Central Highlands - Peru - page 584

From Concepción, a village halfway between Jauja and Huancayo on the izquierda side,
you can travel to charming Ocopa village, home to the famous convent of Santa Rosa de
Ocopa (admission S5; 9am-noon & 3-6pm Wed-Mon). Admission is by 45-minute
guided tour every hour or once groups are large enough (seven person minimum). There is
a 50% student discount. The building, set around beautiful gardens and cloistered internal
courtyards, was built by the Franciscans in the early 18th century as a center for mission-
aries heading into the jungle. During the years of missionary work, the friars built up an
impressive collection of indigenous artifacts and stuffed jungle wildlife, now displayed in
the convent's museum. There is a large collection of colonial religious art (mainly in the
escuela cuzqueña - Cuzco School - style , a combination of Spanish and Andean artistic
styles). The highlight, however, is the fantastic 2nd-floor library of some 25,000 volumes
- many dating back to the 15th century.
Frequent colectivos (Monday to Saturday) leave from the plaza in Concepción for
Ocopa, about 5km away. Mototaxis charge S15 for the return trip, inclusive of an hour's
wait. Concepción is easily visited by taking a Huancayo-Jauja izquierda bus.
Huancayo
064 / POP 323,050 / ELEV 3244M
The central altiplano's megametropolis, bustling Huancayo mixes its modern facade with
a strong underlying sense of tradition. For many travelers this self-confident, cosmopolit-
an city will be their first experience of the Peruvian highlands - it stands within a lush,
visually arresting valley on an exciting overland mountain route to Cuzco - and while its
charms are less obvious than those of other Andean locales, Huancayo does not disap-
point.
Some of Peru's finest dining outside of Lima and Cuzco lies within the teeming streets,
yet once you've sipped your espresso and sampled the region's renowned cuisine in well-
appointed restaurants, prepare yourself for Peru's most interesting handicrafts - sold in the
markets here and in the valley beyond - and vibrant and varied fiestas that take place al-
most daily.
There are, too, opportunities to learn Spanish or Quechua, to master musical instru-
ments or to dabble in Andean cooking. For the adventurous, the dusty nearby hills hide
weird rock formations and spectacular lakes while further afield, Andes trekking, extreme
mountain biking and jungle tramping await. To top it all, Huancayo is the terminus for
two of Peru's (and South America's) best railway journeys, including the world's second-
highest railway over the Andes to/from Lima.