The villages of Carumas, Cuchumballa and Calacoa are included in a collection of high mountain villages. The villages are craddled by the mountains terraced with pastures and fields of crops. The elevation varies from 3200 to 3500 meters (10,000 to 13,000 ft). All of these villages had suffered the effects of the recent earthquakes. Each village was in some sort of reconstructive state. Our Combi took us through the winding, narrow, dirt mountain roads at top speeds. They are professionals, right! We passed through Carumus and headed to our primary destination of Cuchumballa. Here Marco would share a few of his favorite spots. First, the local hot spring pools, which the town has built a bath house around. Then the natural hot springs and a waterfall, a 1 1/2 hour hike out of the village. The only running hot water in the area is supplied by underground rivers that are heated by the nearby volcanoes. Marco arrange for us to stay at the Municipal Housing, as there are no hotels or hotals. This first day we relaxed and played at the hot spring bath house. Later we found the only resturant in the village, in the basement of a womans house. Maria, had a fabulous menu of...one item per meal. This night was rice, fried potatoes topped with a piece of chicken. Bland but not terrible. If you don´t like what´s being served, well, there is no other place to go. After our meal we headed to bed to prepare for an early rise. It had been raining all afternoon and the rooms were damp and had that musty smell. The beds sucked, like bricks I tell you. neither of us got much sleep. The rain continued heavy through the night and the next morning decreased to a drizzle. After all, it is the rainy season. The village dirt roads were reduced to mud sucking holes. We slid our way over to Maria´s basement for beakfast. Rice, fried eggs and potatoes. Then hiking onward to the natural hot springs and waterfall. After an hour and a half of constant river crosses and rock hopping we reached the hot springs. EEEKKKK only to find our host for the night bathing in 3 inches of merky and stagnant water. The volcanic hot spring that supplies the pool had failed to do its job, the the guy insisted that the pool would soon fill up. Oh Ya, the guy was wearing nothing but a G-string. No pics available, even I could not look long enough to snap the camera. Marco and I decided to skip the experience of the springs and head for the falls. A beautiful sight. Unfortunately we were both too tired to really appreciate it. After a nap we head back to the village. Upon arrival we discovered that due to the constant rain there would be no Combi to take us back home to Moquegua. The mountain roads were to dangerously wet to pass, even by Peruvian standards. Our spirits sank as we realized we would have to spend another night on the "rock" beds. We consoled ourselves by spending the evening in the hot spring pools followed by another dinner at, yup, Maria´s basement, yum. Hot chicken noodle soup with chunks of chicken and cow. Maria had out done herself, or maybe we were just really hungry.
The news of a tourist in the village had spread. After another delicious...beakfast in Maria´s basement, we were ushered to the roof top radio station, on the tallest (3 floors) building were I was interviewed. My voice was broadcasted across the mountains. Kinda cool! I was surprised that a village with nothing but dirt roads and minimum comforts would have it´s own radio station, and all that technology. The morning was warm and sunny. We decided to celebrate by discovering the geisers in the next village of Calacoa. Another of Marco´s treasures.
I could feel the effects of the higher altitude as the Combi carried us away from Cuchumballa and up to Calacoa. We secured our bags and inquired about the departing Combies going to Moquegua that afternoon. The man assured us we would have several options and even late into the evening. We began our descending hike down into the canyon. The hour hike went quickly as I was distracted by the amazing views, flora and fauna. The geisers were quite awesome. The volcanic geisers interupt the flow of the river causing it to run warm and even boiling hot in some sections. One must be careful not to burn your feet. On the hike down, we ran into a native man and his daughter. They boiled eggs and potatoes in the river for lunch. They created a well for the food to cook in by stacking small rocks in the boiling section of the river. After a long and relaxing bath, we sharred our lunches. The water gave the eggs and potatoes a mineral flavor. Our picnic was interupted by the rain. We scrammbled to pack our gear and started the climb back up to the village. Once I was midway up the the trail, the altitude made the hike very strenuous for me. Every step was like carrying a load of bricks. I kept my mind on the last of the dry clothes in my pack and the Combi that would take us back to the blue skies and warm sunny days of Moquegua.
I have learned to hate the words "no hay Combi". I thought Marco would strangle the guy when he informed us that there would not be a Combi passing though the village. You gotta love Peru. Getting conflicting information I have found to be all too common a thing. Our luck quickly changed, just as we were walking into the only hotel in the village, a Combi rounded the corner. Out hopped to dudes from the Czech Republic. They had paid the driver 10 sols extra to take them up to Calacoa. Most likely because there were no accommidations in the village of Cuchumballa down below. God bless the Czechs, we were on our way home! I can´t say that the dirt roads down the mountain were impassable as we made it home safe, but there were several times when I thought "OK, this is IT!"
