South America Day 7
Travel to Colca Valley
After breakfast we were on another bus and off to Colca Canyon. I was pretty excited about the possibility of seeing some wildlife including Vicuñas (wild variety of Llamas) and condors.
On the way out of Arequipa we stopped at a store to buy some supplies including cocoa leaves (yes the ones that cocaine is made from). I was more interested in snacks.
Just on the outskirts of Arequipa we stopped for some uninterrupted views of the surrounding volcanoes. The one in the shot above is Chachani, the one that looks more like a mountain range than a volcano. The one below is El Misti.
On the way out of Arequipa we stopped at a store to buy some supplies including cocoa leaves (yes the ones that cocaine is made from). I was more interested in snacks.
Just on the outskirts of Arequipa we stopped for some uninterrupted views of the surrounding volcanoes. The one in the shot above is Chachani, the one that looks more like a mountain range than a volcano. The one below is El Misti.
That's about it for Arequipa. We returned the following evening only to leave early the next morning so there's nothing to tell. For more photos from Arequipa, click on this link.
Leaving
Arequipa, the bus soon climbed into the surrounding ranges. Pictured above is
typical of the Altiplano (High Plain). It's not quite what I
pictured the Andes Mountains to look like.
We were pushing 3000m by this point but it didn't look much like the revered Andes mountain range. It was incredibly dry as well with cactus scattered across the landscape surrounded by dry desert grasses. The only patches of green are the valleys where a small amount of water (mainly from condensation at high altitude than anything else) gathers, and allows for small farms (above).
There were once many different types of Camelids (camel like animals) in South America. Man domesticated most of them or wiped them out all together. Now there are two domesticated (Llamas & Alpacas) and 3 wild varieties, vicuñas being the most famous one.
Vicuñas are protected in Peru now, but the locals still round them up occasionally & shear their coats for them. Vicuña wool is apparently the softest animal fibre in the world (so they say) and clothing made from it fetches a tidy sum. Baby alpaca clothing is highly sort after in Peru but vicuña gear is right at the top of the heap and multiple times (10ish) more expensive.
They're skittish little creatures, about the same size as a small deer. Their round skulls & flattened back ears distinguish them from their relatives
We had a nice buffet lunch in Chivay where we tried alpaca stew (very nice) and Mike cleared out the guinea pig stew so I didn't get a chance to try it. I imagine it's quite like rabbit (haven't had that either ).
After lunch, we piled back into the bus & travelled the 20 odd minutes along a bumpy dirt track to the small village of Coporaque. It's a funny little place with the only sign of tourism being the hotel we stayed in (the yellow buildings amongst the blue roofs). Unfortunately the water was off due to town water issues. This made the urgent ablutions after the long day a bit tricky. We were off for a short hike almost straight away anyhow & they had promised the water would be back on by the time we returned.
We were pushing 3000m by this point but it didn't look much like the revered Andes mountain range. It was incredibly dry as well with cactus scattered across the landscape surrounded by dry desert grasses. The only patches of green are the valleys where a small amount of water (mainly from condensation at high altitude than anything else) gathers, and allows for small farms (above).
Eventually
the twisty climb gave way to open desert plains and straighter roads.
Around the same time we pushed through the 3500m mark, the driver
spotted some vicuñas.
There were once many different types of Camelids (camel like animals) in South America. Man domesticated most of them or wiped them out all together. Now there are two domesticated (Llamas & Alpacas) and 3 wild varieties, vicuñas being the most famous one.
Vicuñas are protected in Peru now, but the locals still round them up occasionally & shear their coats for them. Vicuña wool is apparently the softest animal fibre in the world (so they say) and clothing made from it fetches a tidy sum. Baby alpaca clothing is highly sort after in Peru but vicuña gear is right at the top of the heap and multiple times (10ish) more expensive.
They're skittish little creatures, about the same size as a small deer. Their round skulls & flattened back ears distinguish them from their relatives
This
strange collection of sandstone pinnacles is known as the rock forest.
It kind of looks like little black Xmas trees, don't you think. It's one
of a number of attractions from the same spot.
This
is the other natural sight from the same spot. We were pretty much on
the opposite side of El Misti from Arequipa by that point.
The
downside of the natural wonders is that it's a perfect spot for the
locals to set up a tourist trap. It probably started up as a couple of
local ladies with some rugs & necklaces to sell, but is now a number
of stalls & a restaurant/coffee shop/trinket shop. The tourist
buses were lined up 10 deep. I guess it was the only civilisation for a
hundred kms each way. Where else was there to stop for weak bladders.
Our group did the obligatory wander around, some were more interested than others. Polly (left with light blue singlet) doesn't seem overly impressed. Mike (centre with white sunglasses) was busily taking photos like a good tourist.
The side story to this was the coca leaves. Most of us had tried them & hated the taste. It didn't seem to alleviate the effects of the altitude either. The tourist stop had all manner of coca cookies & different sweets loaded with the stimulant. I bought a pack of each for the trip. I found the sweets worked better than the leaves.....
