I spent New Year’s eve in Tapacocha, my dad’s hometown. Tapacocha is a small town in the country side of Peru and has an elevation of 10,000 feet. On January 2nd, my dad took me for a hike to his parents’s farms in Pucaranca.

To get to Pucaranca from Tapacocha, one has to go up and down a mountain. The top of this mountain is called Huanquin. From there, one can see Pucaranca’s farms and its beautiful landscape.

We started hiking at 4:30am, so it was dark and cold. I was struggling to keep up with my dad because of my inexperience hiking at this altitude. Fortunately, a close friend of my dad caught up to us and brought a donkey with him. My dad and his friend suggested that I rode the donkey to Huanquin because after Huanquin the hike is mostly downhill.

Riding on the donkey was much needed help. I was happy I was on my way to the land where my dad spent his childhood as a farmer. He also showed me the remainings of my grandparents house. For someone like me who always lived in a city, being in Pucaranca felt like a magical experience.

I should return soon.