The Vagrant Gypsy Life

Photos: Colca Canyon trek

Day 184 Wed 2/3 Arequipa/ Chivay/ San Juan de Chuccho – Colca Canyon trek day 1

Awake at 2:30 to get ready for the tour van at 3:00 am. Nick, Joe and I are slow as could well be imagined. The van was full and we leave town around 04:00 am after picking people up. Nobody was in the mood for a chat and most of us fall asleep as we leve town. We get to Chivay around 06:30 am after formalities at a police control station.

The breakfast is meagre; the redeeimgg feature being some juice made from quinoa. We then head on to Cabanaconde where we would start the hike, making a stop at Cruz del Condor. It is a nice viewpoint where one gets a first look at the Colca canyon. The stratified Machu-Pichu lookalike of the fields make me look forward to Machu Pichu, and wide awake. We also see quite a few condors in flight.

It is but 20 minutes to get to Cabanaconde and we head to the start of the trail. Th van splits up into two groups according to the trek they signed up for, the options being a 2-day or a 3-day trek. Our 3-day trek comprised of Joe and Nick, two lads from Nebraska who had just wrapped up college, 3 doctoras from Barcelona, a city counsellor from Montreal, our guide Cristina and myself. We do the usual touristy “before the trek” group photo and head down. The scenery is beautiful and we arrive at the bottom of the canyon in about 2 hours. My knees find it rough towards the end of the trek. The village of San Juan de Chuccho is small, with agriculture and tourism being the main occupations. There is only 1 school for kids of ages 5-10. Children would have to go to the town of Cabanaconde to pursue higher education. I dont think there was a hospital.

After lunch, it was time for a short nap to recuperate from the early start and the strong sun. Nap, shower and we regroup to get a look arounbd the village and indulge in some fruit – picking. We pick fruits from cactus (tuna) and peaches (melacoton/ durazno). The farming is organic and we enjoy a few peaches – delicious. The cactus fruit has to be picked with care, since they have small (but painful) thorns.

While our guide heads to help out in the kitchen, the 7 of us sit around the table playing some games that the Spaniards concoct. Dinner is delicious (soup, some dish made of pumpkin & rice, mate from hojas de coca) and would be for me, the best meal of the 3 days.

There is no electricity and we eat our meal in candle-light. The night sky is amazing; clear sky allows for a great view of the stars. Not something that a city-dweller takes lightly 🙂

Day 185 Thu 3/3 San Juan de Chuccho/ Malata/ Oasis of Sangalle – Colca Canyon trek day 2

After a good, filling breakfast, it is time to hike to the Oasis of Sangalle, with a few stops along the way as our guide gave informative talks on the culture of the people in the villages we passed, and the fauna. We also got some info on some Incan customs.
We pay a visit to a museum in Malata, stopping for a short group photo in the main square and head on down to Sangalle. The first 2 hours are easy, but the last hour is tough for me. I find it easier to climb than going down as my knee bothers me on descents.

We are about 3 minutes from our lodge/ bungalow, when Nick takes a tumble and twists his right ankle. He is instantly surrounded by 3 doctors. Joe and I help Nick down to the pool where he bathes his ankle and the drs ply him with Ibuprofen. They also wrap his ankle.

All of us head to the pool for two lazy hours except poor Nick, who sits poolside. Ester, one of the Catalonian girls, heads to bed after a quick dip as she isnt feeling well. It is time for lunch. After lunch, it is frisbee and pool for me, while a couple of the group lounge in hammocks and others take a catnap. The guides arrange a game of volleyball and we have a fun time for an hour and a half. Our group, the folks from the 2 day trek, our guides, folks from the lodge, all join in. We have quite a few laughs too during the game.

The folks in the kitchen invite us to help them cut the veggies and then it is time to sit around the table chatting and playing cards, while waiting for dinner. Time for an early night again. There are no lights in the room or the bathrooms, so we have to depend on our trusted torches.

Day 186 Fri 4/3 Oasis of Sangalle/ Cabanaconde/ Chivay/ Arequipa – Colca Canyon trek day 3

Wake up at 4:00 and start the hike at 5:15. The trails are uphill and tough in parts. It takes me about 2 hours to get to the top. Nick’s ankle holds up well – kudos to the girls!

