We left Nazca for a short journey to Arequipa, a wonderful city in South Peru. Like all cities they have a main square where, when we arrived, there was some kind of parade going on. We think it was all the young people who were about to start their national service.
The city is surounded by volcanoes. The highest is Chachani.
We met up with 2 of our friends from the Inca Trail, Tom and Carole. There is a very large convent in Arequipa which you can go on guided tours around. The place is huge.
The nuns were not allowed to see anyone outside the convent so alll conversations with family had to be conducted through these grills.
The convent had various cloisters, very beautiful. Here is the one for the young nuns where they spent a few years training. After this they were able to decide if they wanted to become a permanent nun or leave the convent.
The accommadation was not bad. Most nuns came from wealthy families who paid for them to be there. They all had private rooms and maids to do all the cooking and cleaning. Not a bad life when you consider what will have been going on outside.
Here the maids washed the clothes in a very clever water channel system. The nuns spent their time praying, teaching and sewing, until the pope declared that they should not have such a luxurious life and ordered away the maids, made the nuns live in dorms and do all their own chores. At this point many decided to leave this life, and today only a few remain in another purpose built complex.
Our real purpose for visiting this area was to go into the Colca Cayon and to see the Condors. We were collected at 3 am to set off for the canyon, 5 hours away.
How dramatic it is, the deepest canyon in the world.
We sat and waited for the Condors half expecting not to see any at all.
Then all of a sudden they began to soar as the thermals gained power as if they had just recieved their stage cue.
This incredible bird that can be meters long gracefully gliding right by us in the canyon. The brown adolecent and the black and white adult birds.
Just amazing.
After, we were wisked off for lunch before starting our trek into the canyon, we had choosen the 3 day, 2 night option. Lunch was interesting in this little hostel as we sat and ate while bad Euro vision songs played on the tv behind us.
Eventually we started our trek.
A very steep, sandy path down for over 4 hours. We only slipped a few times but it was hard going and made us all realise that we much prefer going up, not down.
The bottom was in sight.
Finally we arrived in our hostel, a very small homestyle place, in the bottom of the canyon, miles from anywhere, with the most amazing view...........
....... from the bar.
Our room was a very basic hut.
The bed on a stone base with a dirt floor. Me with a well deserved beer.
What we were then told is that the hostel had a hot spring pool by the river below. Just what we needed for our sore feet.
Bliss, we relaxed until sundown in the hot water.
Day 2: the tough day. We set off early, as we had to walk up the canyon before we could walk out of it. However walking up it meant going over a 600 odd meter hill first!
We walked up through cactus laiden ground in the incresing heat.
Passed donkeys eating prickly pears.............
... until we reached the top and were rewarded with views down both sides of the canyon.
Before long we had to set off again back down the other side
A long trek down to the green valley below.
Half way there, we fully recognised the afternoon trek ahead. The path out of the canyon rose above us on the other side. Daunting especially when you use the perspective of the trees below.
Nearly at our lunch point.
We arived at ´Oasis´ another haven for weary walkers. The pool was cold but welcome after the heat of the trek.
After the heat of the sun had passed we set off on our long climb up.
The view back down became more and more distant.
After many breaks for guilt free chocolate.............
.................. and more amazing veiws..................
............................
................. we reached the top as the sun was setting.
To spend a very sleepy night in Chivay.
This trek was really very hard, the heat, the altitude, the sandy ground but most of all the height. On the second day we climbed nearly 1900 meters, not far off 1 & 1/2 times the height of Ben Nevis. Fantastic few days!
