As we began our descent into Arequipa, I looked up from the book I had been reading and was amazed to see a huge volcano seemingly right beside the plane. We were flying very close to “Misti” a huge snowed capped volcano that towers over Arequipa, and we had a magnificent view of the cone-shaped mountain and crater standing out against the crystal clear blue sky. And in the distance to the north of the volcano stood a series of massive, snow-topped mountains providing another beautiful backdrop to the city. Arequipa means, “place behind the pointed mountain” in the ancient language of the Aymara Indians who lived here before the Spanish conquest, and this beautiful vista seemed to confirm our anticipation that Arequipa would prove to be a delightful city.
With one million inhabitants, Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city. It is situated at 7500 ft about 100 kms from the coast and enjoys a spring-like climate all year round with warm sunny days and fresh, crisp mountain air. Arequipa is also known as the “White City” because of the many buildings constructed of sillar, the white volcanic stone from the surrounding terrain. People here consider themselves to be very special and in fact, have attempted to secede from Peru several times and have even designed their own flag and passport. So far, however, they remain part of Peru.
As we stepped down from our LAN airbus onto the tarmac (the only jet ways we encountered in Peru were in Lima) we immediately felt a sense that we were going to enjoy our stay here. We were met outside the airport by young lady who worked at Casa Arequipa guest house (where we had reservations) and a driver, who drove us through the narrow streets of the city to our lovely little B&B. Delcy spoke English very well and welcomed us warmly to Arequipa. Over the next few days we were to become friends with this delightful señorita who was very kind and helpful to us. We checked in and found that our room, “The Honeymoon Suite”, was large and very comfortable, with our own terrace looking out over the neighbourhood.
We took Delcy’s recommendation of a restaurant near the central plaza for dinner, and a 75 cent taxi ride took us to the “Zig Zag” where we had an excellent meal of gnocchi with Roquefort cream sauce for me, and grilled trout for Sue.
The next day, Easter Sunday, dawned clear and bright, and after a tasty breakfast of tropical fruit (mango, papaya, pineapple, melon), scrambled eggs and the best bread rolls we’d had on the trip, we set off on the 15-minute walk to the central plaza. This was our only full day in Arequipa as we were leaving Monday morning for an overnight tour to the Colca Canyon, and we wanted to get as much sightseeing done as we could.
The large Plaza de Armas with its tall palm trees, fountains and park benches, is bordered on one side by the imposing twin-towered cathedral dating from 1612, and on the others by a jumble of shops, restaurants and tour agencies, seemingly every one of them having its own “hawker” outside enticing you in with the promise of a great meal or wonderful tourist bargain. Even on this Easter morning commerce continued unabated. The Plaza was full of people but there didn’t seem to be any special Easter celebrations or events going on…just, families, students and the occasional artist enjoying the plaza and warm morning sunshine. We headed over to the cathedral and entered through the massive front doors. An Easter mass was in progress as hundreds of people sat in the rows and rows of pews running the length of church under the high, vaulted ceilings and surrounded by usual lavish trappings in gold, silver and precious stones. We stood at the back watching the service for a few minutes where people seemed to be coming and going with little attention to the service, while a few other tourists walked around the church looking at the paintings and statues adorning the walls. We eventually continued to the far side of the cathedral and ducked out a back door into a small pedestrian lane lined with small restaurants (for the after-church crowd?) and small trees in bloom. The white stone buildings and colorful blossoms presented a very attractive sight.
After walking around some of the small streets in the vicinity of the plaza, we headed to what proved to be the highlight of our day in Arequipa. The Convent of Santa Catalina is a large complex covering 5 acres, surrounded by massive fortress-like walls within which is contained a huge collection of bedrooms, kitchens, halls and chapels which once housed over 400 nuns. Throughout what is almost a small, walled town, a series of open plazas, courtyards and gardens connect the various sections of the convent. The thick rectangular columns of the plazas have been painted in vibrant blue, gleaming white and burnt orange colors presenting a string of striking and colorful scenes (and endless photo ops!!). This convent had been described in our guidebook as one of Peru’s most famed cultural treasures, and after two hours exploring the fascinating quarters and stunning open spaces of this 430-year-old convent, we whole-heartedly agreed.
