There are lots of words and cities that starts with “hua” in Peru. (Pronounced like the “wa” in “water”.) Huancaína, Huancayo, Huanchaco, Huancalvetic, Huacachina… It gets confusing.

Our latest trip to Huancayo shed some light on the issue. The high Andes area was inhabited by the Huanca people. The clan existed pre-Inca, and was considerably developed before being absorbed.

Huancayo seemed especially proud of this heritage, having constructed an awesome, Gaudi-esque, park called “Parque de la Identidad Huanca” or Park of the Huanca Identity. Seriously, check out the pics. The parks and plazas in Peru are generally nice and well maintained, but this park was something else.

So, city names in the high Andes starting with “Hua” seem to be referring to these people. Huancayo and Huancalvetica are examples.

We’re currently living in Huanchaco on the beach, though. It’s nowhere near the high Andes. So I had to do some more digging to translate.

Another source of the “hua” could be the Incan idea of huaca. The word refers to a “sacred ritual, the state of being after death, or any sacred object”. In Quechua, “huaca” literally means sacredness or holiness.

Huanchaco = Sacred Sandals?