The two main reasons for visiting Chacas are the annual Fiesta, and the serene, relaxing and beautiful scenery. Whilst the journey has improved little over the 15 years since I first visited, the level of comfort and sophistication has improved quite a bit. The best hotel (Pilar) is good, the others are generally basic but acceptable. Prices are fairly high to high (Pilar) for Peru, but still very cheap by Western standards. Food varies between edible and poor. Hygiene is generally poor. I assume Pilar provides food for its guests, I have eaten as a guest at Fiesta time, but not stayed. Their food was well cooked and hygienically prepared. The workers cooperative associated with the Church was running a Pizza restaurant when I was there for Fiesta 2007, the food being clean, tasty and hygienic. I hope they also cook at other times. 8 - 9 Sol (£1-50, $3, €1-80) got Christopher his Pizza and Coke.

To summarize, you won't be visiting Chacas is you expect luxury travel, food and accommodation (though reasonable accommodation is available, possibly food as well) or classy shopping. What you will get is character, unspoiled beauty, lovely people and experiencing a different world. Its only a few hours from "civilization," so easy for softies like me - you don't have to live in a wooden (in this case adobe) hut unless you want to. Mobile phones work, the main town has fresh water, electricity and sanitation (some outlying settlements don't yet, though mobile phones are arriving only slightly behind electricity). By the way, despite the rural location, I still wouldn't trust the water. There's plenty of shops, all selling the same fairly basic commodities, including watches and electronics (little range, though). There is Playstation hire for the kids, though no newspapers for the adults.