Our next stop was a short walk from the convent to “Mundo Alpaca” a complex which was part retail outlet, part zoo and part museum. Here a guide/sales clerk ushered us on a tour to a small enclosure where we were able to get up close and personal with some llamas and alpacas. We then were shown the original factory (now a museum) with its large spinning and weaving machines used to turn the fine wool into thread and eventually various fabrics. Following our tour, we browsed the beautiful goods on sale and did buy some alpaca wool gifts to take home with us.
After a late afternoon lunch sitting at a table in the warm sun at a restaurant near the cathedral (pizza and a glass of house wine for $3 each!), we walked around the picturesque streets of central Arequipa, seeing another church and just drinking in the ambiance of this lovely city. As the afternoon sun was waning, we made our way back to the Casa where we packed up an overnight bag for our early morning departure for the Colca Canyon.
Monday April 9th was another fine day as we set off in the comfortable mini-bus for our trip to Colca. We had been looking forward to this tour ever since I had had come across descriptions of the canyon while researching our trip. I had never heard of this, the world’s deepest canyon (over 14,000 ft at its deepest point, two and a half times the depth of the Grand Canyon) but I learned that this incredible chasm carved through the foothills of the Andes, is one of Peru’s most amazing natural sites and is fast becoming a top tourist attraction.
Our busload of tourists was a mixed bag of nationalities. In addition to us two Canadians, there were an English couple, a German father and son, a French family of five and a couple from Lima. We were joined by our guide for the two days, Homer, a friendly fellow of about 30, who spoke very good English and kept up a constant commentary as we climbed up into the foothills surrounding Arequipa. The steep climb took us up to a high, barren plateau where the terrain resembled pictures of the moon. In parts there was just a grey mass of stones and shale stretching as far as the eye could see.
At one point along the trail we encountered several small herds of vicuñas. Unlike its Peruvian camelid cousins, the alpaca and llama, the vicuña has never been domesticated and roams freely on the high Andean plains. We stopped to take pictures of these exquisite creatures that produce one of the world’s finest wools. Homer told us that it takes 23 strands of vicuña hair to equal the width of one human hair and that only about 250 grams are acquired from each animal in the annual roundup and shearing. Not surprisingly, the prized wool is extremely expensive, selling for around $400USD per kilogram. A full-length vicuña coat would cost in the neighbourhood of $30,000!
Later in the morning we reached our high point on this trip to Colca. The bus pulled over and Homer told us we would have a few minutes to walk around at this 16,500 ft altitude. In preparation for our high altitude journey, Homer had handed out wads of cocoa leaves rolled up with a dab of special ash which acts as a catalyst for the cocoa’s ingredients that supposedly help prevent altitude sickness. Cocoa leaves are chewed regularly by the locals living on these high plains, so we took Homer’s advice and chewed slowly on the little green wad. We soon experienced some numbness in our mouths and after a few minutes we spit out the leaves, I, for one, hoping that the cocoa would help the little nagging headache that had returned as we climbed out of Arequipa.
After a few minutes in the cold, windswept highlands, Sue and I sought the relative warmth of the bus. I had told Homer that I had had some problems with altitude sickness in the past so when we sat down on the bus, he scrutinized me closely and asked how I felt. I said, “ok, I guess”, but this didn’t satisfy our conscientious guide. He asked to look at my fingernails which were in fact fairly blue as were my lips, observed Homer. He then instructed me to breathe slowly and deeply and to hold each breath for a few seconds to help my lungs absorb oxygen. And then he got out a small bottle of rubbing alcohol, poured a little onto my palms and told me to hold my hands up to my mouth and nose like a breathing mask. The sharp smelling alcohol was like a shot of smelling salts and immediately seemed to open my breathing passages and help with the intake of air. Satisfied that I wasn’t going to pass out, Homer left to gather up the rest of the group and we were on our way.
