Freejan

Just catching up while Jean and Rhonda have gone to change some money to Soles before we catch the bus to Puno. Jean has been ill for a few days with diarrhoera (another attempt at spelling!) and hopefully has been to a pharmacy or a clinic (addresses kind permission of Lonely Planet) and will feel better soon. We are here still when we had planned to go to Puno last night but we were too late getting back from our very tiring, but exciting, trip to the Colca Canyon to see condors yesterday. We left the Casa at 2am in the morning and travelled to Chivay in a Mitshubitsi (spelling again!) people carrier thing, which took 4 hours. We had breakfast and then travelled a further 2 hours to the Colca Canyon. We went through a series of emotions and feelings as we set off on this trip. It was amazingly cold in the car – he had no heater! – and although I had 3 layers on with my padded jacket, thick socks and boots, my fleece hat and hood up on top and fleece gloves, I was steadily getting colder with hands and feet to go numb any time! In the end Rhonda and I were given Freddie´s blanket that he had on his knee while he was driving! Freddie was a real character who would toot his horn if he saw a police car – to wake them up he said! A new bent on sleeping policemen! We couldn´t sleep of course through all this. WE got to the Canyon and the sun had come out and was hot but still chilly at nearly 4000 metres. There were many people there – all poised with cameras and binoculars nad many ladies in wonderful traditional clothes selling lots of wonderful things in alpacha and Llama wool. I treated myself to one of those lovely earflap hats in a purply blue – look stunning in it (not!). Then we realised that the birds had arrived. All was quiet while we watched these amazing birds fly and then glide over and around the canyon. There were lots of junvenilles (doesnt look right spelling either) and a few young adults who had achieved the black and white markings but not any really huge mature birds. The thrill was none the less absolute. We stood there for about 45 minutes until we had to set off back down the valley to see some of the observation spots on the way. The landscape was awesome. Huge mountains and volcanoes surrounding green, beautifully terraced hillsides, with nestling villages and a river in the bottom. The photographs will not do it justice I know. We had lunch back in Chivay after seeing a small dance performed by some villagers for us on the way down – all in beautiful traditional clothes. Then we set off back to Arequipa. What I havn´t mentioned are the 2 punctures and quick repair to horn (vital in this part of the world), filling up with water and petrol which slowed down our progress somewhat! On top of that Freddie insisting on giving us a running commentary in Spanish that we did not understand – had us in fits at times! Anyway we got back to Arequipa in the blazing heat (for a change) at 5.15pm. We decided to stay the night and leave today for Puno as we are on schedule.
Thought I ought to mention the the museum Santa Catalina where the´ íce maiden´Juanita is kept. This was a gobsmacking experience to see the frozen body of a youg girl sacrificed to the gods on top of Ampato mountain (21,000 feet) by the Incas 500 years ago. All so very well preserved because of the freezing. The body is not a mummy – but still skin etc. WE also went to a monestery where nuns had had a wonderful life until a sister was sent by the pope to sort them out in mid 19th century – huge and wonderful. Must go now Jean and Rhonda back so must get ready to move! Choa!

Tags: Travel

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