Arequipa & Colca Canyon - Week 38

5th to 8th June

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Continuing the flash-packing theme, we booked a flight from Cusco to Arequipa to save some time. The flight was in the afternoon so we spent the morning having a look around the cathedral and drinking tea in Cusco.

The Andes, Cusco to Juliaca flight

Volcan Misti as seen on the flight from Juliaca to Arequipa.

Once we arrived in Arequipa we booked straight onto a tour to Colca Canyon leaving at 8am the next morning. The first day consisted of a long drive through vicuña (very rare, wild types of llama) country to Chivay, the little village closest to the canyon. Mum had been feeling unwell all morning so after the usual buffet lunch, we left her at the hotel for a sleep and the three of us went off to the hot springs which were lovely and relaxing (still very basic but a bit nicer than Aguas Calientes!).

Feeding the coca leaf junkie llama!

By the time we left the hot springs, Katie was also feeling very ill with stomach cramps so off she went to bed and James and Dad were left to brave the local folkloric evening meal by themselves!! Instantly Andrew had to be brave as he was first up to dance. He took it very well and the ordeal was soon over leaving the diners to the usual pan-pipe music the Peruvian tourist agencies inflict every mealtime in the misguided belief that is what the tourist wants to listen to. They couldn´t be more wrong!!

Your typical peruvian band

We were due to leave the hotel for Colca Canyon itself at 6am but Katie had been up all night being ill so at 5am James called the doctor who arrived at 6am to administer an injection and 4 different pills for various ailments (it was all made much easier by the fact that he was incredibly good looking, just ask Mum!). So Katie stayed in bed and the others went off to the canyon. The first stop was to the small village of Yanque for some folk dancing. Great just what we wanted at 6:45 in the morning.

6:50 and an Eagle on my shoulder!

The handicraft sellers of Colca valley

The Andean Apple or Tuna fruit of the cactus

The andean condor, a vulture with a 3,5m wingspan...

That evening back in Arequipa there was no space left in the backpacker hostel where we had been staying so they let us stay in their sister hotel which was very posh for the same price - bargain! It was Corpus Christi so there was a big stage set up in the main square and a church choir singing so we got seats in a balcony restaurant and had very good pizza and watched proceedings. A bit to much talking and not enough dancing for our liking but interesting nevertheless.

Sawdust murials made by each of the parishes for the Corpus Christi celebrations

The next morning we visited the famous convent in Arequipa. This convent was opened four centuries ago for the second daughters of rich families who traditionally became nuns which was thought of as an honour as they were the people chosen to pray for all the family. An enormous dowry was paid by the family to the convent when the daughters joined. The girls were sent to the convent at the age of 12 - 14 and taught prayers and religious things for a year as novice nuns until they were deigned by the bishop well-educated enough to become nuns. The convent has been fully restored and is very interesting. For many years, the convent was unusual in that each nun had their own house built inside the convent walls, the size depending on the wealth of the family, and they also had live-in servants! There are over 80 houses within the convent walls. The fun and games came to an end in 1871, however, when the pope at the time decided enough was enough and they should all live together in one dormitory and no more dowries would be paid.

A nun´s "cell"

Seville street. The passages are named after cities in Spain

Some of the 3000 varieties of potato in Peru & Bolivia

Quality local music. Brave of them to admit their habit on the sleeve of their album!!

After a delicious, long lunch of pasta (everyone playing it safe as all of us had been hit to some extent by dodgy stomachs) it was time to say our fond farewells to Mummy and Daddy! It was very sad to see them go as we have had a brilliant and jam-packed couple of weeks with them. It also made us realise how much we're missing everyone at home and we're now thinking we might be ready to leave in twelve weeks time (how time flies!).

We stayed one more night in Arequipa, caught up on the blog and then booked onto the overnight bus to Nasca.