Final Days in Peru

So, when last I wrote we were in our last night in La Paz. What a great night it turned out to be. I might have mentioned that we had been zebra hunting since we arrive in the capital - but to know avail. However, as luck would have it we were wandering toward El Prado and there it was! One lone zebra marching toward us, likely on his way to police traffic. Quickly we snapped a picture. As soon as he was gone, there was another. And then another! By God, an entire herd of zebras galloping towards us. Okay, so there were only four and they weren´t so much galloping as they were walking. But, pictures we did get and our time in Bolivia could now end.

We flew to Cusco and arrived early morning. Finally, I was in Cusco (which everyone says is their favourite Peruvian city but because of my altitude sickness in the beginning, had still no experienced it) and the sun was shining! We wandered the streets in the sunshine! Glad to be out of diesel filled La Paz and the Bolivian winter. We even sat on the Plaza de Aramas with a drink and took it all in. The next day we met up the bike company Gravity Peru to do the ¨BikeAsalt¨tour. There was Aimey and I, an American named Meghan, a Canadian named Gerald and an Israeli, who´s name I still don´t know but had a tendency to refer to any ruin as "Inca shit", of which he was obviously tired of seeing. Once we all got over the shock of us bluntness, he was actually quite funny. So we climbed into a van, bikes strapped to the roof and headed off. I had it in my mind that "I did The World´s Most Dangerous Road, how could this be any more difficult?" But it was!! I opted to ride for the second third of the trip because in the first third, could not manage up the hill without a literal push from our guide. I think it was a combination of altitude and not having really been on a bike this year. The scenery, however, was stunning (aha...breath taking!!). We passed through villages and farmers fields. The last third was all downhill but on terrain that I was neither used to or comfortable with. I did challenge myself and looking over the cliff, whilst managing to stay on my bike, is something I´m very proud of. I only had to get off my bike really toward the end but I decided that since I PAID for this venture, I would rather not pay extra for a hospital bill. Lunch was great and hammock laying was even better. Our ride back saw us stopped by the police because they "weren´t okay with the bikes on the roof" and after a midly long wait our guide gave the police 10 soles for permission to pass. In his words "just a way to make some money" because they had never been stopped before.

Next morning we board a day bus for Arequipa. Nightbusses are okay with Cruz del Sol (apparently) but safety aside, we weren´t really interested in losing a full night´s sleep. Many backpackers do this to save money. We chose to spend the day travelling and get to a comfy bed. Our journey was LONG. 14 hours long, to be percise. But we had meals, some heat during they day, Nancy Drew movie in English and blankets when it got cold. We check into the hotel at Arequipa thankful for a place to rest our heads. Next day we wandered Arequipa and found info about the Colca Canyon. We tried to find bull fighting but ended up at a children´s festival sort of like the Stampede. Whoops. Our hotel was AMAZING. Great breakfasts, a courtyard with grass and hammocks and a pool! Maybe we splurged toward the end of our trip but that´s okay. We didn´t really have time to enjoy it because the next morning we were up at 4am to catch the 6am bus for the canyon.

We arrived at noon at Cabanaconde ready for the ¨litte" hike down the canyon (which is apparently the first or second deepest in the world...both are here in Peru). The hike was to take 2 to 3 hours. We had one day pack and my big pack with sleeping bags and clothes. I figured that because I´m SO SLOW going downhill, we´d probably reach The Oasis around 3 o´clock. Well, I was wrong. My knees are so bad that I dread descents and this was 1000 metres. So, after getting lost in the town (should be hard to do....you really can´t "miss" the canyon on the one side...) we eventually made it down by 5 o´clock. Just in time for the sun to go behind the mountain and it to be too cold to swim the pool. It´s a wonder we made it down at all. Aimey carried my big pack most of the way and tripped and literally rolled down the hill (cuts and bruises to show for it). We even stopped a local who was on his way up about getting us some mules for the next day. (Seriously, you try it and tell me you don´t want a mule!) The Oasis (as it´s called) is four lodges with pools and huts to stay in. This was the first mud hut I´ve actually stayed in. We dangled our weary and dusty feet in the pool before supper and were joined by three French guys who had passed us on the way down. After looking upward and admiring the celestial beings that we NEVER see in the city, it was early to bed (and I mean I think I was asleep by 8:30) only to go back up the next day!

Breakfast at 6:30 and we were on our way up an hour later. This time, I took the big pack. It fit me better and I felt like going up would be easier. It was. My bones didn´t ache but I sure got a work out on my lungs. It took us the same to get up and I think we were both happy to not have taken a mule. We caught the 2pm bus to Chivay but couldn´t buy seats in advance because we weren´t going all the way to Arequipa so prayed we get seats. We were in luck! 2 hours to Chivay was a breeze. We got off, found a place to stay and then jumped in a mototaxi (man I love those things) to take us to the hot springs. I WAS IN HEAVEN. I love hot springs more than anything. We soaked in the warmth until we though every ache and pain was gone and headed back to town.

Today, we arrived back in Arequipa to our hotel. After a quick lunch, we changed into our swimsuits and sat by the pool reading. I finished my book (which, by the way is very good. It´s called the Guersey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) and now here I am. I know it must seem to you all that I´ve spent my entire trip at an internet cafe but in truth, this is a journal of my experience more than anything. Like writing it down but more efficient. So, we head to Calgary in a few days and likely this will be my last post from South America. Maybe I´ll get some pictures up. That´s when the next adventure begins....

One week from tomorrow, I´ll be on the plane to Kigali. Wow...it´s already here!