Arequipa, Peru

Big travel day today. We left the hostel by about 9.30am and headed to the international bus terminal in Arica by taxi. At the terminal we arranged a "collectivo" - essentially a shared taxi packed with three in the front seat and and three in the back - for the 60km trip north from Arica to the Peruvian border and on to the first Peruvian town, Tacna. The car was pretty worn out and we were packed in like sardines, but the driver was very friendly and helpful, particularly at the border crossing. The border crossing was pretty uneventful, just a quick bag check and immigration etc. We arrived into Tacna about 10.30am and proceded to the Flores bus terminal to investigate onward departures to Arequipa. Luckily for us there was one leaving at 10.45, so it was a very short wait before we were again on our way. It was another 400km drive through mountainous terrain but all was quite smooth and we got into Arequipa about 5.30pm. Then a taxi to our hostel, and finally we could relax!

The hostel is great, it's very quiet and peaceful in a nice neighbourhood about 10 minutes walk from the city centre. After dropping our bags we ventured out to dinner at a nearby restaurant where we were about the only customers, but it was nice and there was an eccentric old guy playing piano which reminded me of the old piano we have down at my family's farm back in Australia. After the long day we were glad to head to bed not too long after dinner.

I had a very slow start and enjoyed the chance to sleep in, read and catchup on emails etc. We headed out for our first look around town in the daylight - it is a very pretty city which an amazing backdrop of three volcanoes all peaking at about 6000 metres. We ate a not so cultured lunch of hamburgers and explored a little further, then picked up some supplies at the supermarket and returned to the hostel. This hostel is a really great haven I must admit, particularly after some of the places we endured through Chile. Dinner later of two minute noodles.

Walked into town and checked out the Plaza de Armes which is quite pituresque. Sandra also went on to check out the monastery but I opted instead for a casual stroll around town and some time reading and relaxing back at the hostel.

Today we wandered into town again and finally decided to book a 3 day, 2 night trekking trip to the Canyon del Colca, the second deepest canyon in the world (the first is also in Peru). Dropped off some laundry and ate lunch at a little Turkish place (very nice) and then went over to the travel agency (Peru Andes Expedition) and confirmed our booking. I turned down the option to hire trekking shoes confident that my adidas sand shoes will be up to the job. In the evening we had a very early dinner and headed to bed early as our pickup by minibus is due at 3.00am!

We got up at 2.45am ready for our minibus pickup at 3.00am. It was cold and I had not slept much. I was not in the mood for a bus ride We waited and waited and started to think we'd been forgotten but the bus eventually arrived at 4.00am. We were the last two people to be picked up and scored the most uncomfotable two seats on the bus, sandwiched in the middle of the back row. The drive to Chivay was a hell ride. The roads are incredibly windy, it was cold and the driver thought he was Michael Schumaker. The road from Arequipe climbs dramatically from 2400 metres up to 4910 metres at the highest point and back down to around 3600 metres at Chivay. Breakfast was basic but is was a relief to be off the bus for a while. After breakfast we were back on board and drove from Chivay to Cruz del Condor which is the main vantage point over the Canyon del Colco to spot condors flying - there were way too many tourists there but the condors were impressive I must concede.

After that it was another brief drive to the starting point of our trek. It was downhill nearly all day, in fact we decended over 1000 metres down dusty, gravelly, steel slopes to the bottom of the canyon, crossed a bridge and then steep uphill to the village of San Juan de Chuccho and our stop for the night, La Casa de Rivelino. All that downhill takes a tremendous toll on the calves! We had lunch and then colleted firewood, and in the evening enjoyed a couple of beers but I was so, so tired from the early start and lack of sleep the previous night I headed to bed straight after dinner at about 8pm.

We were up about 8am for breakfast and my headache was gone and feeling much refreshed. Breakfast was two pancakes and a cup of coca tea before we were back on the track by about 9am. Todays walking was uphill at first, very steep slope and then mostly flat for an hour or so. We stopped about halfway at a small museum which had some traditional tools and crafts on show which was cool. The setting here is incredible, very steep cliffs on both sides, small villages, heaps of cacti and very dusty. It's sort of like the wild west crossed with Nepal. The last part of the days trakking was all downhill again back to the river, across the other side finishing up in the Cabanaconde Oasis for lunch and a swim, and then a few more minutes to Paradiso Lodge where we were to spend the night. This place really is a little paradise with rustic charm, beautiful gardens, a swimming pool and a very wild and spectacular setting. Dinner was pasta perfect carbo loading ahead of tomorrow's trek, which according to our guide Eddie is the toughest of all as we head back up the cliff over 1000 metres.

We were up at 4.45am for a scheduled 5.00am start for today's climb back up the cliffs. The early start in darkness provides a chance to climb before the sun comes out and the weather is still cool. We got away about 5.15 in the end and by about 5.30 it was clear this really was going to be tough. At this stage I was really regretting not hiring proper trekking shoes and probably even worse was bringing my big backpack instead of my day pack, and carrying too much stuff! Up and up and up we climbed and it only got tougher as the air thinned, the temperature slowly rose and my energy rapidly declined. After much pain and stuggle we finally made it to the top just after 8am, just under 3 hours. The view up there is amazing and it is really quite incredible to look down and realise that I just climbed up that bloody cliff! After a short break it was another half hour walk (but much flatter) into town for breakfast, then onto the bus. We made a few stops, but the highlight was the thermal baths at Chivay. After no showering for 3 days and aching muscles the 39 degree pools were a very welcome change. After that it was a short drive to our lunch stop in Chivay where we enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet for 20 soles ($7) and I definitely got my money's worth. To end the day we had another crazy high speed drive through the mountains, passing again over 4900 metres and finally back down to Arequipa.

We picked up our laundry in the city centre and some groceries and took a taxi back to our hostel and finally collapsed there...so good to be back here. After a simple dinner of soup and bread and a shower we were in bed after what was an exhausting by very memorable day.

Woke about 8.30am. Slept well after the last three days of trekking. Calves, thighs very sore but improving. We ate breakfast at the hostel outside in the sun which was very nice and discussed our onward travel plans. We are considering whether we might scratch Central America from the itinirary and simply finish up in Lima (via Cuzco and Machu Piccu). Sandra also has a toothache and may need to see a dentist sooner rather than later. At any rate we will stay in Arequipe today and possibly book a bus to Puno (to see Lake Titicaca) or to Cuzco tomorrow. Other plans for today are laundry (exciting!) and catching up on emails, photos and blogs and allow our aching muscles to mend.

In the early afternoon we headed into town for lunch (and to drop off more laundry) and book our bus to Cuzco departing tomorrow night at 8.00pm (12 hours). In the evening we splurged on dinner for our last night here in Arequipa at local favourite Zig Zag and although it was packed to the rafters with tourists, the food was great (and still very affordable). Nice way to end our stay here.

Much planning and investigating of flights etc today and figuring out where we will go at the end of this trip. In the afternoon we wandered into the Plaza to Armas for the last time, picked up our laundry, enquired about some flights and stopped on the way back for a late lunch / early dinner at a great little Chinese restaurant. After that it was all packing up and before we knew it the taxi had arrived to take us to the bus station for the journey to Cuzco. The bus left on time at 8pm, due to arrive in Cuzco about 11 or 12 hours later.