A Bit About Huanchaco

I realized a description of Huanchaco would be helpful, right? Where to start! I could write a book, just trying to explain this place. I'll give it a shot though.

So Huanchaco is located just outside Trujillo, the largest city in northern Peru. Huanchaco is known as a "sleepy fishing village", which describes it pretty well. About the size of Telluride, CO you can easily walk from one end to the other in about 25 minutes. While the town is small, it's unusually nice for such a small town in Peru, due to its high volume of tourists. There is clearly much more money here than in other towns.

The whole town lines the coast, a beautiful beach known for great surfing and great fishing for locals on their caballitos, traditional reed boats that are the classic symbol of Huanchaco. There is a market every morning, where you can get a bit of everything, from fruits I've never seen before to chickens and fresh fish. For a small town, it's really nice that you can get everything you need here, without having to go to the city, Trujillo.

Walking down the streets, it's easy to get turned around for a second, since every road looks the same. I also wouldn't be suprised if there are as many stray dogs here as there are locals. Just a ten minute walk down the road, you will pass at least 4 or 5 dogs, passing you just like any other stranger, off on their own mission. For people that own dogs, most people leave them on their roofs during the day, as somewhat of a security measure. It can be pretty freaky to suddenly hear loud, close barking while walking down the road, and realize it's a german shepard staring at you from above.

While this is a quiet town, there's always something to do due to all the volunteers here. I feel like I've never been so social! I still haven't started my job, but I'll let you know my first impressions as soon as I do. Ciao for now! And I hope that helps you get a better idea of my current home!