June 8 - Museo Regional de Ancash, Willkawain ruins, and Yungay

David wanted to show how tax dollars are being spent in Huaraz so he photographed the massive cathedral being built with funds from the town, the central government and a local mining company. The original cathedral tumbled down in the 1970 earthquake along with 90% of the city of Huaraz. The avalanch did not pass through Huaraz. The destruction was from the earth quake only.

We visited the Regional Museum of Ancash in Huaraz and were pleasantly surprised by its contents, especially the beautiful garden filled with stone carvings from the Recuay culture. It was glorious Andean day with bright sun streaming into the garden. Shortly a coffee shop will be opened in the garden and it certainly will be a hit.

 The above is a display from within the museum.

The stone sculpture garden.

After the garden treat, we headed  to Yungay, about an hour`s drive south.

On the way, we stopped off at Willkawain. A steep dirt road winding through farming communities led to the site. The guide book said that the hike to the site would take two hours from Huaraz and would be good training for your trek if that is what you are in Huaraz to do. It would be quite a hike in, from my point of view!
This is a spectacular mini site. The compact building has a Chavin look to it but (according to the guide book), in a Tiwanaku style. The three story temple has seven rooms on each floor. Supposedly the temple was used to storing mummies from 600 to 900 AD. It is in remarkably good shape so you can walk around (crouched) through all the rooms.

We returned to Yungay since the sun was setting the when we visited on our Monday tour and David was not satisfied with his photos in the waning light that day.

This is the debris field up hill from the ruined church and the plaza. This churchlike building is just a symbolic representation of the church swept away in the avalanch.