La Ciudad Blanco; Arequipa

Upon our arrival in Arequipa, we immediately made plans to meet up with our (can I say 'favourite' ?!) travel friends, Gilbs and K-Wottz, who are currently working as Volunteer Co-ordinators for a great childrens charity near the city. They're currently working on a new photography scheme for the children they work with, so if any of you are feeling generous, or would like to know more (click here). We spent a couple of evenings with them, eating, drinking and being merry, and celebrating the third country in which we had crossed paths, and they gave us some great recommendations of places to explore.

We were in Arequipa for a while, as we had arranged to meet my Dad there on a certain date, and we were running slightly ahead of schedule due to the road blocks in Bolivia. So we returned to our favourite city dwelling pastime; wandering until lost, and stumbling upon hidden gems. We came across some bizarre museums, including one with a display dedicated to decidedly creepy looking dolls which left us giggling but also checking in corners of rooms for the rest of the day incase Chucky was lurking. A brilliant recommendation from Gilbz and KWottz was a charming vegetarian restaurant, tucked away off the main square between two beautiful courtyards. The restaurant offered four courses (for the price of about two pounds), and the setting echoed the plazas of Barcelona, or other Meditteranean courtyards.

On the evening my Dad (or 'Padre' as I more commonly call him) arrived, we treated him to an evening of Peruvian delicacies - starting with a fancy meal of 'Cuy a la Parrilla' (Grillied Guinea Pig). The meal took ages to come, and when it arrived it looked...like road kill. We were struggling to get any meat off the rodent, and when I turned it over we realised we could see all the organs still in tact. Thoroughly grossed out, I pretty much stuck to the few chips that were on my plate, as Padre continued to tell us about how he'd had a pet Guinea Pig while at school, and Dave continued to sample every part of the animal - even struggling to get a part of the cheek. After the meal, we took him to a place which had become somewhat of a regular haunt of ours, for some delicious Pisco Sours, the Peruvian cocktail of choice. 

                               

We spent a couple of days, while Padre was acclimatising to the altitude of Arequipa, soaking in and enjoying the history of the city. We whiled away a beautiful day exploring the winding maze of Santa Catalina Monastery, learning the changes in the ways it has been run since 1579. We were amazed to learn there are still 20 Nuns living there, the youngest of which is 25. These nuns choose to live in a life of complete purity - never seeing or communicating with anyone other than each other. It was amazing to learn of the choices made by these women, and to see how they would have once lived. One of the Nuns still living there is 95, and would have been a part of the Monestary before it was opened to the public as part of a museum. The Monestary itself is a walled city, made of beautiful white to ashen grey Volcanic Rock found all over the city, and as you explore you find stunning gardens, intricate artwork and hidden beauty throughout the winding roads.

We also visited the Cathedral in the central plaza of the city - which was not as impressive inside as it is out. The best part of the tour was being taken to the top of the Cathedral, seeing the bells and the view from the top of the towers. We then went to a roof top terrace to watch the sun setting across the city, with the volcanoes and mountains in the distance. 

After a couple of days, we decided to set off on our own to trek the Colca Canyon, a canyon more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the USA. There were tour offices all over Arequipa offering their services, but with the help of Google and this particular blog, we decided we were equipped enough to handle the canyon ourselves - so after I'd purchased a suitably cowgirlesque hat, off we went. We encountered a couple of problems with the descriptions in the blog, adding a couple of hours here and there on to our journey (please, if you're reading this for information, comment and I'll give you a detailed description of our trek) but overall it was pretty simple - stay on the most worn path. The first day consisted of us ambling along the most amazing landscape, only once coming across another person - a small man leading a herd of mules down the side of the canyon. We walked for about 7 hours, pleasantly stopping to look for hummingbirds, spot condors circling in the sky, chase lizards, and most importantly - hydrate!

When we reached the bottom of the canyon, a lady came running towards us.Her name was Gloria, and she had been spying on us with her binoculars for the whole afternoon, waiting for us to reach the bottom to invite us to stay at her house. We accepted as soon as we heard she had cold beers, and she led us to her beautiful home, with bamboo huts and unbelievable views (we would have been hard pushed to have found a bad one). We showered and sat around playing cards and drinking beers until our food was ready, a steaming bowl of soup, followed by llama steak and vegetables, ending in a variety of teas. And we slept very well. 

The next day Gloria pointed us on our way, and off we went. Again, we had a bit of confusion with which path to take, and ended up on a detour for an hour or so down definitely the wrong path, slightly like something out of Deliverence, a deserted shack where honey was being made... but when we found ourselves on the right path again, it was pretty easy going. After a very steep section for about half an hour, we reached a town where we picked up a trail of mules who were happy for us to lead them to pasture. We crossed the side of the Valley, and then started our final descent to the Oasis below. We stayed in a hostel recommended by Gloria at the bottom of the Canyon, which rewarded us with a swimming pool to soak up the last rays of the hot sun, and then more steaming soup when the temperature dropped. The one bad thing about that nights stay was the gigantic spider which crawled across me while I was lying in bed.

