By Layla
We left you in the Kuntur Wassi hotel, with me clutching my head and wailing in agony, convinced I had finally succumbed to the famed altitude sickness (we were at 3300m, having been at 4950m earlier in the day). Roz masterfully strode out into the dark of the night to find medication that would save me. Accompanied thankfully by our tour guide, she braved giant dogs and multiple closed pharmacies before ending up at the local hospital and procuring some paracetamol for me. She returned a hero, and within 10 mins of taking the tablets I felt fine. Roz peered at me suspiciously: "your face is the colour of a tomato - are you sure it isn't sunstroke?" Ahem. I shamefacedly joined Roz, our guide, and our driver for a dinner that would have been more pleasant if not forced into impossible social niceties, before retreating to our room and watching the first part of the movie Giant before falling sound asleep.
Up bright and early, we had a tasty hotel breakfast with last night's loquacious dining companions before setting off with our guide and a random dog on our expedition - to the bottom of Colca Canyon! This bad boy is far deeper than the Grand Canyon and at the very bottom, the dusty cliff face gives way to an unexpected oasis - Sangalle - and it was to this oasis - currently a spec of green far, far below - that we were headed. Cue a rather nice 3 1/2 hour zig zag down the face of the canyon (overtaken by old ladies who live there - this cliff face is their main access to Cabanaconde, the tiny village that to them is the big city). The scenery was fab, the sky a brilliant blue, and the path quite pleasant, in a knee-crunching way. Indeed, by the time we eventually got to the bottom, I was clutching my knees in agony and feeling very old indeed.
The oasis at the bottom of the canyon was a treat - lovely swimming pool surrounded by grassy areas, with the massive canyon wall looming just beyond. We had a quick swim, then read our books in hammocks. Followed by a quick lunch, more reading, and then a realization that the oasis lacked electricity, it was a cloudy night, and our "bungalow" was a stone hut with a bed on the mud floor, a pitch black walk down a rocky stairway to the eating area and the toilets. Clutching our torch and each other as we made our way to these destinations once more made me feel old. En suite bathroom with light, please! We watched the rest of Giant in our pitch black bungalow, had some dinner, got huffy with our guide who made us buy our own water for walking up the canyon despite having promised to the contrary, played some cards, and finished the evening reading our kindles by torchlight.
This morning our alarm went off at the ungodly hour of 5.15 (and only after a fight - our guide wanted to leave at 3 or 4!) and hauled ourselves in the darkness out of bed and to the start of the trail. What is with people wanting to trek in darkness! I was rather dreading it - I'm not that fit and struggle to climb big hills, and there was the option of hiring a mule, but Roz wanted to walk, and her little plaintive face persuaded me that I should too. It was just as unpleasant as you might imagine an unfit person climbing steeply uphill for 5 hours would find the experience. I thought I was going to die. Roz, sporting a splitting headache and horrible cold, fared little better. By the time we finally staggered out of that picturesque canyon, it seemed we had a competition as to who felt worse. We dispatched the guide back to the hospital to get Roz some painkillers, and replenished ourselves at a dingy cafe with triangle bread and cheese.
Onwards, past glorious, spectacular scenery, to the Caldera Hot Springs, which were just what my protesting leg muscles wanted. We floated dreamily in the outdoor hot swimming pool, with hot water from the local volcano, and mountains all around - beautiful. And then had some lunch in Chivay before the long drive back to Arequipa, punctuated by llamas, alpacas and vicunas. We were met by the owner of the travel company who had been advised of our discontent over the water - a man who is clearly obsessed with his Tripsdvisor rating! And then retired to our new room at Los Tambos - a much appreciated upgrade: hooray! Tomorrow we're going cycling. Hope my legs start working in time!
We left you in the Kuntur Wassi hotel, with me clutching my head and wailing in agony, convinced I had finally succumbed to the famed altitude sickness (we were at 3300m, having been at 4950m earlier in the day). Roz masterfully strode out into the dark of the night to find medication that would save me. Accompanied thankfully by our tour guide, she braved giant dogs and multiple closed pharmacies before ending up at the local hospital and procuring some paracetamol for me. She returned a hero, and within 10 mins of taking the tablets I felt fine. Roz peered at me suspiciously: "your face is the colour of a tomato - are you sure it isn't sunstroke?" Ahem. I shamefacedly joined Roz, our guide, and our driver for a dinner that would have been more pleasant if not forced into impossible social niceties, before retreating to our room and watching the first part of the movie Giant before falling sound asleep.
Up bright and early, we had a tasty hotel breakfast with last night's loquacious dining companions before setting off with our guide and a random dog on our expedition - to the bottom of Colca Canyon! This bad boy is far deeper than the Grand Canyon and at the very bottom, the dusty cliff face gives way to an unexpected oasis - Sangalle - and it was to this oasis - currently a spec of green far, far below - that we were headed. Cue a rather nice 3 1/2 hour zig zag down the face of the canyon (overtaken by old ladies who live there - this cliff face is their main access to Cabanaconde, the tiny village that to them is the big city). The scenery was fab, the sky a brilliant blue, and the path quite pleasant, in a knee-crunching way. Indeed, by the time we eventually got to the bottom, I was clutching my knees in agony and feeling very old indeed.
The oasis at the bottom of the canyon was a treat - lovely swimming pool surrounded by grassy areas, with the massive canyon wall looming just beyond. We had a quick swim, then read our books in hammocks. Followed by a quick lunch, more reading, and then a realization that the oasis lacked electricity, it was a cloudy night, and our "bungalow" was a stone hut with a bed on the mud floor, a pitch black walk down a rocky stairway to the eating area and the toilets. Clutching our torch and each other as we made our way to these destinations once more made me feel old. En suite bathroom with light, please! We watched the rest of Giant in our pitch black bungalow, had some dinner, got huffy with our guide who made us buy our own water for walking up the canyon despite having promised to the contrary, played some cards, and finished the evening reading our kindles by torchlight.
This morning our alarm went off at the ungodly hour of 5.15 (and only after a fight - our guide wanted to leave at 3 or 4!) and hauled ourselves in the darkness out of bed and to the start of the trail. What is with people wanting to trek in darkness! I was rather dreading it - I'm not that fit and struggle to climb big hills, and there was the option of hiring a mule, but Roz wanted to walk, and her little plaintive face persuaded me that I should too. It was just as unpleasant as you might imagine an unfit person climbing steeply uphill for 5 hours would find the experience. I thought I was going to die. Roz, sporting a splitting headache and horrible cold, fared little better. By the time we finally staggered out of that picturesque canyon, it seemed we had a competition as to who felt worse. We dispatched the guide back to the hospital to get Roz some painkillers, and replenished ourselves at a dingy cafe with triangle bread and cheese.
Onwards, past glorious, spectacular scenery, to the Caldera Hot Springs, which were just what my protesting leg muscles wanted. We floated dreamily in the outdoor hot swimming pool, with hot water from the local volcano, and mountains all around - beautiful. And then had some lunch in Chivay before the long drive back to Arequipa, punctuated by llamas, alpacas and vicunas. We were met by the owner of the travel company who had been advised of our discontent over the water - a man who is clearly obsessed with his Tripsdvisor rating! And then retired to our new room at Los Tambos - a much appreciated upgrade: hooray! Tomorrow we're going cycling. Hope my legs start working in time!
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