Almost time to say goodbye to my homestay…and trekking in the Colca Canyon.

Today was my last day in Arequipa.  I spent it being a complete tourist, taking the red hop on/ hop off bus tour around Peru`s second largest city.  Yep, they have those here too.  Just as in other city´s I´ve been, not all of the stops pertained to my particular interests, but it was a good way to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time.  I will be sad to say goodbye to Lucy and Marcela and also, Cet and Milagros, my two Spanish teachers while I have been here.  Thank you all for making me feel welcome and giving me the confidence needed to go forth with my (previously rusty) Spanish skills!

Outside of my homestay with Spanish Teacher, Cet, and homestay "mom" Lucy

Me, Milagros, Lucy

Spanish Teacher Milagros

Spanish Teacher Cet

COLCA CANYON AND PRE-INCAN TERRACES:

Taking with me only what I needed and leaving most of my belongings at my homestay, I went to the nearby Colca Canyon this weekend.  The Canyon is famous for its Pre-Incan terraces, 70% of which are still in use farming today, a bluff known as the “Cruz del Condor,” where one can see Condors with wingspans of up to 3 meters long soaring above you, and Peru´s second deepest canyon ( 4,160 meters, which is just how high kids….).  I think that is about twice as  deep as the Grand Canyon in Arizona.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

Pre Ican Terrace farms still in use: Colca Canyon, Peru

You can see the terraces below still in use.  If you look closely, way up high in the mountains, there are lines across the hillside…. these are Pre-Incan and Incan terraces farms no longer in use.  What a crazy example of  “slope.”  It amazes me to think that people actually farmed on terrain that steep!

                        

                        

The Condors were pretty breathtaking to watch.  Photos and pictures can do justice to none of this trip, but I will try to post a short video I took of the Condors in a little bit.

Our trek started up at just over 3300 meters.  The altitude here is amazing!  We actually drove up and over the mountains at 4900 meters (16,079 ft!)  just to get to the Colca Canyon.  From our starting point, we descended over 1200 meters to the valley and river below.   I know from backpacking that downhill is ultimately harder on your body than uphill!  Three and a half hours later, we arrived at the bottom, gratefully for some shade.  Despite it being the middle of winter here and freezing as soon as the sun sets, it is warm enough to give me quite a sun burn during the day!

After reaching the bottom of the Canyon and crossing the river, which ultimately drains into the Pacific Ocean, we hiked up to a small village (50 people), where we had lunch.  The hike after lunch, which meandered through the villages and followed the water irrigation system/aqueducts was my favorite part of the hike.  There were a few hills, but overall, it was fairly relaxing.  I wish I had taken more pictures of the acquaducts as they were quite simple yet amazing.

   

Our guide, Cariña, giving details about a local shrine, which pays respects to both the local customs (the moutains) and Spanish/Colonial Influences

We arrived at the Oasis, where we would spend the night, about 40 minutes or so after dark.  A piece of advice… always keep your headlamp someplace where it is easy to locate in your backpack!  I never think I am going to need it at the beginning of the day when I pack my back, but it´s amazing how many times I´ve had to look for it, after it has already gotten dark!

The next morning, we woke up at 4:30am to start the 1,010 meter hike back up the hill to the village of Cabanaconde, where we would get breakfast and the bus back to Arequipa.  This climb was no joke!  It was strenuous enough that no less than 15 people chose to hire mules to ride back up to the top!  I cannot even imagine how sore I will be after my 5 day trek to Choquequirao later in the trip, as I was plenty sore after this short, 2 day trek!  It looks like Ms. Bruck needs to start hiking, backpacking, running and climbing more in general again!

Back up at the top of the canyon and ready for breakfast!

People still dress very traditionally in this part of the country.  I am very shy about taking photos of people, but I do have these three.  Aren´t the textiles beautiful?  These women are not just dressed up to sell their wares to tourists!  We actually saw virtually all of the women throughout the valley dressed in the same traditional manner.  It is awesome to know that at least some parts of cultures prevail once exposed to the outside world.

 

Ms. Bruck