Trekking in Colca Canyon

As part of our Christmas holidays, Tom and I decided to undertake a 3 day trek in Colca Canyon.  I know what you're thinking, the words 'Sophie' and 'trek' don't belong in the same sentence, but neverthless I thought I would give it a go.

Our guide, Marcos, picked us up at 3am on Tuesday morning.  We then travelled for 3 hours by bus to the canyon, where on arrival we were fed a breakfast of bread, jam and coca tea.  It was a cloudy morning, but warm.

It is difficult to put into words what a geological marvel Colca Canyon is.  It is so vast, with rocky, uneven landscape, dry stony land interspersed with areas of green, thriving plant life.  Running through the bottom of the canyon is Rio Colca, the Colca River.

There are two main communities within Colca Canyon, named Chivay and Cabanaconde.  Historically there is some rivalry and tension between the two, and different native languages are spoken, as well as Spanish.  Our trek began in Chivay.  Aside from Marcos, there were 5 of us in our group, a German couple and an Italian man.  As we set off walking, Marcos told us about the condors, which are native to the canyon.  They are enormous birds, who can fly at 50km an hour and have a wingspan of 2 metres.  At first we didn't see any as it was so cloudy, but as the morning progressed and the sky cleared, we were lucky enough to see one.

We trekked downhill, which sounds easy, but I can assure you it wasn't!  The ground was rocky and incredibly uneven and steep in parts.  The path wound around and around as we descended.  The sky cleared and as midday approached, the burning sun made the walk even more challenging.  After around 4 hours, we reached the river, where we crossed over.  My legs were like jelly and my calves were throbbing.  I hoped that it was time for a rest, but it was not to be so.  We then trekked uphill for around half an hour, where we eventually arrived at an eatery nestled in the plant life in the mountainside.

After a delicious lunch of soup, followed by fried meat and onions with rice, chips and half an avocado, I managed to squeeze in a 10 minute nap before we continued our trek.

The remainder of the day's trek took around an hour, deeper amongst the trees and plants.  Marcos educated us about the different plants within the canyon, including one called 'old man's beard', which is a fine stringy plant, a bit like hair, which the local people use as part of their Christmas decorations.

We eventually arrived at our hostel, which was very basic.  Our room had no proper floor and contained only a bed and a wooden chair.  After a delicious evening meal of soup, followed by alpaca steak, rice, chips, avocado and tomato, we sank into bed underneath the thick woollen blankets, and slept, at times disturbed by the rain hammering on the tin roof.

In the morning, we breakfasted on pancakes with manjar blanca, a type of caramel very popular in Peru, and sliced bananas, washed down with a cup of coca tea.  We then departed for our second day of trekking, again downhill.

Marcos told us some more about the plants in the canyon.  There is one where the top layer can be peeled off, it is a strong papery layer, and many of the local people use it as a cigarette paper.  Under that first layer, if water is rubbed into the plant, it produces a lather and can be used as soap.  We also learnt about another plant which contains a thick, white, poisonous substance that can cause a very nasty rash on the skin and is fatal if ingested.

Despite having paused many times to survey my surroundings on the first day, I still could not believe how incredible Colca Canyon is and what a fantastic view one has, wherever you happen to be observing from.  Looking around, I could see the deep crevices within the mountainside, the waterfall cascading down against the rocks, into the swirling river below.

We trekked for 3 hours before reaching the river, where we crossed and then were once again required to climb uphill a short way.  We walked along the mountainside, into greener and greener areas.  Coming to a set of cobbled steps, we wound our way along, eventually entering a lush, green paradise, with palm trees and flowers surrounding a tranquil pool, against the backdrop of the canyon.  We had arrived at the oasis! 

I ached and felt like I wouldn't be able to move for some time.  Tom took my boots and socks off for me, we changed into our swimwear and lay on the grass beside the pool, sipping a cold beer.  We lunched on soup (again!) and fried vegetables, rice and avocado, then lay beside the pool again.  However, an ominous looking grey cloud was gradually approaching, and in the distance we could hear the rumbling of thunder.  Just as we made it into our accommodation, a small hut built from concrete and bamboo, the rain began to fall.  Lying in our hut, listening to the thunderstorm outside, we fell asleep, exhausted.

