Welcome back: will the kitchen do?

Got back to Huaraz this evening, from my 5-day Santa Cruz-Llanganuco hike, to discover that Jo's Place is full. I'd asked them to reserve me a bad for tonight, when I left on Wednesday: but they said that they couldn't make any guarantees, as they were already booked in advance for 28 de Julio (Peru Independence Day) weekend. Anyway, I begged the very-hospitable Mrs. Jo to find me somewhere — anywhere! — to crash for the night; and she let me sleep in the cantina (the breakfast kitchen / dining room). I didn't care where I slept tonight; I just cared that I slept. Which I did. Soundly.

For the bargain basement price of s/5 (the camping price — and the lawn was chockers with tents tonight as well), sleeping in the cantina wasn't too bad. Mrs. Jo put down a mattress for me; and with my sleeping bag and all, it was quite warm and quity comfy. I had plenty of space for re-packing my bag with all my crap (which I redeemed from Jo's storage room). Only downside was that the sun woke me up by about 6:30am, and that I had to be out by 7:30am, to make way for people having breakfast. But that was fine, as I was used to getting woken up by the sun, and to rising and shining at that time anyway, after my week in the mountains.

Before I crashed for the night, I went back to the office of Sechin tours, to return all my hired gear. They sold me two little gas bottles (for the cooker), but I only used one of them: managed to sell the spare one back to them. Also told them about the tent having no pegs: didn't seem to bother them too much. They probably knew that when they gave it to me: ba$tards.

Also went for a massive post-hike dinner, as is customary when completing a big adventure in Peru. Found myself a nice polleria in town (not very hard to find — as with everywhere in Peru, there's no shortage of them!), and ordered myself a mammoth ½ a BBQ chicken, plus a mountain of hot chips and salad. Perfect way to finish off a week of intense walking, and of living off under-cooked pasta and rice out of a little plastic bowl. After that, I was more than ready for bed.