Taking it Easy in Arequipa

Peru – July 15

Arequipa at night

The travel bug has finally caught up with us….and I don’t mean wanderlust or the itch to go places.  We are all under the weather in various states of misery.  Sore throats, headaches, dry sinuses, runny sinuses, stomach disruptions – you name it, we got it!  So, we decide to do nothing today but lay in bed and relax.  We have found a TV channel that shows re-runs of Friends and The Big Bang Theory, which we have been watching with abandon (Shows we also enjoyed on our trip around the world – they must retain an international appeal). By the afternoon, Annie, Paulie and I decide to walk a few blocks to the Central Mercado to see what’s up with what is described as “Peru’s largest central market”.   Well…..I can see how it got its name…….skinned alpaca anyone?, cow legs? How about a tasty goat head to go with your appetizer?.....Anything you ever imagined to eat and many things you wish you hadn’t!!!  The smell is making me gag, especially given the compromised state of my health and we veer off toward the spice area to clear our noses of the stench.  We happen upon a nice man selling dried peppers, teas, herbs and spices and we engage in a lively conversation with him before procuring a host of beautifully aromatic and colorful items…..whole nutmeg, dried paprika peppers, carrot and orange tea…and the list goes on and on.  Aferward, we wander about the flower vendors and decide to head over to the Plaza de Armas to see a handicraft market where Annie is hoping to find some tshirts.  Underway, we stop by a shop selling dried fruits and nuts and stock up for our early morning departure the following day.  We don’t even bother having lunch and as a result of our lethargy and we are pretty famished by dinnertime.  We return to a spot called “Fez” that Annie spied while returning from our bike trek and have a OK dinner.  Early to bed, early to rise.

Plaza de Armas, Arequipa

Convent Santa Catalina

Chachani, Arequipa, Peru

Rugged Adventure at 14,000 feet

Peru – July 14

We are up by 8:00am to meet up with our mountain biking expedition guides.  They are right on time.  We have purchased snacks and water in preparation for our day long adventure.  There will be a 3 hour ride to the top of Chachani, a nearby mountain that stands at 4,800 meters above sea level (approx.14,000 feet!!!)  The air is quite thin at the top, so it is expected that we will feel light-headed for a while until we get used to it.  There are some communication towers at the top that are guarded day and night by the police force, but our guides are friends with them and we will be bringing them gifts in exchange for letting us start our trek at the tippy top of the mountain.  Temperatures in winter can dip to 28 degrees below zero at the top and the guards stay on duty for a 2 week period as these towers provide communication to the entire southern region of the country.  We arrive and get geared up and with relatively few instructions, begin our decent down the very steep and very rocky mountain.  Not as easy as one might think.  After a while, we get the hang of it and become a bit more adventurous.  Our guide, Erick, offers us some “shortcuts” that will make our ride a bit more challenging….we are game and the shortcuts are padded with silica from the last eruption of the volcano about 100 years ago.  The scenery is breath taking and we have a 360 degree view of the gorgeous mountains that encircle Arequipa.  It is so sunny and bright and quiet....the wheat grasses blowing in the cool winds.  I pretend to be taking in the scenery as I need to stop often to avoid cramps, to let my hands get un-numb and to catch my breath.  We continue for about 3 ½ hours and begin to feel the effects of the very small bike seat and the tension in our arms, hands and legs…..There are a few uphills where we simply have to walk the bike up some steep inclines, breathless the entire way due to the altitude.  After about 5 hours and 30km of fairly rugged terrain, Paulie and I call it a day and opt to ride the remainder of the way in the van that has been following us.  The kids trooper on and finally arrive at a paved street that makes the rest of their 48km ride more enjoyable.  By 5:00 pm, we are all very wilted and dusty  and are eager to get back to the hotel to shower and rest up.  The hot water runs out after three of us shower, so we head out to dinner and return to warm water and a cozy bed.

 

