We arrived in freezing Arequipa at 6 am, we were tired but got a few hours sleep on the night bus. By 9am it was scorching, however at about 2,500 meters above sea level days are hot and nights are freeeeezing. Greg was already feeling the affects of altitude but I was ok at this point.
Already from the feel of the bus station we could tell it was going to be a better place than nazca. Although we were nervous our Hostal was going to be another disaster. In fact it was brilliant, very basic and a bit run down, but right in the centre of town, clean and hot showers!
We spent the next two days and nights wandering around this cool city, it reminds me of new orleans with its balconies and court yards and also parts of east Berlin, with crumbling walls and peeling paint but uber cool at the same time. There are hundreds of restaurants set back off the street in little court yards and all the buildings are made from compacted white lava stone which is quarried from the 3 volcanos that over look the city.
We are getting a tiny bit sick of the set menus which are ideal for back packers as it works out about £2 each for 2 courses and a weird tea drink called mate, it usually consists of a chicken noodle soup thing, or bits of potato in a cheese sauce and a main like meat and pesto pasta or breaded chicken. So on our second night we went for a steak with our mates which was amazing, the red wine was the best I've ever tasted. Either that or I really needed it!
We had an early night after our steak dinner and said goodbye to Stef and Kate, who were going on a different trip, as we had an early start the next morning to colca canyon. After a bit of unorganised pick up we stopped at a shop to buy coca leaves on the recommendation from our guide. A bag was roughly 90p and he strictly told us not to try to take any home as the bag of leaves could be made into 6 grams of cocaine! He then showed us how to roll the leaves, sprinkle some of the ash rock that comes with then inside and then chew on it, which we did. You can get coca tea and biscuits everywhere but this stuff is more pokey. It made your tongue go numb after a few chews, but I didn't really notice much else. Apparently it's not only meant to help with altitude sickness but also just makes you feel stronger, confident and helps you lose weight as it surpreses hunger. I wonder why people don't just use this pure version than snorting god knows what, perhaps also why we aren't allowed to bring it home though...
All this was on preparation for the hightest point of 4900 meters, amazing views of the volcanos but it did make me feel something between paraletic and beaten up, or maybe that was the coca leaves. We drove on, a bit down hill thank god to the village of chivay at 4200 meters, passing several local women and children selling the alpaca and lama fibre hats and jumpers. Pretty cool for what is basically tourist stuff.
After dinner, strange folk dancing that included whipping, and mock sexual acts, we went to bed in the most luxury Hostal we've stayed in so far, despite being a bit erie and creepy.
A word on our fellow passengers. 6 annoying Spanish old people with terrible hair cuts, wearing nazca necklaces, alpaca ponchos, I love condors hats and smoked 40 Marlboro reds an hour. Not to mention talking at a hundred decibels on the bus, who used the clearly labeled broken toilet cause the bus to stop on empty it, twice! One also farted and then walked up and down the bus to waft it about! God I sound like greg. There was also 3 girls each travelling on their own, one was a hypercondriac, the other had a terrets twitch, and the other one was ok.....
After a grumpy 5am start, we headed out to colca canyon, the deepest in the world, I'm actually surprised I've made it through to write this as the drive was hairy to say the least. At one look out point to get photos of the incredible view, the guide nonchalantly let us know that a tourist had died there a month ago on being crushed by a falling boulder, he added, I don't normally risk stopping here! Great.
The next bit was my favourite part. We headed for the main look out point: cruz del condor, however on the way there we made a pit stop when about 10 condors started circling the canyon right above us. I just can't believe I've never seen one of these in a zoo or something, they were massive. 4 meter wing span on the biggest, at the end of their wings their feathers looked like hands. We were so lucky to see them as sometimes it's not guaranteed to see them at all, and so close. The guide took us on a scary walk along the canyon ledge, the view was incredible but I was a bit scared. More condors flew past and we finally reached the main look out point which was packed with tourists. The condors seemed to be showing off, then at 9.30 they stopped, just like that. And it became apparent why we got up so early, as they seen to circle for food for a few hours before it gets hot.
The drive back to Arequipa seemed long and windy, without the guide keeping us occupied I felt the attitude and motion sickness a lot more, the only thing to do was sleep.
It was a relief to arrive back at our hostel and to get an early night.... The next morning our hostel didn't seem so great as whilst checking out I spotted a dreaded bed bug. After a thorough search of the room and our stuff we only found 2 more and on inspection of ourselves only Greg had been bitten. What we thought were mosquito bites from nasca we think were bugs from the horrible hostel we stayed in.... From now on we will be inspecting every room before we put our heads down. Another reminder that this trip is certainly not a long holiday but a trip of experiences...
So tonight at 9pm we depart for cusco, another 10 hr night bus, although this time near horizontal first class seats await.
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