Well we have left Chile behind are at high altitude in Peru struggling with the thin air and enjoying a big change in culture and more different beers!
We Left Iquque behind and got a short 6 hour bus overnight to Arica which is right on the Peruvian border. We got dropped there at 5am with no place open and no sign of a bus onward so we were scooped up by a local 'Colectivo' driver to get across the border. This was basically a big 1970´s lincon with leather seats that recline and a chauffeur who looked like a gangster! It was like something u see in a mafia movie, as he drives u thru the border and organises the legalities, then landed us 2hrs later at our next connection in Tacna. Here we got a bus to Arequipa for 6hrs which climbed and climbed and climbed into the hills, the air got pretty thin as we got closer to our destination due to the alttude. We spent one night in Arequipa before we headed off on a 3 day 2 night Colca canyon tour.
The Colca Canyon is one of the biggest in the world and is about 7 hours from Arequipa which meant another early start and bus trip on rocky roads at altitude. The road gradually deteriorated past Chivay where we bumped along for 2 hrs on road worse than Denise and Phils in a 40 seater bus! But we made it over creeks, through mudpits dropping off local farmers along the way without any hiccups. We were expecting a big group but were plesantly surprised to have just the 2 of us and our lovely guide Marcello. The first afternoon walk was 3 hours downhill into the canyon to this quaint little settelment where we were the only guests. We soldiord through the rain with our ponchos keeping our packs and top half dry. The village consisted of about 6 stone chalets with straw roofs and a tiny little kitchen that had a traditional Peruvian clay cooker and an outdoor shower (cold of course). We huddeled from the cold and dried our clothes around the stove after the walk down in the rain. Dinner was included and we sat around sipping a few cervezas while our guide cooked up a treat and served us up a 2 yummy course meal. There was not a whole lot to do so we had a early one in preperation for our 8 hours walking the following day while in rained like a monsoon all night. Thankfully It seemed to rain itself out that night and we had beautiful blue skies the following day asfter the mist cleared. We did 3 hours of a flat walk to "the oasis" at the bottom of the canyon where we relaxed for a few hours and had a swim in a thermal bath surrounded by palm trees while 3 course meal was served up to us again! The afternoon was the hard part with an 1200meter climb up the side of the canyon to the town at the top. They told us it was a 3 hour walk but they never explained the torture that was involved. It was hell especially with the thin air and our guide setting off like a hare but there was a sense of satisfaction when we saw the lazy fat ass hikers passing us as they sat on their mules too lazy to walk up. Thanks to our jetsetter guide we did the walk in 2hrs of torture! When we got back to the village we had a well deserved hot shower and went up the street to the hostel where their speciality was wood fired pizza in the oven they just finished 2 days before. The chef was 13 year old kid named Elvis who did his best but nearly set the place on fire a few times. Eating pizza watching a Pink Floyd dvd and drinkin beer was almost like Christmas again with Phil & Denise but the company wasnt as good..
The following day was the bus back to Arequipa with a stop off at hot springs in Chivay to ease the aching muscels after the climb and a traditional buffet which we both took good advantage of but alas I am yet to realise my lifelong ambition of getting thrown out of an all you can eat buffet.
So the next few days we are gonna spend in Arequipa doing a few spanish classes while relaxing and passing time til we head to Cusco on Tuesday.