Another group photo and we head for breakfast at Cabanaconde. We get 30 minutes to walk around the village and then it is off to Chivay. The church is pretty and has an exhibition of some great photos of the region.

We stop at a viewpoint where we can see where the canyon ends and the valley begins. The pre-Inca terraces of the land in the pretty, green valley has me looking forward to Machu Pichu. We also stop at some village where we get to taste Colca sour and have a look around.

Lunch at Chivay and then it is 3 hour ride back to town. We arrange to meet Francoise for dinner as the girls are off to Puno as soon as they can. Francoise is late to the Plaza de Armas were we had planned to meet and so I have dinner with Joe and Nick, who have a bus to catch in about an hour and a half. Dinner and then it is time for goodbyes. When the duo hailed a taxi, the policeman and policewoman who were standing nearby came up tp the taxi, took down the credentials of the driver and notes the number of the taxi. The lady also made a phonecall to ascertain the taxi is authentic. Apprently there are some fake taxis that scoundrels use to rob poor, unsuspecting tourists.

As I walk back to the hostel, I run into Francoise. He arrived 15 minutes late and was sitting down, watching the people. Cue for my second dinner. I have another meal, albeit a small one and a nice chat with Francoise.

It is time to close curtains on the end of a tour that was extremly enjoyable, not only for the views, but also for the people. All of us got along so well and had a great time together, with a lot of laughter and fun. The only unpleasant things being Nick’s fall and Ester’s bad afternoon (and for me, the descents).

Photos : Arequipa

Day 182 Mon 28/2 Arica/ Tacna/ Arequipa

Took a taxi to Tacna from Arica after a good breakfast. Left Arica at 9 am and arrived at around 11 am in Tacna. Since Peru is about 2 hours behind Chile, it meant that I had plenty of time to get to Arequipa before night fall.

The trip from Arica to Tacna went smoothly. I had expected the border crossings to take some time, but the formalities were quite easy on both sides of the border. Plenty of buses run from Tacna to Arequipa and I hopped on one at 9:45. I managed to nod off and missed most of the scenery in the 7 hour ride. The bus ride wasnt comfortable as the A/C was broken and I couldnt open my window! It was a good 28 degrees C inside.

When I did wake up, I got talking to a couple of Americans sitting next to me. We headed to a hostel and enjoyed a stroll and a cheap, but tasty Chinese dinner together, after the formalities of checking in and a nice shower.

Day 183 Tue 1/3 Arequipa

Started the day with a great breakfast with some tasty fresh fruit juice. Spent most of the day wandering around, finding a tour to trek Colca Canyon, changing money and relaxing. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru and the city centre is really pretty, with some beautiful colonial buildings. People seem friendly and the shop owners are ready to chat.

After a nice dinner, we headed to bed early since the van would pick us up at 3 am to head out to Cabanaconde, where we would start the trek.

Day 155 Tue 1/2 Tongoy/ La Serena

After two family days, I am off on my own again. Take the bus to La Serena after breakfast.

It takes me a while to find a hostel in La Serena as it is high season.

La Serena has some lovely Colonial buildings and a nice atmosphere. The main plaza feels extremely peaceful. The beach is about 3 km from the city centre. A nice walk along tree lined streets.

Day 156 Wed 2/2 La Serena

I took a tour to Parque Nacional Frey Jorge and Valle del Encanto. The micro climate makes for an absolutely unique little area in the national park. The vegetation there cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Day 157 Thu 3/2 La Serena

I didnt do much on Thursday, except reading, getting some sleep and spending some time at the beach.

Day 158 Fri 4/2 La Serena

I had heard great things about Valle Elqui and decided to head to Pisco Elqui and Vicuña. The bus ride to Pisco Elqui was 2 hours long, but with great views that made the time pass by quickly. Pisco Elqui is small and beautiful.

Pisco Elqui and Vicuña

Day 159 Sat 5/2 La Serena/ bus/ Santiago

Took the bus to Santiago. It is a 6 hour ride and I dont remember much from the bus ride, so the views werent anythign special. I also managed to get a bit of shut eye!