About 1:30 we began our descent into the Colca Valley, down a long winding road that took us past herds of grazing llamas down towards the green valley far below. The scenery was awesome as we descended toward the town of Yanque where we stopped for a late lunch. And then it was on to the last leg of our journey to our home for the night, the Colca Lodge a few miles up the valley.
The Colca lodge is situated on the banks of the Rio Colca which cuts its way through canyon. The lodge has two or three long buildings with thatched roofs that are divided into several large and comfortable rooms. The scenery was stunning around the lodge, but the feature we had been most looking forward to was the natural hot pools by the river’s edge. We donned our bathing suits and fluffy bathrobes supplied by the lodge and made our way down to the river. The air was cool as the sun dipped below the nearby mountains, and we both were smiling broadly and mouthing contented “ooh’s and aah’s” as we slipped into the beautifully warm water. We spent over an hour soaking in a couple of the four or five pools, each a different temperature, ranging from warm to almost scalding. What a relaxing way to end a long travel day!
Our bus left the next morning at 6:30 so once again, an early start to the day. We set out along a rough narrow mountain road for the journey to a place known as “condor cross” which is a protected refuge for the huge South American condor. Along the way we stopped several times to admire the amazing scenery. The impossibly green man-made terraces cascaded down the slopes of the canyon, which at this point was not yet too steep to support agriculture, as if thousands of giant steps had been cut into the canyon walls. Homer told us that these terraces were built as long as 3000 years ago and that there were over one million of them in the Colca region. Many nearer the river have been abandoned because of erosion or earthquake damage, but many are still being cultivated by age-old methods using oxen and hand plows, to grow quinoa and other grains. Also along the way we saw some ancient Inca burial sites which are now hanging precariously on the side of a cliff, the once-solid ground having slipped away in a landslide.
Around 9:00 we reached the condor reserve. Our bus stopped a mile or so short of the lookout where several bus loads of tourists were standing gazing into the skies or down into the depths of the canyon, at this point 4000 ft below. Homer pointed us to a narrow path running along the edge which he said would be a stimulating walk for anyone up to it. Everyone decided to go and we set out along the path in a daze at the breathtaking vista around us. And we hadn’t been walking for more than a few minutes when Homer pointed to the sky in the direction we’d just come from, and said “There’s a condor…and he’s heading straight towards us”. And sure enough, we picked out a black speck which quickly made its way towards us, passing not 20 feet above us. It was a magnificent adult condor, black as night with its wing feathers spread like the fingers of a hand. The Andean condor is a huge bird with a wingspan of 12 ft or more. Although the albatross can have a larger wingspan, the condor is the heaviest bird in the world that flies. This magnificent creature soared along the canyon rim, only moving its wing feathers to maintain its trim as it road the warm air currents rising from the valley below. And then a couple of minutes later, another bird came along in the opposite direction. Homer told us this was a young, immature bird as evidenced by it brown coloring. Again, we stood in awe at this sighting while contemplating how few people get to see such a wonderful sight. Even here in the home of the condor, tourists often come away disappointed, not having seen a condor, so we were ecstatic at having had two close encounters. We finished our walk to the lookout where we saw two or three more condors circling in the distance, though we didn’t get another close-up view of this famous symbol of the Andes.
And so we reluctantly climbed onto the bus for our journey back to Arequipa. We again marveled at the grandeur all around us as we motored slowly along the rough road to join the main highway at Yanque. We had not got to the deeper parts of the canyon which were several hour’s drive past condor cross along this rock-strewn road, but what we had seen was enough to establish our visit to the Colca Canyon as one of the best excursions of our trip. The soothing hot pools, dazzling scenery, spectacular terraces, and the dramatic encounter with the majestic condors all added up to an experience we will never forget.