Returned safely to the hotel by our guide, Erick

Santa Catalina Convent

Peru – July 13

We awaken after a relatively sleepless night and make our way to the rooftop terrace.  It is a beautiful day and we have yet to experience one as warm as this.   The terrace offers a wonderful view of both Chachani and El Misti in the background.  The view is somewhat obscured by the dust in the air, most likely the result of an erupting volcano somewhere in the region.   As Paulie and I enjoy our coffee, one by one the kids arrive.  We eat a nice continental breakfast and decide to check out the town to get a lay of the land before the 2:00 finals of the World Cup between Germany and Argentina.  We head out to see the nearby convent of Santa Catalina, a huge sprawling complex initially built in 1580, shortly after the Spanish founded the city.  The convent was apparently a very happening place where nuns had 3-4 servants and whiled away the hours by entertaining, having fiestas and hosting musicians.  All the revelry was put to rest in 1871 when a Dominican nun came in “like a hurricane” and put a stop to the nun fun!  Afterward, it was strictly business as they were returned to an austere lifestyle.  The novices were required to live in their sleeping quarters for 20 hours each day….meditating and practicing their faith.  We take a tour with an English speaking guide and take about a million pictures as we make our way through the labyrinthine passages.  After our tour, we take a moment to check out some of the local adventure tours and get some info on mountain bike riding for the following day.  We go back to the hotel to get ready to eat lunch and opt for a Turkish restaurant that the kids spied the day before.  After lunch, we get down to some serious Futbol watching.  Once the game is finished, Annie, Sam, Paulie and I decide to finally make some plans for the following day.  We find a great guy working in an agency nearby who gives us a lot of information on both mountain biking and trekking in Colca Canyon.  We decide to do the mountain biking tour the following day starting at 8am.  After finializing our deal, we head off to the Plaza de Armas to locate a grocery store to purchase snacks for our strenuous day.  A late dinner and then off to bed…..early to rise.

Thrill Ride En Route to Arequipa

Peru – July 12

Today we are departing our lovely Puno (haha) and heading for Arequipa, which we hear is really lovely.  We prepare to leave and make our way to the bus terminal.  Our ride leaves a little to be desired, especially since the last bus we rode in on was truly plush.  This one appears to be a more “local” bus and is filled with mostly native people.  We get underway and about 4 hours later we make a very quick stop to eat lunch.  Our stop is in the most remote place on earth and one of the more filthy ones too….hmm.  Poor Annie has to use the bathroom and we ask one of the local shops and they direct her to it.  Hudson escorts her there and when the re-emerge, they tell us there was a whole skinned lama on a table in the back room…gross. We nearly miss the bus while trying to buy chips, but we run across the dusty street and make it back onto the bus just in the nick of time.  Another 3 hours and we are approaching Arequipa.  We can see the snow capped tip of Chachani and the cone of “El Misti,” one of the tall volcanoes that make a ring around the valley of Arequipa.  As we approach the city, our bus driver decides to give us a thrill ride and begins dodging in and out of traffic barely missing cars, trees, boulders and anything else that might come into its path.  We are now in the city and the thrill ride continues as this immense bus is determined to get to the station first.  Finally, we arrive and the unloading of luggage begins.  We find a taxi that is far too small for all of us let alone our baggage, but the driver seems intent on shoving everything into the car.  The kids are complaining…again, but all I can do is laugh at the sight of us crammed into this teeny vehicle!  We arrive at our hotel and it is located on a lovely walking street.  Arequipa looks like a really nice city.  We settle in for the night and rest our weary bones.

Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca

Peru – July 11

Puno from the waterfront of Lake Titicaca

Uros, Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Reed Boat, Uros Islands

We get up again pretty early, eat breakfast and head out to the Port of Puno (say that five times fast).  As we are all a bit under the weather (we suspect altitude sickness),  we opt to go on the half day boat tour of the Uros islands.  These islands have been inhabited for thousands of years and are completely manmade.  The boat ride out to the island is fabulous and it is so nice to see Puno from the water.  Lake Titicaca is the highest elevation lake in the world and sits at an elevation of 3,800 meters above sea level (about  11,000 feet).  We are lucky to have another beautiful day and the chill in the air is tempered by the warm sunshine that is made even warmer by the reflections off the water.  The water is crystal clean and our boat makes its way through the reeds out to the floating islands.  We pull up and as we disembark the local people come to greet us.  We are seated in a semi-circle on benches made of reeds bundled together.  The leader of the clan gives us some of the history of the local people and details how they live on these floating islands made completely of reeds.  The ground under our feet is pretty squishy and the top layer of reeds has to be constantly replaced as the lower layers rot away.  The islands take about one year to build, but require constant maintenance.  Historically, the islanders has not been able to grow crops on their reed island, but they capture trout and kingfish and take them to the mainland to barter for vegetables or other necessities.  After the presention, we are invited to make purchases of the local handicrafts and then we are offered a chance to ride in their local boats made of reeds (interior of empty Inca Kola bottles).  We make it across the lake on the reed boat and check out the “capital” of the floating islands.  Back on the mainland, we return to the hotel gather up Hudson to head out for a late lunch.  We walk to the main street of Puno called the Jiron Lima and have a nice meal after which we walk around for a while.  Returning to the hotel, we all spend some restful time before getting our selves ready for our departure in the morning.