andahuaylas is famous for its Sunday market, a huge market full of color
and activity, the biggest market in South America that I have ever seen! Bus from Ayacucho
From
Ayacucho it had been an 8 and a half hour journey to get to Andahuaylas,
we had passed through some brilliant and beautiful terrains including from up in the mountains - amazing views of the river Rio Pampas at Airabamba with
its turquoise blue waters. Along the way we travelled through the small towns of Chincheros and Uripa and a few others.
Find a Budget Hotel
After arriving in Andahuaylas,
I looked for a budget hotel near the markets, it was not easy to find a nice budget hotel, just horrible ones. In the end I settled for the best of a
bad bunch.
Market Starts 5-6am Sundays
Market day in Andahuaylas starts early, around 5am, but the first hour or so is spent setting up, so it doesn't really get going until 6am.
By 6:30am I was there. The sun hadn't come over the horizon yet, the locals were eating breakfasts of soup in the market street kitchens. I was hungry
too.
They Come from Far and Wide
Quechua indigenous people come from all over to participate in the markets, they bring their fresh produce, all kinds of fruits and vegetables
(mountains of it), flowers, honey, whole cooked pigs, herbs and spices and fresh fish. Household products are also in good supply, bedding, furniture,
towels, tshirts, caps and other clothing, musical instruments, health remedies and potions, shoes... you name it, it's here. The market area runs along
both sides of the river for at least half a km. Starting at the bottom at the fresh produce stalls, up to the clothing and goods stalls, way up to the
top where there are the livestock markets.
Huge Animal Market
This was a livestock market like no other I had seen, much bigger than in
Otavalo in Ecuador. So many animals
- guinea pigs, chickens, baby and adult pigs, sheep and lambs, cows and calves, horses, goats, turkeys, ducks and animals for pets like parakeets.
See Indigenous People
If
you love photographing indigenous people in traditional clothing, then Andahuaylas and the Apurimac Region is the perfect place. It's a dream. Andahuaylas market is really
something, don't miss it if you are in nearby cities.
Day Trips from Andahuaylas
Also to see near Andahuaylas is the lagoon Laguna de Pacucha at 3300m, it's an easy day trip. Near
to it are the ruins of Sondor.
4hrs by Taxi-Van to Abancay
By late morning after chicken and noodles for lunch it was time to move on to my next destination
Abancay. I booked a seat in a shared taxi-van, the ride takes 4hrs.