Arequipa and the Colca

---

Hey! It´s been a while but I must finish what I have started and last week I thought I had contracted cerebral malaria from the Amazon - i swear I had the symtoms: head-gonna-explode headaches, fever, diaroreah (could never spell that word). But do not fear, I recovered and it ended up being good old food poisoning contracted from the 16 hour bus from Arequipa to Lima...

Anyway, took a 10 hour ´tourist´bus from Cusco to Arequipa - they say tourist, but I was the only visible tourist. I am lucky in that I can sleep in anything that moves, but maan was it cramped, hot, then cold, dark and crazy.

Arrived in Arequipa at 5 am and slept as soon as I got to the hostel. I had organised my 2 day Colca Canyon tour through an agency in Cusco and was told I would be looked after by an agency in Arequipa - little did I expect telephone calls seeing how I was, visits to my room and even a little private guided tour of the city. It was all women who ran the agency so maybe they felt sorry for little old lone female traveller me - but still I couldn´t help feeling a little suspicious by their over ´niceness´ - so I asked how much it would cost, expecting bombshell - but nada - they were genuinely being helpful.

Arequipa is pretty, the square is beautiful, but I still prefer Cusco, which, in my opinion has more character. The usual churches,cathedrals and nun houses to see - but I got taken to the outskirts by the lovely tour lady to see a bit of countryside and a fab view of the city.

Would loved to have trekked the Colca, but can´t be done in two days, unless you get a public bus at 2am and trek with a local guide (of course i said NO, after the Tim fiasco). First day, travelled across the Pampa Cañahuas at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, where we saw herds of viccunas - like lamas/deers - cannot be tamed apparently. Saw some wow factor scenery, in the form of Inca terraces right across the valley. Stayed in a cute little town called Chivay, at over 4000m, very high and very freezing. Sampled the local hot springs which was so relaxing, especially the outdoor ones, where you can sit there and look out at the stars and mountains - but then it came to showers, of which there were 2, and about 4 changing rooms - so the heat soon wore off, having to queue up in the freezing cold.

Next day, travelled to the Cruz del Condor, where we got to see half a dozen condors soaring across the Colca Canyon - a magnificant sight, seeing these huge birds, with 3m wing span glide in the breeze. Need a really zoomy camera though, my photos are a bit crap.

As soon as we got back to Arequipa, I had to catch the overnight bus up to Lima to meet my Dad. Very impressive and much more luxurious than the Cusco-Arequipa bus, with beds, cushions and blankets, movies, dinner and breakfast service - shame about the dodgy chicken.....

---