Santiago made a good impression on me. I walked around the Bellavista neighbourhood Saturday night. It is a bohemain neighbourhood and a fun place to be, especially for a tourist.

Day 169 Tue 15/2 San Pedro de Atacama to Salta

I took the bus from San Pedro to Salta and enjoyed some great views. I cannot remember another bus ride in my life that had such a lovely view. Desrt landsape followed by salt flats, followed by curving roads as we reach more than 3000 m in altitude, mountains that are colourful and greenery as we reach Jujuy and Salta.

My photos dont do justice to the scenery : Bus ride from San Pedro to Salta

I felt fresh after I arrived in Salta. After a shower, went to take a look at Salta at night. Salta looks beautiful at night and I head to bed after a day feeling happy – how can one not feel happy after such beautiful sights!

Day 179 Fri 25/2 San Pedro de Atacama/ Bus

A day that was spent updating my blog, catching up on some reading and a couple of nice meals. The bus for Arica left at 8.30 pm and was filled with passengers

Day 180 Sat 26/2 Arica

9 hours brings us to Arica at 5.15 am! A bunch of us sit around in the bus station waiting for the sun to come out. I end up watching people around me. People watching is a fun way to pass time.

My first day in Arica was spent trying to figure out how to get to Peru and changnig money. I had miscalculated and ended up with a lot more Argentie pesos than I needed. Changing money always means one loses money and I cant say I am too pleased with my sloppy calculations. It took me most of the day to get things ready. Then spent the afternoon preparing some food and watching Barcelona take on Mallorca.

Arica does not strike me as an especially beautiful place. It is however a paradise for surfers and my hostel is full of surfers.

Day 181 Sun 27/2 Arica

I did not want to head into Peru on a Sunday and decided to take it easy in Arica. Went for a walk to see the town. There are a couple of buildings (Aduana and Iglesia San Marcos) which were designed by Eiffel before his big claim to fame.

Also walked to one of the beaches to watch the waves.

Returned to the hostel to ge some lunch and have Arsenal plum to defeat after playing a good match. It is never fun to be an Arsenal supporter. They play sublime football, but then contrive to lose in silly ways.

Chat with some fellow travellers and catch up on some chores. Looking forward to Peru.

Day 177 Wed 23/2 Salta

My last day in Argentina! I have fallen in love with all the 4 countries that I have visited in South America so far, having spent most of the time in Argentina. Almost feel sad that I have to say goodbye.

Walked around quite a bit again, before losing the battle to the heat and finding refuge in a cinema. I enjoy watching Darren Arronofsky (sp?) and Black Swan is no disappointment.

The weather changes quite drastically! I am lucky to make it back to the hostel before it starts pouring buckets! I use the weather as an excuse to watch Arsenal play a football game. Quite a tame end to a 2.5 month stay in Argentina!

Day 178 Thu 24/2 Salta/ San Pedro de Atacama

The bus ride from San Pedro de Atacama to Salta was so beautiful that I had to do it all over again. The scenery doesnt disappoint. However, I do take short naps this time around – quite different from the self that was glued to the window on the ride over. How quickly one can get used to beauty and take it for granted!

The Chilean customs is quicker this time around, after my experiences at the Chilean borders! Arrive in San Pedro at 4pm, which is a respectable 9 hours!

I rent a bike and head out to Valley of death, Valle de la Muerte. Enjoy the scenery and head back after sunset. Almost wish I had made it to Valle de la Luna for the sunset. However, I didnt fancy a 15 k ride after sitting in the bus all day!

Day 174 Sun 20/2 Tilcara

A 3 hour bus ride from Salta to Tilcara, arriving at Tilcara at 13:00. Ran into Florence, an Argentine from the tour to Cachi. She was on a 9 day vacation from her job in Mar de la Plata.

After lunch and a walk around town and a visit to a museum, we hike to Garganta del Diablo. It is a pleasant hike, but the altitude does make hiking a little harder.

Back in Tilcara, I venture out to try out a restaurant that advertised regional specialities. I had cazuela de Quinoa, washing it down with a couple of glasses of a nice red wine from a Cafayate winery.

