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Published: June 25th 2009
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Arequipa
Our hostel had a patio on the roof, and it had a nice view of the city I recently completed a group of excursions, but they all started in Peru's second largest city: Arequipa. Arequipa is known for its Rocoto Relleno (stuffed pepper dish), sillar (white, volcanic stone used in the city's architecture), and its strong, patriotic love for Arequipa as if it were a completely separate entity apart from Peru itself. It is known for other things as well, but for the sake of time and energy, I limited it to those three items. So, I was accompanied by a few ladies from the U.S. for this trip, and it was nice to have some companions, even if they liked to poke fun at me since I was the only fellow in the group. We arrived in Arequipa at 5:30 am, and we shacked up at the Hostal Santa Catalina (I would recommend it). After a few hour siesta, we got some chow at a restaurant located in the main plaza. I ordered the Rocoto Relleno since I was feeling a bit "Arequipeño". It was quite good. Then we got our plans set up to hike the Colca Canyon (arguably the deepest in the world). Either way, it is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. After
La Catedral
The main cathedral in the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa. It's made from the sillar stone. we got all of that planned for the following day, we decided to take a small city tour. It consisted of stopping at a couple "miradores" ("lookouts") that provided beautiful panoramic views of Arequipa. After the lookouts, we visited a the oldest house in Arequipa which is now used as a reception hall.
The next day we had to wake up at around 3:30 am to start a looooong day of descending into the Colca Canyon. Before I get into the details of this hike, I must tell you that it was the one of the most physically trying experiences I've endured. Before the hike, we stopped at a popular lookout by the town of Chivay called "Cruz del Condor" ("Condor Crossing"). This was not just a clever name. There were indeed several soaring condors for all of us to see. Condors can get up to 3 meters from head to tail, and only have one mate for life. They are also endangered. From there we got back on the bus to head to another small town called Cabanaconde. From there we began our hike. It was a hike that totaled about 7 hours and 20 miles. Interestingly though
Volcano
This is one of the volcanoes outside of Arequipa. I can't remember the name. it should not have taken that long, but we ran into a problem: dogs. There were small residences sprinkled here and there in the canyon, and some of them had dogs. These were not your typical house dogs. They were very mean and extremely territorial. So much that they kind of surrounded us at one point. Needless to say, we had to go another route. We finally arrived at our lodge at around 6:30 pm. It was very simple with dirt floors and the bed frames were made of sticks and logs. Omar, our guide (he was a pimp daddy), prepared some soup and spaghetti for us with a tea made from lemongrass. Twas nice. Then he made us a fire, but Katie and I were the only ones with enough energy to enjoy it. We had a nice chat as we gazed at the infinite star fields above. As I was gazing, I was reminded of a story of someone that told me that they loved stargazing and wanted to be an astronaut as a young girl... Anyway, the beds were surprisingly comfy,but I didn't sleep well that night though despite the fact that I was utterly exhausted.
The next day we started our ascent at around 6:30. It was supposed to start at 4:30 but our guide overslept. Ashley did the smart thing and rented a mule. I was determined to finish on my own. I was also very mulish in that I kept telling myself I didn't need one. Needless to say, I rented a mule about 3/4 of the way up. I was dehydrated and exhausted. It was $7 well-spent. The mules took us back to the city of Cabanaconde where we got back on the bus and went to another lookout. This provided us with some amazing views of the canyon. I also got to try the fruit grown on cacti called "tuna". It was delicious. Then we stopped at the hot springs by Chivay. I didn't understand this part of the tour because it was hotter than hell outside. The last thing I wanted to do was to jump into 90 degree water when I was already sweaty and sun burnt. So, I just hung around with the girls, and we all went to a buffet for lunch. It was okay. It was no Old Country Buffet by any means.
Overall, I
Hostal Santa Catalina
Nice hostel. Most rooms didn't have private bath, but the service was excellent, and the prices were reasonable. am lucky to have had this opportunity. It was definitely worth almost passing out from exhaustion. Not everyone can say they have hiked the deepest canyon in the world. Holla!!
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