Is it just me or is Peru getting cold? Since we got to Arequipa, the weather has been taking a turn for the worse. We've had to unpack our jeans, trainers and fleeces from the bottom of our backpacks. It's autumn and we are at high altitude, so it should be a little colder, but this is bordering on ridiculous.
We board the bus for our Colca Canyon trip at 9am and stop at a few outlooks along the way. Peru has some beautiful scenery. It's 3pm by the time we reach Chivay (the town near the canyon) and we check into our crap tiny hostel. It's raining outside and freezing inside. No radiators in the room, so we rent an electric heater from the front desk and go out and buy woolly hats and scarves. Where did the sun go???
We need to heat up, so at 4pm we load onto the bus and head to the natural hot springs. We start at the indoor pool and the water feels amazing. It soon gets too hot so we brave the cold and run 50 meters to the outdoor pool. We soak in the steaming water for a couple hours and then head back to get ready for dinner.
Why is our room still freezing??? While we were gone the hostel owner let himself into our room and unplugged the heater. Bastard! Now we're wet and cold! Better just take a hot shower and get dressed.
Why is there no hot water??? After 30 min. of arguing with the owner, who says it'll take 45mins to get the water heater to work, we give up and go to dinner.
Dinner is a "typical" Peruvian meal with traditional dancing. It's overpriced and the alpaca we order is tough and not very tasty.
Back at the hostel we attempt to take showers again but find the water is still freezing. The owner now assures us it'll be hot at 5am, when we have to wake up. So we go to bed snuggled up to the heater.