Northern Argentina is cheap and even splurging out on dinner leaves me well within my budget.

The night was not quite so pleasant as I had to endure an attack from bed bugs. I woke up a few times in the middle of the night due to them! My lower jaw swelled up and I made a quick trip to the hospital where I was told that if there was no pain, I should go back in half a day if it were still swollen. The travails of the traveller sharing mattresses with others! However, I progressively get better as the day progresses. My face looked like the reflection on one of those curved mirrors than enhance certain features!

Day 175 Mon 21/2 Tilcara/ Purmamarca

Flor and I meet up again and head out to Purmamarca. Purmamarca is known for el cerro de siete colores – the hill with 7 colours. The hills surrounding the village of Purmamarca is very colourful and draws tourists by the bus loads. The Quebrada de Humahuaca in Jujuy is a UNESCO heritage site and is very beautiful. I could ride in a bus along the canyon all day!

We catch a taxi to Salinas Grandes, one of the largest salt flats in Argentina. It is very beautiful and the drive there no less so. I do manage to nod off on the way back. There is only so much beauty a man can handle.

After visiting the cemetery in Purmamarca, it is time to head back to Tilcara.

Head out to a tiny little restaurant for dinner, where I enjoy the performance of a 3 man group playing folk music.

Day 176 Tue 22/2 Tilcara/ Humahuaca/ Salta

I took the bus to Humahuaca, a beautiful village set among colourful hills. I walked around a while, enjoying the village. Sadly the battery in my camera died and I couldnt record the scenery and the buildings. I enjoyed the 40 min drive there as well.

I saw a few women dressed in what I think of as Bolivian costume. There is more indigenous folk in Northen Argentina.

Back to Tilcara and it is time to hop on a bus to Salta. This time, the bus takes much longer as there is some problem that needs to be fixed. Half an hour in the shop doesnt make for an enjoyable ride!

Day 170 Wed 16/2 Salta

Spent most of the mornng walking around town. The plaza is very comfotable and is home to some beautful buildings, including the ice-cream coloured catedarl and the cabildo. Arranged tours for the next couple of days.

Salta is in the heart of the Valle de Lerma and there is more of an indigenous presence in other parts of Argentina that I havr been to so far.

The afternoon was spent watching the Arsenal – Barcelona Champions League match. These are two of my favourite teams and it was a very enjoyable game, with Arsenal came out a surprise winner 2 – 1.

Day 171 Thu 17/2 Salta

A throughly enjoyable day on the tour to Cafayate. It is a small town in the south of Salta province. Valle Calchaquí is a wine growing region, with many wineries. There was a music festival in progress in Cafayate and the place was full of tourists.

Of the many tours I have taken over the past few months, this was probably the most enjoyable one. We had a nice guide, Naomi, and a very funny driver, Miguel. The entire group of people got along so well that the tour was a lot of fun and we had a great time. There was an Argentine family and foreigners comprised the rest of the 13-member group. And yes, the scenery was great as well as we went through the Quebrada de Cafayate. Learned quite a bit about the area ad some of the customs as well.

After the tour, we decided to head to a Peña, a typical folkmusic performace and dinner. A pleasant dinner, but way past my bed time. But no complaints as I rounded up one of the memorable days of the trip.

Day 172 Fri 18/2 Salta

This time too the tour guide proved very knowledgeable and kept the audience engrossed. Cachi is a small, charming village and the road from Salta to Cachi has soem amazing. The scenery changes from jungle to desert to highlands in a short time. The flore changed along with the different regions and altitudes as we passed by. We visited the Parque Nacional Los Cardones (cactus park), with numerous cactii as far as eye could see, before making it to the town of Cachi.

Dinner with a few folks from the group and it is time for bed.

Day 173 Sat 19/2 Salta

Walked up Cerro Bernardo to catch some great views of the city and surrounding mountains. Also arranged my bus tickets for the trip back to San Pedro and journey upto the northen province of Jujuy.

After taking a nap to refresh myself, I met a co-traveller for dinner.