In the evening, we feasted on yet more soup, spaghetti bolognese and chocolate mousse.  We had certainly been well fuelled for our trekking.  Then an early night, in preparation for a 5am start in the morning.

Those of you who know me very well will probably be surprised that I managed to trek as much as I did.  By the third and final day, I ached in muscles that I didn't even know I had.  The final trek was uphill, to the top of the mountain, and I just couldn't face it.  Tom and the rest of our group departed the oasis just as the sun was rising, and an hour later I followed, travelling by mule.  At first I was a bit nervous, having never ridden a mule or a horse, and the path was very rocky and steep in parts.  However I soon relaxed and for the first time was able to properly absorb the view.  My mula bonita grew tired towards the end, pausing some moments to rest, but she served me well.

When I arrived at the top, Tom was already there.  Without me to slow him down, he had climbed to the top in just over 2 hours.  I was very proud of him.

Walking along a path through some fields, we came to Cabanaconde, where we breakfasted on scrambled eggs, bread and coca tea.  After viewing the plaza, the bus collected us and drove us to the aguas calientes (hot springs).  Here there are 6 pools of differing temperatures, set within the canyon.  Relaxing into the pools, one of which was 38 degrees celsius, we felt our aching muscles begin to ease.  After a traditional Peruvian buffet lunch, we boarded the bus home, soon falling asleep on the way.

It has been one day since we returned to Arequipa, and I am still so tired and aching all over.  A 3 day walk in amazing surroundings may not sound like such hard work for some people, but for someone as un-outdoorsy as me, it felt like an achievement.

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, the sun is shining and it's 21 degrees in Arequipa. I finished teaching on Thursday and don't have to go back until January 3rd and after 3 months of solid teaching it is a well deserved rest.

Christmas in Arequipa is very different to Christmas where I'm from and to try and find out a bit more about Christmas here I produced a lesson plan about cultural differences between England and Peru.

Christmas Day is the day of rest for the people of Arequipa. Christmas Eve is the day for celebrating. For many the day begins with cleaning the house, which seems sensible as this is what we would do in England if family were coming round, however the reasons for cleaning the house are more symbolic here. You have to remember that Peru is a very Catholic country and the true meaning of Christmas is still focused on the birth of Jesus, and the reason for cleaning the house is to welcome Jesus into the home.

After the house is clean and tidy it is time that many will start to put up their decorations, adopting the Christmas tree, which has become common in all parts of the world, and also focusing mainly on the nativity. The nativity is extremely important in people's homes and, if a family has the space, a whole room may be devoted to it.

Festivities start at about 9pm around the nativity scene. Here families will talk about the messages of Jesus and about other massages of good will whilst enjoying hot chocolate and panettone. At 12am the sky lights up with fireworks and champagne is toasted to welcome Christmas. After the fireworks have finished everybody will start to exchange gifts from under the Christmas tree. Once finished, everybody will sit down to a large Christmas dinner of turkey with all the trimmings of common vegetables in Peru.

Peruvians never take a holiday and if there is money to be made they will work. Since Christmas is the only time they take off it is common for drinking and dancing to continue until the early hours of the morning until, most probably the time that many people in England would start getting up to start the day. The reason for staying up so long is that it is the only time of year that a family will get to spend together enjoying each other's company.

I hope that I have given you a little insight into some of the traditions of the people of Arequipa. Sophie and I are missing our families very much. Instead of deciding to have the traditional Christmas we have opted for some meals that we love such as a fry up for breakfast, "toad in t'hole" for our main meal with loads of gravy and curry for our evening meal.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tom and Sophie

Manantiales

One of the things I have found here in Peru, is that there are so many people in need, from orphans to one parent families in extreme poverty.  I can't help everyone, but I do want to help where I can.

