Immediately upon arrival to Arequipas main Plaza de Armas, Karl and I knew that things were looking up.
Arequipa is famed to be the best colonially conserved town in Peru and that was immediately evident. The churches and buildings were all built of nice textured stone. The plazas were green and the fountains flowed. The temperature was perfect, very sunny with a breeze. Arequipa is slightly in the mountains with an altitude of about 2,300 metres above sea level which felt nice coming from the dreadful desert for the past week. Mountains and volcanos surround the city as well el Rio Chili, unlike the dried up river basins in nazca which are actually used as roads... this river had a nice flow of water. All these aspects provid good activities to keep busy with in Arequipa, from mountain climbing, trekking, biking and even rapids for rafting. All these aside the main attraction of the city is the Colca Canyon which most people come to for 2 or 3 days only to hike the canyon or at least to see it, then to go on to the next stop. Arequipa was the biggest tourist spot I had been to at that point, so I never really felt out of place or unsafe.
I really enjoyed Arequipa although I felt unsatisfied with what I had completed there. Treks left daily for the 6 hour drive into the mountains. Up winding roads snaking through the mountains and stone walls, and down bumpy, unpaved roads that would kill any vehicles shocks after a few goes. There were options of trekking down into the canyon for 2 or 3 days, all included for very resonable prices of about 60 dollars although because of my prior arrangements I was strapped onto a sightseeing escapade for 2 days in a bus. While not being what I wanted to experience, it was still and inpressive and memorable trip. The Colca Canyon and the Catohuasi Canyon a few hours further away are the two deepest canyons in the world stretching down top to bottom by about 3,400 metres! The roads leading to this point are treacherous to say the least. Narrow roads hardly wide enough for two vehicles to pass with sheer cliff dropping of to the right, with nothing inbetween but a skimpy gaurdrail. All along the plateaus of the Canyon are small towns full of traditionally dressed women and dancing children. Pet eagles and llamas that for a small price you can get a picture with. The sheer depth and pitch of the canyon walls is impressive. When we arrived to the look-out call Cruz del Condor, named so for its popularity in seeing condors circling the skies above. Condors being enormous birds spansing 3 metres or more in wingspan when fully grown. Initially it was very cloudy down in the canyon, which is an interesting feeling, being above clouds. These misty forms began to build and rise from below to enocompass all of the onlookers numbering around 2 to 3 hundred people at that point in cloud. Unable to see anything, let alone any condors, people began to allow dissappointment to rule over, taking it as bad luck and that they would have to come back again in the next dozen years... Although the clouds did not stop there, and rose high into the sky leaving the canyon practically clear. This is when the condors came out. Soaring around in huge circles these birds (3 of them) stayed for a few minutes, just long enough everyone to get their fill with fotos and wonder. After this we began the boring drive all the way back to Arequipa.
I was considering staying longer in Arequipa and doing some more activity by climbing the cities Volcano el Misti, although I decided against it because of knew I would be able to do something similar but for less in Bolivia. That is something that does not lack in South America, there are mountain and volcanos to climb everywhere, I had to tell myself to be patient. I also wanted to slowly climb up the mountains to higher points giving myself time to Acclimatize. I knew my next 3 stops would all get gradually higher, finishing in La Paz, the highest Capital city in the World, that being the capital of Bolivia. It sits at about 4,200 metres about sea level.
I got to Arequipa one day early and decided to leave 2 days early giving myself more time in Cuzco, where there would be enough to keep my busy and satisfied for weeks.
Arequipa was a very positive stop. There I met many people in a small fantastic hostel that was a recommendation given to Karl. We had a small gang for a few days which was nice and several of that gang have accompanied me to Cuzco, where I am now. I left Karl although agreed to meet him somewhere in Bolivia. All the people I stayed with in Arequipa and for most of my trip so far have been much older than me and I have soaked the information and advice up. It is amazing the relationships that can develop over such a small period of time, between 48 and 72 hours. I have found that the people that I am surrounded by have had a great effect upon me in general, make me a stronger person in whole. The same can be said for the people who surround me at home. I owe a lot of who I am and what I have for the great people which I call my friends and family.
Thank you
No comments:
Post a Comment