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Arequipa & Colca Canyon

From Cusco we managed yet another painfully torturous night bus to Arequipa, which is situated further south. The city itself is relatively large but the atmosphere is very relaxed with some exquisite colonial architecture which is evident in various churches, cathedrals, monastries and the like.

We visted the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, which is a massive convent founded and built in 1580. The convent was run like an independent state for nearly 400 years and the convent was opened to the public for the first time in 1970. Its amasing to see how the nuns lived and dedicated their lives to religion including the occasional wearing of steel wire underwear for spiritual improvement (an Ann Summers special).

The city also boasts with the largest Plaza de Armas (main square) in the whole of Peru with a beautifull catheral at the one end and the massive volcano El Misti looming in the background.

We didn´t stay long and we soon left for the Colca Canyon, which is situated about 4 hours from Arequipa, for some more solo trecking. The canyon was regarded the deepest in the world (3191m deep) for a long time but after much controversy it has been renamed the second deepest. Apart from the depth, awesome scenery and trekking the canyon is also famous for hosting a large family of Andean condors. We were lucky to spot 2 from the bus and another two on the 1st day of our hike.

We spent 1 night in the small town of Chivay, and to our surprise we were met by colourfull traditonal clothing, food, music and dancing as the local folk celebrated a local fiesta. The next day we made our way to the small town of Cabanaconde which is the starting point of various hikes and trecks. Hiking in the canyon was unbelievable, and with no one else in sight the silence was almost eerie. We spent 2 nights in the idyllic little village (2 families) of Llahuar where we discovered paradise. Again we were very fortuate to see very few travelers in the village and we managed to enter and dominate the natural hot baths that have been constructed on the bank of the Rio Colca. On the second day we managed to try our luck with some Peruvian style trout fishing in the river, but we obviously lacked the local/any skill. After 5 hours in the hot baths and river our skins started resembling a funny dried prune texture, it was time to get out.

We sadly left Llahuar and made our way to the Oasis which is also situated in the bottom of the canyon. Also very rustic with pools filled by natural spring water, but a little more touristy. On the last day of our hike we had to climb the canyon from bottom to top, and eventhough it is only a 3 hour hike it makes the Inca Trail's dead woman's pass look like a walk in the park.

We left the canyon and headed back to Arequipa to prepare for Bolivia.

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