It was late afternoon when we arrived back at the Casa Arequipa and we said good-bye to Homer and the rest of the group. We were sitting have a cup of coffee in the Casa’s lounge a few minutes later, when we were surprised to learn from one of the hotel staff that the bus had again pulled up outside and the guide wanted to see us. It turns out that despite Homer’s plea to ensure we had all our belongings, we had left our binoculars on our seat, and Homer had been kind enough to backtrack the bus to return them to us. So this time with a final farewell he was off and we headed up to our room, thankful for the thoughtfulness of our excellent guide and companion of the last two days.
The next day were scheduled on a midnight flight from Peru to Houston, continuing on to Calgary the next morning, and our LAN flight to Lima didn’t leave till 7:30 that evening. After another great breakfast at the Casa, we somewhat reluctantly packed up our suitcases so that they could prepare our rooms for the next guests arriving that evening. We pottered away the day walking around the vicinity of the square and visiting a couple of more museums, but our hearts weren’t really in any more sightseeing.
Wednesday April 11th was a day which had always been just a documented entry in our calendar with the description “Flight back to Lima – connection to Continental for flight to Calgary”. But here it was and we were faced with the reality of our last day in Peru and the last of this wonderful adventure. We were both ready for a break from the intense travelling we’d been doing for nearly three months, but at the same time we felt sorrowful at having to end our “gran aventura” as one friendly Guatemalan had said to us in our first week of the trip. We had experienced many amazing things, seen sights of wonder, many good though some disturbing, met dozens of wonderful people, travelers and natives alike, and had acquired a host of wonderful memories that will last the rest of our lives. And, if the truth were known, we satisfied our need to again “travel” as we had thirty years before went we did “Asia on the cheap”. We had told many people that this was our “Regain Our Youth Tour” and in a very real sense we had accomplished our goal of surviving and in fact thoroughly enjoying our time away. We had stayed pretty true to our plans to arrange and carryout our trip ourselves and to “travel” and not “tour”, though as Sue was fond of saying, we did resort to the “candy ass tour” mode on occasion. But we had “traveled” and had grown from the experience. In fact, as I write these words, I’m reminded of a quote that appeared in my “book” completed in 1982 about our travels through Asia. It was taken from our then travel bible, Tony Wheeler’s Lonely Planet “Southeast Asia on a Shoestring” wherein he said:
“If I had to define my belief in travel, it is that if you have been somewhere and stayed at the local Hilton, you’ve not really been there. Tourists stay at Hiltons, travelers don’t. The traveler wants to see the country at ground level, to breath it, experience it, live it. This usually requires two things the tourist can’t provide – more time and less money. If you’re really going to travel, it’s going to take longer and cost less. So, blend in and enjoy yourself.”
I think we can say we again followed much of Tony’s advice this time round and we really did “blend in and enjoy ourselves”. And although we will probably be “tourists” in future, we both agreed there is still a lot of the world to see and we have lots of “tours” to look forward to in the future. Beginning right away with our trip to Australia!!!
Well, that’s just about it for this part of our Blog. I will end with one more brief entry about some of the interesting experiences or facts that we neglected to write about. After that, stay tuned for Aussie. G’di.
Our arrival in Arequipa with the Misti Volcano in the background
Easter mass in Arequipa's cathedral
A few shots of the white stone buildings giving Arequipa its nickname as the White City
The entrance to the Convent of Santa Catalina. The following few shots are taken within its walls
Some new friends
The cathedral and Plaza de Armas in Arequipa
The barren landscape as we climbed out of Arequipa
Vicuñas on the high plains
Cocoa leaves to ward off teh affects of altitude
AT 16,500 ft...cold and bleak!
Descending into the Colca Valley
A view of the Colca Lodge where we spent the night
A view of the Colca Lodge where we spent the night
A soothing soak in the lodges hot pools
The spectacular scenery along the Colca Valley
The spectacular scenery along the Colca Valley
Along the path to the condor cross lookout
An adult condor soars just overhead. This is where I really could have used a telephoto lens!
A young condor
A young condor
The steep slopes of the canyon which here was some 4000 ft deep
Some of the local, colorfully-dressed women selling sovenirs and condor cross
More splendid scenery in the Colca Valley
Leaving the Colca Canyon
Our last hours in Peru...sad to be leaving.
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