Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Take the ride of a lifetime on one of Peru's most spectacular and frightening
bus rides along the cliff-teetering dirt track from Cajamarca to Chachapoyas (
Have a raucous night out sampling root-soaked jungle elixirs in Chachapoy-
as (
Click here
)
or Tarapoto (
Click here
)
Cajamarca
076 / POP 146,000 / ELEV 2750M
The most important town in the northern highlands, Cajamarca is a dainty colonial metro-
polis with a fierce will cradled in a languid valley and stonewalled by brawny mountains
in every direction. Descending into the vale by road, Cajamarca's mushroom field of red-
tile-roofed abodes surely confesses a secret desire to cling to its village roots. Fertile farm-
land carpets the entire valley and Cajamarca's streets belong as much to the wide-
brimmed-hat-wielding
campesinos
(peasants) bundled in brightly colored scarves, as the
young city slickers who frequent the boutique restaurants and bars. In the colonial center,
majestic churches border the capacious Plaza de Armas. From here, once-decadent
baroque mansions spread out in concentric circles along the cobbled streets, many enclos-
ing ethereal hotels and fine restaurants.
Things have changed slowly here. Only recently has the Yanacocha gold mine (see the
boxed text) injected Cajamarca with an avalanche of cash, a steady stream of moneyed en-
gineers and a heaping dose of unruly discontent.
THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS
The hills outside Cajamarca are laced with gold. Tonnes of it - but don't reach for your shovel and pan just yet, as
this gold is not found in the kind of golden nuggets that set prospectors' eyes ablaze. It's 'invisible gold,' vast
quantities of minuscule specks that require advanced and noxious mining techniques to be pried out of their
earthly ore.
The Yanacocha mine, with a majority stake owned by Denver-based Newmont Mining Corporation, has quar-
ried open pits in the countryside surrounding Cajamarca, becoming one of the most productive gold mines in the
world. More than US$7 billion worth of the shiny stuff has been extracted so far. That, combined with plenty of
