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While in Sucre, we did a weekend hike to through the Maragua crater, a region of unusual rock formations. The crater was formed by erosion, it contains preserved dinosaur footprints and fossils of marine shells are still found in the region and sold by local children. We decided that one backpack would be enough for both of us, so naturally I assumed the duties of a mule. For some reason we also thought it would be nice to bring a bottle of wine. Let me mention that I felt every last milliliter of that wine during the trek!
On the Saturday we started by riding a micro to the outskirts of Sucre and once we had successfully changed the bus tire, we drove on to Chataquila, where we visited a little stone chapel dedicated to the Virgin. The trekking began just after midday as we made our way down pre-Hispanic Inca Trail. Route. As we started on the route we came across a group of three girls who were going it alone without a guide. They seemed a bit lost so our guide offered to let them follow us as it could be easy to get lost. Strangely enough, the
girls stopped following us after about an hour. But that wasn’t the last we would hear of them…
We stopped at various miradors with views above the unique, naturally formed crater of Maragua and then continued down the trail past the aqueduct which supplies Sucre’s water and then followed the Ravelo River past magnificent rock formations to Socobamba and the suspension bridge. After crossing the river, we headed up past waterfalls to the top and as night fell we continued to trek the final hour or so in the dark with our torches. It was at this time that we heard screaming in the distance. From our vantage point we could see their torches in the distance and they were obviously lost. We questioned whether we could go back to help them, but our guides assured us that from us to them would be at least two hours and they had a duty to get us to the village. Eventually made it to stay in houses of the local community inside the crater and one of the local guys went in search of the lost girls. After we got our rooms set, we had a nice dinner and we
got rid of that bottle of wine. In the morning the local lad returned, but without the lost girls. The guides figured that some indigenous people must have heard their yells and took them in for the night.
On Sunday, we woke at dawn and ate breakfast before heading through the crater and enjoyed some magnificent views. Behind the crater, we passed through picturesque valleys on the way to the incredible dinosaur footprint site Ninu Mayu. Along the way we also met some curious local children whom we shared sweets with. Then in the afternoon it was back to Sucre for us: Weekend hike complete!
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Lauren
non-member comment
evil?
Why was the pig evil? He looks sad... >:-D