Our group did the obligatory wander around, some were more interested than others. Polly (left with light blue singlet) doesn't seem overly impressed. Mike (centre with white sunglasses) was busily taking photos like a good tourist.
The side story to this was the coca leaves. Most of us had tried them & hated the taste. It didn't seem to alleviate the effects of the altitude either. The tourist stop had all manner of coca cookies & different sweets loaded with the stimulant. I bought a pack of each for the trip. I found the sweets worked better than the leaves.....
This
is what I like to call a Peruvian Come in Spinner. Looks all very
innocent, but this is a classic shot for a tourist to take & the pie
eater pictured had her hand out for a "donation" every time the camera
clicked. Kerri took this one & escaped the toll by using the long
lens.
The Peruvians are known for their colourful clothing. This little girl certainly had the colours going on.
No.
Not sheep. These are alpacas. They are the high altitude version of
sheep though. Most people have heard of alpacas. They're the smaller of
the two domestic camelids. Their close cousins, the Llamas, have a head
much more like a camel. Alpacas are used for wool, meat & I'm
guessing milk, but can't confirm that. I can confirm that alpaca stew is
delicious.
After the stop at the tourist trap, the scenery changed from dry plains & vicunas to wetlands & alpacas.
After the stop at the tourist trap, the scenery changed from dry plains & vicunas to wetlands & alpacas.
The best fleece from alpacas come from the young ones. They have softer fur until they're a couple of years old.
Llamas
are the bigger cousins of the alpacas. They don't uses them so much for
wool, but more as pack animals. They're quite tough & strong
animals & are more sure footed than horses, particularly on the
steep high mountain trails
The Peruvians are resourceful people. This guy has some how ocky strapped his alpaca to the back of his motorbike.
Toward
the end of the long journey from Arequipa, we started to descend the
final valley toward Chivay, the main settlement in Colca Canyon. The bus
stopped at yet another local roadside stall. The view of Chivay
(pictured) can't be knocked. The brown baby alpaca was a useful money
spinner for the locals who wanted money every time you took a picture of
it.
Plaza
de Armas, Chivay. Yes, even the small townships have a Plaza de Armas.
The escarpments that surround Chivay are really quite daunting. Chivay
sits nearly at the bottom of Colca Canyon (3800m) & considering we'd
just descended from 4910m, you're looking at the best part of a
kilometre to the plateau above.
We had a nice buffet lunch in Chivay where we tried alpaca stew (very nice) and Mike cleared out the guinea pig stew so I didn't get a chance to try it. I imagine it's quite like rabbit (haven't had that either ).
After lunch, we piled back into the bus & travelled the 20 odd minutes along a bumpy dirt track to the small village of Coporaque. It's a funny little place with the only sign of tourism being the hotel we stayed in (the yellow buildings amongst the blue roofs). Unfortunately the water was off due to town water issues. This made the urgent ablutions after the long day a bit tricky. We were off for a short hike almost straight away anyhow & they had promised the water would be back on by the time we returned.
The
tour always does this short hike or similar to get the travellers
accustomed to hiking at altitude before the 3 day hike coming up a few
days later. It also gives the tour guides a chance to see if there are
any amongst the group that are clearly going to be a problem. A couple
of the stragglers started to become apparent even early in this first
hike.
Having spent a lot of time hiking in the Rockies during the northern summer, I was feeling pretty good. The couple of days in Arequipa had let my body adjust to the altitude & was ready for the next level. Kerri had her trusty hiking poles & was powering along as well.
Having spent a lot of time hiking in the Rockies during the northern summer, I was feeling pretty good. The couple of days in Arequipa had let my body adjust to the altitude & was ready for the next level. Kerri had her trusty hiking poles & was powering along as well.
This
was the hike destination. More dead people. The local Incan people had
been burying their dead relatives up in the cliffs for many centuries
until the practise was outlawed by the Catholic Spaniards a few
centuries ago.The Incans liked to bury their people high in the cliffs
out of harms way overlooking the countryside. Not such a bad concept
& hardly unique.
We descended back down to the hotel in fading light. We showered & jumped back on the bus. Dinner was in Chivay followed by a trip to the hot springs. I'm not normally a fan, but I was feeling a bit beaten up after the multiple changes in altitude & hiking so it was really quite relaxing.
I should mention that both Karishma (Special K as we came to know her) and Emma were both quite ill with altitude sickness during the day when we were above 4500m on the plateau. Needless to say, those two struggled during the afternoon hike as well. It's funny how some people can handle altitude better than others.
We descended back down to the hotel in fading light. We showered & jumped back on the bus. Dinner was in Chivay followed by a trip to the hot springs. I'm not normally a fan, but I was feeling a bit beaten up after the multiple changes in altitude & hiking so it was really quite relaxing.
I should mention that both Karishma (Special K as we came to know her) and Emma were both quite ill with altitude sickness during the day when we were above 4500m on the plateau. Needless to say, those two struggled during the afternoon hike as well. It's funny how some people can handle altitude better than others.