The final day was always going to be the hardest - ascending over 1000m to the top of the canyon, in steep zig zags across the rock face. We woke early, and were on the road by 7am (we saw most of our fellow tourists disappearing up the side on horseback, making us question our decision not to rent a mule). We loaded ourselves up on Coca leaves, for energy and for altitude, and paced ourselves on the workout of the century (or so we thought...but that's the next post!). When we reached the top at around 11am, a very commendable 4 hours later, we were exhausted, but elated at what we had achieved. 3 days and two nights without any prior reservations or communications with anyone else, without having seen a single other tourist for the first two days, carrying all of our water ourselves, surviving the altitude and pushing ourselves to the utmost of our physical capabilities, we reached the top feeling very happy with ourselves. 

On our arrival back to Cabanaconde, the closest village with a bus service, we found we had missed the only bus back to Arequipa until the evening by about 20 minutes. We managed to convince a man with a truck to call ahead, stop the bus, and race to catch up with it. He pilled us on to the pack of his truck and we made it! It was a far cry from the VIP bus we were to later catch to Cusco, but a great insight for Padre into the culture of South America. If you can fit another person in an aisle, by the driver, on someones lap, then they get on the bus. 

Doing Colca Canyon without a guide, and with both my boyfriend and my Dad was one of the coolest things I have ever done. The pictures just don't do the stunning vistas enough justice. 

Puno, Peru

After a somewhat stressful border crossing (apparently we had been 91 days in Bolivia - one day over our allowed visa, so we were questioned and had to pay a small fine) we arrived in Puno, a city right on the shoreline of Lake Titicaca. The city itself was not really anything special, and was made worse by our freezing cold hostel which made us feel like we were in a cave - no natural light, hot water, or warmth...anywhere. But it did have brilliant wifi - something much missed in Bolivia!

We booked ourselves on a tour of Lake Titicaca, with an overnight stay on one of the islands. In a group of about ten, we got a boat from the harbour, and slowly made our way across the stunning Lake. It was very hard for us to get our heads around the fact it is a Lake, and not the sea, because it is SO vast. Not even the biggest Lake in the world (but it is the highest, at 3,812m). Surrounded by mountains untouched by civilisation, it was beautiful.

Our first stop was to Los Uros, the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. These are made from floating reeds, and are one of the main tourist attractions of the lake. Although amazing to see how people live on the islands, and how they are made, the visit actually made us feel like we were exploiting the people - or maybe even that they were exploiting us. The whole island was full of people selling us things, which we felt inclined to buy. We were told there are islands which have flat out denied tourism, which are likely to still be full of people just living, and enjoying life on the islands. But the tourist traps were a very strange experience, and one we weren't overly comfortable with. 

 

The next island the boat took us to was Amantani, which was wonderful; truly idyllic. Here we stayed with a family, and were cooked for and looked after. The local language is that of Quechua, so communication wasn't flowing, but we all tried and happily got along. On the island live about 4,000 people, who all work together to maintain the land. There are no cars or machines on the island, so farming and agriculture is all done by hand. The people of the island were all smiling and laughing together the entire time, it was brilliant to feel like a part of their community, which they let us in to with open arms. That evening we trekked to the highest peak of the mountain and watched the sunset, before being told to don traditional dress and attend a party - which was very funny!

 

 

After breakfast in bed from our Amantani Mother, we were off on our way to the final island of our trip, Taquile. Taquile was similar to Amantani, both rich in culture and a fine local way of life. The island had some Pre-Inca ruins dotted around it, and had a lot of lovely stone archways around the towns. Here we had lunch overlooking the lake, of fresh trout caught from the waters below. We were here for Easter Sunday, and saw a parade around the square which folded in to the local Church - not quite the chocolate egg fest of the UK, but an understated and awesome ceremony, showing the whole community celebrating. 

 

The tour was a wonderful way to see the Lake, and the Islands. We both really enjoyed the pure silence and tranquility of each place, it was so peaceful and surrounded by beauty. 

 

 When back on mainland Puno, we also went on a tour to Sillustani, a pre Incan burial ground which holds lots of funeral towers, called Chullpas. We had read up on the area before, and our tour guide took great pleasure in showing us around and debating the difference between European and South American Archaeology - something our old Professors, and Molly would have been very impressed (or amused) by!

 

  

We also visited a brilliant Coca museum in Puno, where again we dressed up in traditional dress - this time celebratory! Here's a picture for you all! 

Messi in La Paz

Our time in La Paz was largely spent adjusting to being in a city after a month in the jungle - and a city that really likes to party at that. We were lucky enough to meet up with some great friends in the highest capital city in the world, Rae and Stephen Mickey from Parque Machia, and also Gilbs and K-Wottz (from way back in December, the wonderful couple we camped with on the beach in Chile). We stayed in one of the infamous party hostels of the city, a couple of nights in the Wild Rover, and then a couple at the Loki. We prefered the Loki as it seemed to be a more mature crowd, though the shots still flowed at all times of the day! They are famous for their 'bloodbombs', similar to a jaegerbomb but with vodka and a red colouring - really wakes you up, and really gets you drunk!