I learnt about a charity called Put Them First from a friend.  In addition to a school and community libraries, they also work with a local refuge centre where single mothers who are desperately trying to make ends meet, can send their children during the working day.  This refuge centre is called Manantiales, and in addition to my volunteer work for Traveller Not Tourist, I have also commenced volunteering here.

Manantiales was established by a Peruvian lady, Lucia, who runs a local bakery.  There are 2 lovely Peruvian ladies who work there full time, Miriam and Marisol, but volunteers are much needed to assist with looking after the children.

On my first day I arrived at 9am.  I was greeted warmly at the door by Marisol, and followed her into the play area.  The area is small, but nicely kept, with a tiny adjoining kitchen. Whilst the area is small, it provides such a huge benefit to the families that send their children there.  That day there were 7 children present, sweet children all under the age of 3, who played quietly and without any fuss, until mid-morning when they were given fresh fruit juice.  I then played with the children until lunchtime, when I assisted in feeding them a homemade lunch.  When the children first came to Manantiales, they were malnourished, but by providing them with hot meals every day they soon became much healthier.  Afterwards, the children were changed and put to bed to sleep until later in the afternoon.  My working day ended at 1pm once the children were tucked up in bed and sleeping peacefully.  Their parents would collect them soon after they awoke in the afternoon.

As part of volunteering at the programme, volunteers all make a donation which goes directly to providing food for the children.  So thank you to those who contributed to our fundraising in England, as this is where some of the remaining funds have been donated to.

More information about Put Them First and Manantiales can be found on the following websites:
http://putthemfirst.com
http://www.manantialeseneldesierto.com

Weekend in Chile

I can hardly believe that we have been living in Peru for 3 months, but it's true. Consequently, we reached the end of our 90 day visas and this meant leaving the country and crossing the border back in, in order to renew them.

To accomplish this, we decided to visit Chile for the weekend. After all the hours which Tom has been working, we were both looking forward to a relaxing weekend away. We took a Cruz del Sur bus down to Tacna, a 6 hour journey. On arrival, we were approached by a local man who asked us if we required bus transportation to Arica, which we said we did, so we followed him to his office where we were given immigration forms to complete and were told that the price would be S/.20, which is the guide price we had been given from others who had previously made this trip and also internet forums.

We then followed him to the departure gate and boarded the bus. By the time the bus set off, we realised too late that we had been conned. The S/.20 we had given him did not cover our bus fare at all. The man was in fact no way related to the bus company. So we ended up having to pay the actual bus fare in addition. S/.20 is only £5, but that amount of money can buy both of us 2 meals.

There was nothing we could do about what had happened, so we focussed on the next stage of our journey. When we reached the Peruvian border, we expected to show our passports and immigration forms and pass through with no issues. However, the official was asking for some paperwork which we did not possess, something we should have been given when we first entered Peru. This caused some consternation. We were also required to complete more immigration forms. In the end, we were fined S/.31 just for being one day over our 90 day visa limit and for being unable to present the forms given upon entry to Peru.

Eventually we were permitted to pass through, and once again boarded the bus.

Upon reaching the Chilean border, we were required to complete yet another immigration form. Aside from that, our passports were stamped and we passed through with no problems.

Arriving in Arica, we were somewhat disappointed. The journey so far had been stressful, but we had consoled ourselves with the prospect of a nice weekend in Chile. However, Arica appeared to be a tacky, rundown seaside town. Like Morecambe, but worse.

After walking for what felt like a long time beneath the hot sun in the humid climate, unable to find our hostel, we came across a restaurant where we cheered ourselves up with a tasty meal and a beer. A very kind gentleman who worked there telephoned our hostel to obtain directions for us. Thanking him and leaving, we wandered further into town, to another bar where I ordered an incredibly strong and almost undrinkable pisco with cherry.

