Colca Canyon

On Wednesday I went on a two-day tour to Colca Canyon, which at its deepest point is twice as deep as the US' Grand Canyon. The tour was organised by my hostel, Wild Rover, and cost 70 soles for the transport, guide, accommodation and breakfast. We had to buy the boleto turístico to actually enter the Canyon separately though, which was an extra 70 soles.

The day before we left I'd spent the day with the girls I met in Rio, and in the evening Camilla, who I met in the same hostel, arrived, so it was a great little ReRionion over tequila sunrises in the Wild Rover bar. 

We were up to leave at 8am and headed out into the mountainous desert in our minibus. We stopped to buy coca products to combat altitude sickness, because to get to Colca Canyon from Arequipa you need to pass over a point that reaches 4,910 metres high. That's now the highest I've been in my life, and I actually felt fine. Maybe the coca sweets did their job really well! 

We arrived in Chivay, the town at the closer end of the canyon, for lunch and an afternoon at natural hot springs along the bank of the river, only accessible by way of a rope suspension bridge over the rushing waters. I met a group of three who had actually met the girls from Rio earlier in their trip, and we spent the next two days together. 

After dinner and a dance performance, which involved me being put on the floor and actually whipped by a woman in traditional dress (don't ask), we got an early night in preparation for our 5.30am start the next morning. 

But it was worth the early hour and the freezing cold, because we got to the Cruz Del Condor viewpoint in time to see the magnificent birds in flight. I'd been around condors at the zoo I volunteered at, but never seen them catch the warm air currents and glide. Really something. 

Apparently it's not easy to see them in flight, but someone in my tour group pointed out that there was a dead cow on a ridge below us, so maybe they're drawn there on purpose for the 9am tourist influx. 

And the canyon itself. Wow. It stretches down to the white river past ridges, pre-Inca terraces, the occasional condor if you're lucky... It's a very impressive sight. But wear sunscreen! I got so burned that morning, and ended up in bed early with sunstroke and a tomato face when we got back to Arequipa. Not a good look. 

We did a short hike along the top of the canyon, and stopped at various points on our way back to Chivay. Each view brought a new sight. If you have time while in Arequipa, this is a highlight you shouldn't miss. Whether you do it in a tour, or by yourself with local buses, you'll have a great time. 

Arequipa

I'm now in Arequipa, Peru's White City. And its second largest city as well. I was prepared to be a bit meh, as I was with Lima and Puno, but Arequipa has earned itself second place after Cusco in my world-famous ranking of Peruvian cities.

I've stayed in two hostels, both in the historical centre, so I can only comment on the area with the cathedrals and pretty buildings. It's this area that gives Arequipa its nickname as the White City, thanks to the volcanic stone the buildings were made from. 

But the best thing about Arequipa is its setting on a plain beneath three snow-capped active volcanoes. My first hostel, Park Hostel, was in a nice colonial building with a fabulous roof terrace that looks over the roofs of the centro histórico over to the volcanoes. What a sight for breakfast. 

From here you can do all manner of trips, including white-water rafting, mountain/volcano climbing, and hiking. Not being an adrenalin-junkie myself, I'm doing a one-night two-day trip to Colca Canyon, which is one of the world's largest canyons, even outdoing the Grand Canyon. That's Wednesday-Thursday, so I've got tomorrow to explore Arequipa some more. 

But the girls I met in Rio (god that feels like ages ago, and it was only two months) are joining me in the hostel I'm in now. It's a full on party hostel, The Wild Rover, which also has branches in La Paz and Cusco. I haven't stayed in a lively hostel like this before. I love a good party, but I tend to like my partying and sleeping to be in separate places. We'll see I guess. Got to try these things! I'll pretend I'm a one-man lads on tour group. 

So anyway, it'll be really nice to see them again. I assume we'll do some kind of sightseeing tomorrow, then I've got Colca Canyon for two days (booked through the hostel - 75 soles for the one-night tour). And then I've booked a bus for Tacna on Friday, and from Tacna I'll go by bus to Arica, in Chile. Then it'll be goodbye to Peru! 

Oh also, I took a Cruz Del Sur bus from Puno to Arequipa, and it was very comfortable. Cruz Del Sur is generally regarded as the safest bus company to travel with in Peru, so it's a bit more expensive than you'd pay with other companies. It cost me 59 soles for the cheaper level (top level) for the five and a half hour trip here. There was a small snack included, and blankets! You still don't get a choice about whether to hear the films they played on the overheard screens though. Four hours of Ben Hur and I was ready to Ben Hurl. But then they played Tangled, which I'd actually wanted to see when it came out. Well done Cruz Del Sur. 

Anyway, my lively hostel awaits my presence. Will update soon!