 

We spent many an hour exploring the markets of La Paz, and bought an obscene amount of alpaca (mainly me, mainly socks) along with some other things, like a wooden recorder and a wonderful hand woven throw for when we finally get a house and settle somewhere...may be in storage for a while! We also explored the witches market here (I have stolen some photos from Gilbz and K-Wottz as we didn't have our camera on that day) - where they sell charms and bottled potions for various things; luck, wealth, travel, health... there are also haggard old crones (Dave´s words!) selling palm readings and fortune telling on the roads. We thought this was a bit of a tourist trap, but on further investigation they actually refuse to offer their services to tourists, because they believe they are sacred and an important part of their culture - not to be used for our Western amusement - which I give them serious kudos for. The main thing tourists take away from the witches market is the baby llama foetus', which are sold to be buried under new houses or buildings to bring luck and prosperity. At first I wasn't sure they were real, but I have since been convinced otherwise (and I was till too suspicious to touch one!).

 

 

We also attempted to be allowed in to San Pedro prison, after both having avidly read the popular book The Marching Powder before reaching La Paz, but unfortunately (or very possibly quite fortunately) the guards were having none of it, and even stopped people taking pictures. I managed a sneaky one though.

 

The coolest thing we did in La Paz was get tickets and go to a Bolivia V Argentina football game. I'm the first to admit I'm not a football fan, but I got involved. We all bought (fake) football shirts and got hyped up - we were pretty shocked and appalled to find that there was no alcohol served in the stadium, but it turned out the atmosphere and group spirit of the Bolivians didn't need any more fuel! The game itself was good, ending in a 1-1 drawer. We were sat in the Bolivian side, but behind several Argentinans, which added to the enjoyment and the banter between sides. One of the strangest things I noticed was that between halves, the referees were escorted on and off the pitch by armed policemen. All the boys were very happy because they got to see Messi, and our seats were pretty close. I hear he's the best in the world, but  I'm mates with Gazza so was pretty far from star struck. 

 

  

We had hoped to go to the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana and Isla del Sol, but unfortunately there were horrendous road blocks, and we heard some nightmare tales from other travellers. And plus our Bolivian visa was up, so after an emotional Goodbye to Rae, we were off to Puno, Peru. 

PS - If you are reading this, please comment, it encourages me to keep it up to date!

Inti Wara Yassi - Parque Machia

For our next month of travels, we had planned to go and volunteer with animals. I was hoping for a big cat, and Dave was a little dubious, and not really sure what to expect. We had heard about this great organisation, Inti Wara Yassi, which three refuge centres for wild animals around Boilvia. We headed to the first of the Parks, in a place called Villa Tunari - not really knowing what to expect, but committing ourselves to one month to find out. Due to massive landslides, we didn't arrive at the park until pretty late at night, so the official volunteer co-ordinater was not around. Luckily, Francessca and Or, two very long term volunteers were able to show us to a spare room. A spare room covered in roaches, spiders, ants, and with a token bat flying around inside. We quickly put up the mosquito net, and tried to sleep in the unbearable heat, hoping the next day showed the place in a better light...

The next morning we were given a tour by Suzanne, the volunteer co-ordinater. She gave us a brief history of the organisation, and a tour of the various sections. The park consists of: a clinic, for sick animals; Quarenntine, for monkeys in cages (and some on runners), mainly Capuchins; Small Animals, like Tejons, Foxes, Birds, Spider Park, The Mirador (Capuchins), 2 Ocelots, 2 pumas, and one bear. The animals are all there for different reasons - Balu's mother was shot, and he was kept as a pet until he became too dangerous, when he was given to the park. Many of the monkeys came from similar stories, used as pets and horrifically mistreated by humans, some from circuses. The aim of the park is to rehabilitate the animals so eventually they can be wild again - with many this has been possible, but for some they have too much of an attachment to humans to be set free. After the tour, Suzanne told us which animals we would be working with. I was to spend a month in Spider Park, which I Was over the moon about - once I'd seen all the animals, I didn't care where they put me (though I was secretly glad it wasn't birds). And Dave was to be working with Balu the Bear. 

 

 

So I'll sum up the month pretty quickly, as it's impossible really to put in to words how much we loved the park. For me, the feeling of working 11 hour days in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by 32 Spider Monkeys (only 5 of which were on cord, the rest free), and getting to know their faces, names and personalities is something I'll never forget - and I really hope I can come back for a longer period of time in the future. For Dave, the adreneline rush of walking a bear through the jungle every day, and his attachment to the animal was really special. 

The whole way in which the Park is run makes it a real community. Everyone gets what they put in - helping in any way possible at any time. Everyone is filthy and exhausted at the end of every day, but still able to carry a 10l container of alcohol back to one of the hostels and get a party going - one of the high points being a spectacular Christmas party in March! Over the month we made some really good friendships (shout out to Tanja!) - and we hope to see a lot of you again, give us a shout when you're in Peru! 

We both agree it was one of the best months of our lives, and definitely the coolest thing we've ever been a part of. For anyone thinking of travelling Bolivia - this really is a must!

PS. Thanks Rae + Gedge for some photos!