Day 165 Fri 11/2 San Pedro de Atacama
After the 23 hour bus ride, I arrived in SP. The small town in the desert is very picturesque. The main square is filled with offices of tour groups. Tourism is a really important part source of income and that can be seen in the restaurants and the markets. It is the most arid desert in the world and water is extremely scarce – which might explain why it is so expensive.

Went for a walk after settling in. Had dinner, read my book and went to bed fairly early.

Day 166 Sat 12/2 San Pedro de Atacama

Woke up at 04:00 to take the tour to the Tatio geysers. Quite a surreal experience to see hot water and steam shooting out, while it was cold and we were surrounded by mountains. Hot springs in the cold out in the desert.

Had a swim in one of the hot thermal pools. The tour served us breakfast, after which we visited a village. I think the village has about 40 inhabitants? Saw maybe about 5 people in the village.

Back at the hostel, it was time for a coupe of football games, as my favourite teams, Arsenal and Barcelona were playing in their respective leagues.

Day 167 Sun 13/2 San Pedro de Atacama

Rented a bike and did some sightseeing in the morning. After lunch, I headed to Valle de La Luna, which is about 15 k outside the town. It was extremely sunny and hot, but the views were well worth it. I could not believe a desert formation could be so beautiful.

I had meant to catch the sunset at Valle de La Muerte, but managed to get a headache from the sun and decided to take a nap. Woke up well after sunset and chatted with a couple of fellow travellers. Every time I have one of these conversations, my “must see” list grows longer.

Day 168 Mon 14/2 San Pedro de Atacama

The day started at Tacanao town, on a tour to Salar de Atacama, the salt flat in Atacama, where we saw flamigoes on Laguna Chaxa. We also visited a couple more Altiplanic lakes, before heading to another village for lunch.

I was checking my financial situation, when I realised that someone had stolen 100 USD from me. I had lokced the bag with locks on the straps. The devious so and so (the terms I have in mind will probably get the blog taken off) prised off the straps by lifting up the loop on which they are housed. He made the mistake of putting it back in the wrong hoop.

The owner of the hostel was extremely upset and gave me a USD 50 discount on my stay and my tours, so I could recuperate some of my losses. Kindness and treachery on the same day…

I spent 5 days with friends (Rodolfo & Maria) in Santiago, spending time with them, catching up and relaxing. Walked around for a couple of days and the rest of the time was spent doing chores, eating, watching movies, football…

Santiago is much smaller than Buenos Aires, and is extremely clean. I didnt find the architecture to be as grand or imposing as in Buenos Aires, but there were still many buildings to hold your attention. Santiago has had to deal with earthquakes that took down quite a few of the colonial buildings. On that topic, I was really impressed to see how well they have dealt with the 8.5 earthquake that hit them early in 2010! You can see cracks in some of the buildings, but Rodolfo informs me that the city was up and running in less than 24 hours. I guess when a country lives in the shadow of potential earthquakes, it suits it well to be prepared to deal with it.

Day 160 Sun 6/2 Stgo

I spent a few hours walking around before meeting up with Rodolfo at the metro. The rest of the day was spent shopping, eating lunch, watching movies. Rodolfo and Maria had just come back from a couple of long trips and needed to rest. I have no complaints watching movies!

Day 161 Mon 7/2 Stgo

Walked around in Rodolfo’s neighbourhood, had lunch, booked my ticket to San Pedro and went for a couple of long walks.

Day 162 Tue 8/2 Stgo

Rodolfo and Maria had to work. I spent the entire day walking around different neighbourhoods and found myself liking Santiago quite a bit at the end of the day.

Day 163 Wed 9/2 Stgo

Spent the morning with Rodolfo and Maria at their lab while they worked to set some things that had to be done. Rodolfo drove us around town afterward – a city tour in his car. Maria has been in Chile almost a year and hadnt seen some of the sights – she was happy to join me as a tourist!

Day 164 Thu 10/2 Stgo

23 hour bus ride to San Pedro. It was a fairly boring bus ride as the views remained quite uninspiring after La Serena. The vistas grew interesting as it became dark. I woke up a few times to see images flit past. What I remember most of the trip was the starry sky.