As darkness fell, we were tired and so decided to check in at a hostel down the street, rather than make our way out of town to our pre-booked hostel. We then ventured back into town to check out the local nightlife. Amongst other things, we saw a Michael Jackson impersonator, dancing and miming along to Billie Jean. Undoubtedly the highlight of our evening. After Tom drank an enormous pitcher of beer and I had slowly sipped a Tom Collins, we purchased a waffle stuffed with cheese and meandered back to our hostel.

We were awakened early in the morning by what sounded like serious building works taking place outside our bedroom window. We arose, ate breakfast and walked to the bus terminal, determined not to be taken advantage of again.

The journey back across the border went smoothly. Upon arriving at the Peruvian border, we were permitted to have 180 day visas, rather than just the usual 90 days, which was great news and meant that we would not have to take this trip again! Once at Tacna, we purchased seats on another Cruz del Sur bus and settled down for the final part of the journey home. For those who have travelled with Cruz del Sur, you will be familiar with the usual game of bingo they like to play. Taking the opportunity to test out how good our Spanish was, we decided to take part, and Tom won! His prize - a free ticket from Arequipa to Tacna. Not a journey we intend to make again!

So whilst the weekend in Chile had not been what we had hoped or expected, we at least now have experience of crossing the border, were granted the 180 day visas we wanted and Tom won his first game of bingo. I'm sure our next visit to Chile in several months time will be much more enjoyable.

Just Another Day in Arequipa

Despite having lived in Peru for 3 months now, every day I still find myself intrigued by the way of life here and the differences between Peruvian culture and the culture back home in England.

Walking to catch the bus to the orphanage on a morning, I pass the local street vendors selling 'desayuno' (breakfast) which usually constitutes of meat such as the English folk would eat for their evening meal. However, this is not what Tom and I usually breakfast on, we usually partake in coffee and fresh bread from our local bakery, such as many of the locals do.


Upon embarking the bus, often I have not even taken a seat before the driver takes off and whizzes around the corner, jumping a red light or narrowly avoiding another vehicle pulling out in front. More people board the bus as the cobrador shouts out at great speed the place names the bus will be stopping at on its route. There is no limit here as to the number of people you can cram onto a bus. Often the cobrador will be stood on the bottom step, hanging out of the door, passengers squashed together like sardines in a tin.

Traffic signs and signals are more just for decoration here, as drivers make up their own rules of the road, blasting their horns with great frequency. This can mean a number of things, including 'get out of my way!', 'I'm coming through!' or 'watch where you're going!', amongst other things.

Tom and I often eat out for 'almuerzo', a traditional lunch of Peruvian soup, containing pasta or rice, potatoes, meat and chunky vegetables followed by a second course which usually consists of rice as an accompaniment to trucha frita or pollo broaster. This is all washed down with a glass of chicha morada. Many of the local people also eat out for lunch, often we are the only gringoes in the restaurant. These set menus usually cost around S/.5.00, equivalent to approximately £1.20.


After lunch, we sometimes take a walk around Plaza de Armas and the adjoining streets. The plaza is impressive, with a fountain in the middle and beautiful flowers, bordered by buildings made of sillar, the white volcanic stone. Many people sit here on an afternoon, particularly locals, enjoying the sunshine.

On our walk, we pass local people working, their ways of earning money sometimes very different to what we are accustomed to. There are men with old fashioned typewriters, charging people for the service of typing letters for them. Occasionally you see someone with an antiquated set of scales, where people can pay to weigh themselves. There are women selling seeds, so people can feed the many pigeons lurking around the plaza.  Others are selling fruit on the pavements by the side of the road. 

However there is also a different side to working life here, many people work in shops and banks and restaurants. The mining community is very prominent here, and some of the mine owners are very wealthy, a contrast to the folk making a poor living by selling their wares in the street.

After a large lunch, a walk and the heat of the midday sun, we often find ourselves tired and wander home for a rest. Mid afternoon is prime time for a shower, as the water in our apartment is solar heated, so once the sun goes down so does the water temperature. This is common for a large proportion of properties here.

Arequipa holds a lot of charm, and as we walk under the clear blue sky and feel the hot sun, I feel really glad that of all the places in the world, we chose to come to Arequipa.