Ayacucho--Getting To and Away

Transportation

By Lorraine Caputo

Bus:

Be forewarned: trips are long, often overnight, and into the high Andes. Bring along water, food, warm clothing and sleeping bag or blanket.

To Pisco and Lima: The new, paved road goes via Ica, making the trip only nine to ten hours long now. For Pisco, alight at San Clemente, then catch a combi. These companies go: Civa ($13 semi-cama, $20 bus cama); Cruz del Sur ($18); Expreso Wari (6 p.m., $5.50); Libertadores; Molina (six daily, $8-16; bus-cama at 10 p.m., $20); Ormeño (7:30 a.m., $9 and 8:30 p.m., semi-cama, $15); and ReyBus ($6).

To Andahuaylas, Abancay and Cusco: In the dry season the unpaved road is good; in the rainy season, expect delays and landslides. Only Los Chankas provides direct service, changing busses in Andahuaylas (daily, 7 p.m., 24 hours, $12). Otherwise, bus to Andayhuaylas (10-11 hours, $6) with Molina, (daily, 10 p.m.), Wari (daily, 4 a.m.), ReyBus (Monday-Saturday, 6:30 p.m.) or Los Chankas (daily, 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.). In Andahuaylas, catch another bus to Abancay (138 kilometers, five hours) or Cusco (333 kilometers, 10 hours).

To Huancavelica: No direct road exists between the two cities. The shorter route is to arrive to Rumichaca in time to take the10:30 a.m. combi to Huancavelica, four hours further away. Or take a Huancayo-bound bus as far as Izcuchaca, then another to Huancavelica.

To Huancayo: The road is paved as far as Huanta, after which it is rough. Molina has three buses per day (9-10 hours, $7-8).

Los Chankas—Pasaje Cáceres Nº 150, Tel: 51-66-312-391

Civa—Avenida Mariscal Cáceres Nº 1242, Tel: 51-66-319-948

Cruz del Sur—Avenida Mariscal Cáceres Nº 1264, Tel: 51-66-312-495

Expreso Wari—Pasaje Cáceres 177, Tel.: 51-66-326-323

Libertadores—Tres Máscaras 493, Tel.: 51-66-813-614

Molina—Jirón 9 de Diciembre 458, Tel.: 51-66-812-984

Ormeño—Libertad Nº 257, Tel.: 51-66-312-495

ReyBus—Pasaje Cáceres 166, Tel.: 51-66-319-413

Air: Two companies service Ayacucho from Lima. Aero Cóndor flies via Andahuaylas Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday (to Ayacucho, 6 a.m.; to Lima, 8:15 a.m.; flight time, 1 hour 45 minutes; $90 + 19% I.G.V. taxes). LC Busre has daily flights (from Lima, 5:20 a.m.; from Ayacucho, 7 a.m.; flight time, one hour; , $92 each way + 19% I.G.V. tax).

Presently there is no service to Cusco.

The Ayacucho airport is 3 kilometers east of the city, on Avenida Castilla. Taxis to the town center charge two dollars. Bus and colectivo to the Plaza de Armas leave half-block from airport.

Aero Cóndor—in Ayacucho: Calle 9 de Diciembre N°123, Tel.: 51-66-313-060, aypreservas@aerocondor.com.pe, baseayacucho@aerocondor.com.pe, www.aerocondor.com.pe); in Lima: Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez, Tel.: 51-1-575-1536; also in Miraflores, San Isidro and San Borja.

LC Busre—in Ayacucho: Jirón 9 de Diciembre 160, Tel.: 51-66-316-012, ayacucho@lcbusre.com.pe; in Lima: Calle Los Tulipanes 218, Urbanización San Eugenio, Tel.: 51-1-611-300, lcbusre@lcbusre.com.pe, www.lcbusre.com.pe).