A bit about the strike…the strike is in protest to plans to build a large mine (for gold, silver etc.) near the lake which supplies a lot of the towns along its banks with water for drinking, livestock and agriculture. The fear is that the mine will contaminate the water supply and so destroy the livelihoods of the towns and people. It is apparently against the law for the mine to be built in the National Park where it is proposed to be built. Corruption and the buying off of locals has meant that the government have given the go ahead for the foreign mine to be built. From everything we have been told this is certainly against the benefit of any of the locals.
The strike meant that the villages between Catac and Recuay had blocked off road access between the towns in order to get the notice of the government. The trouble increased when two people were killed by police in Catac during the protest. The killings happened on the Wednesday and meant there was no way for us to get transport fully back to Huaraz before the end of the week. We only had access to the outside world by walking to the top of one of the hills. Nobody knew what was happening with the strike and when it would end. It was decided that we would leave early on Thursday morning with the hope of reaching Huaraz by the evening. We were about 50km away from Huaraz so transport was needed.
We started out about 8.30am and made it to the road to Catac by 10am. Luckily we didn’t have to wait much more than an hour until we were able to flag down a combi (mini bus) heading to Catac. This was an international affair consisting of 2 English, 2 Canadians, 1 US, 2 Peru, 4 Germans and 2 Swiss citizens. All thirteen of us were able to cram on to this thing and a bus with a capacity of maybe 18 people suddenly had 25. Dotted across the roads were barricades of earth and rock which allowed just enough room for a car to pass. The driver was nervous on the journey and coming around a bend in the road men in balaclavas jumped out from the side of the road and started throwing rocks at the car. The driver had to stop rush out of the vehicle to tell them to stop. Being innocents in this battle they let us drive through and carry on our journey but it was pretty scary!
After a while we reached Catac, the centre of the troubles and we could see why. Lined all along the road were hundreds of trucks and buses that had been prevented from getting through. We got out of the combi and began walking through. Despite the violence the day before the town was quiet and we saw no police presence. After stopping at a restaurant for lunch we continued out of Catac and on to Recuay. Burnt tires and rocks were strewn across the roads for a long way but in the sun and with good humour it was quite a fun walk. After a couple of hours we made it to Recuay and found it to be just as blocked as Catac. We had no option but to carry on.
Past the final blocade
Eventually we came across some vehicles and about 16 people including us clambered in and on a 4x4 truck. In the back of the truck there were about 13 people and the entire luggage. Each person including myself was hanging on for dear life as it drove down the winding road. I do not think I will ever have another journey like it and it would have been great to have had a picture of. The car came across another blockade and we could go no further on it. Luckily this turned out to be one of the final barriers and after another 15 minutes combi’s were driving up the road to greet us. We all bundled in to one relieved that this would take us all the way back to Huaraz.
After 10 hours on the road we made it back to Huaraz tired, but in good spirits around 6pm. To celebrate, everyone arranged to go out in Huaraz in the eve and it turned in to a really good one including giant Jenga in ‘13 Owls’ and dancing in multiple discotheques.
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