The Trip: Arequipa and the Colca canyon

• 21 February 2010 at 17:48
• Traveling

Arequipa is nicknamed the White City because it's been built with a volcanic rock that is specific to this region.

It's also an access point to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. Ada, Peter and I went for a trek there. We wanted to do 3 or 4 day but the path was very hard and Peter's knee was damaged. It's nevertheless one of the most magnificent places and one of the best experiences I have ever had. Between the enchanting landscapes,

the geysers,

the lost villages,

the antisocial sheep,

the uncertain bridges

and the hotels with hot baths!!

On the second day, Ada and I went solo to check out the waterfall in Fure village but on the way back, we got lost. We had to slide,

go through cactus fields (aooow!!), then we decided to take a shortcut through the irrigation system (it wasn't very safe actually!).

But the final blow was the day after, when we returned to Cabanaconde, not by walking, but by going to the "terminal bus". When we arrived there...

...we realised it was actually a kettle truck, used by the villagers of the canyon to go and sell their products in town. We were 45 inside.

Peter travelled all the way on the edge of the truck, Ada was among the grannies sleeping on the floor

and I was standing as well.

For 3 hours, we drove along nothingness, in a truck that was pitching and whose driver forgot once or twice to put on the brakes when the truck was moving back on slopes...

A real nightmare! It was nevertheless a proper experience... And from the truck, we could finally see a condor!!

I had massive blisters on both feet!

We visited Cabanaconde, where a carnival was going on.

I also ate alpaca, and it's really good.

Back in Arequipa, we could visit a few museums, including the Santuarios museum dedicated to Inca rituals (especially the human sacrifices), the Viceroy Art museum, and so on. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed.

I also did the museum of Modern Art, and it was really interesting to see how an art museum works here.

And after that, Cusco!

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