Determined to escape the desert, we travelled into the Canete valley and to the town of Lunuhana. The taxi dropped us off in Imperial, a district of Cañete, amid a swarm of market traders. Seconds later, a colectivo materialised. Colectivos are a cheap way of getting around: they consist of a man, a van and a lad who hangs out of the side door screaming the destinations at passers by. Lunahuana´was our destination, 30km up the valley, and I don't think it was possible to cover those 30km any faster. Tyres squealing, taking the racing line the whole way, the canyon walls flashing by alarmingly close at times, we clung on and exchanged nervous glances. At one point we saw dazed, bleeding passengers standing on the road, their collectivo having left the road in spectacular fashion,
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