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Published: April 15th 2016
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Our last few days with Mum and Dad were spent at a hostel with views of the volcano Cotopaxi (when the clouds parted and we got the view). The first day there we rode bikes around the national park and down to a trout farm. All of us were missing riding bikes, so it was great to be on 2 wheels and even Mum enjoyed the day dispite the bumpy volcanic bouldered ground with patches of ash from the eruptions at the end of 2015. At the trout farm we were all given rods and for the first time in my life I caught a fish (then had to catch one for Chris too as our guide decided he might go hungry if I didn´t help him out).
The next day we had signed up to climb Pasochoa an extinct volcano which at the peak of the crater reaches 4220 metres. As neither mum or dad had ever been this high before we were all unsure of how it would go. The 6 hour hike proved challenging but we made it to the top and mum especially was trilled to have achieved the peak. Unfortunately, rain started at the peak
and continued for the three hour descent which made the going nearly as slow as the ascent. We were kept in good spirits by the gales of German laughter every time Regina, one of our fellow hikers, fell over which was frequent. We were all very pleased to make use of the jacuzzi with views of Cotopaxi on our return.
Then one last return to Quito for mum and dad to get their flight home and Chris and I to board our 12 hour overnight bus to resume our trip in the south of Ecuador where we had left off.
We spent a lovely couple of days in Vilcabamba, a small town with the best food we found in Ecuador including a French bakery with real savoury bread (99% of bread in Colombia and Ecuador has been as sweet as brioche). The hostel we were staying in had an outdoor pool, free yoga on an open yoga deck with views down the valley and lots of hammocks to chill in. The hostel was fully booked after our three nights there which is probably a good thing as we may never have left.
But leave we did to
head to the Peruvian border. As we wanted to head straight for the hills in Peru we took a less comon crossing which caused us some an interesting couple of days. Arriving in Zumba, the nearest town to the border we discovered that the cash machines in town didn´t accept our cards and we had no way of getting money until several towns over in Peru (which we did not have enough cash to get to) or to back track the 6 hours each way to Vilcabamba (a deeply unappealing prospect as the road was not in the best condition). A some what stressful and google filled evening followed and thankfully Chris´s parents came to the rescue sending us some cash via moneygram. Vowing never to be low on cash again we resumed our journey on the muddy bumpy road to the border.
Rousing the border guard we were stamped out of Ecuador, ducked under the bamboo pole/border barrier, walked passed the coffee beans drying in the sun in no-mans-land and into Peru finally locating passport control in the second building we tried. The next 10 hours were filled with 1 car, 3 combis (old soviet style mini buses)
and 4 tuk tuks to get from the border to Chachapoyas. I don´t think we´ve been so glad to arrive in town since we crossed the border into Ecuador.
Chachapoya is a nice town in the Andes that, because it is tricky to get to, is mostly off the gringo trail and has been a good introduction to Peru (people here are so friendly that when Chris sneezed in the street a passerby shouted, in Spanish, ´bless you and welcome to Chachapoya´).
Our first day here we spent recooperating from out long journey, pottering around and drinking coffee. Day 2 took us to the fifth highest waterfall in the world ´Gatco falls´which we had to earn with a hot and sticky 6 hour hike through the forest. it was worth it though for the amazing views.
Next day we went to ´Kualep´fort city, a place we knew almost nothing about, other than it was a rarely visited pre-Incan site. It was a long drive up to the site (which will soon be replaced by a dramatic cable car ride), arriving at the high mountain top with sweeping views over several valleys the choice of location was clearly
well planned. The actually fort made out of limestone taken from around the site was reminisent to a castle from the outside but with a couple of hundred round houses throughout the insides.
We had planned to leave Chachapoyas on the night bus on the day we visited Kualep, however for the first time on our trip we were not able to buy a ticket on the day of the bus (and bought the last two tickets on the next nights bus) so we had an extra rest day pottering around Chachapoyas before heading off on the fanciest bus either of us have ever been on with huge reclining seats and foot rests.
Arriving in Trujillo at 10am we headed straight to Huanchaco a small beach town popular with backpackers. We had planned to head off to see the near by ruins the day after arriving but were told that due to the general election everything would be shut. So we rushed off to one of the sites that day, a huge city built of adobe (aka mud) reaching along the coast between Trujillo and Huanchaco including some impressive temple sites with carvings on the walls.
On election day Chris had his first (and possibly last) surfing lesson and being thoughly on the gringo trail we had discovered a friend we had met in Ecuador was in Huanchaco too so we met up for a lovely lunch and sneeky drinks on the beach as technically alcohol sales are not allowed on election days.
The next day we headed over to the other old adobe temple site which was very impressive. 7 stories high and with very well preserved mud painted mud carvings. Currently only the temple de la luna is open as exploration and excavation of the temple del sol only began last year.
Next stop after a night bus was the adventure capital of Peru (possibly) Huarez. It's over 3300m so a bit of a shock to the heart and lungs after being at sea level. It's in between two mountain ranges and is absolutely breath-takingly beautiful. We did 2 treks, one where we had to get a local bus to the end of the line then hike to and from lagunna llaca for 7 hours and were the only gringo for miles (a group of lumberjacks donated some hooch mid-afternoon when they took pity on us). And lagoona 69 which is the must do trek in the area and was one of the most beautiful walks either of us have ever done.
Today was rock climbing, both is us are out of climbing shape and the altitude added to the difficulties so it was very hard. But still a great experience with beautiful views over Huaraz and the cordillia blanca.
Next stop is Lima then we're making out way south to meet Ian in La Paz on 11th May.
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