Our trip to Cabanaconde continued with a local bus about 30 min after we arrived to Arequipa. It took an hour for the bus to get out of the city because there were some constructions on the roads because the car amount in Arequipa has increased radically so the roads start to get too small. Well, when we finally got out of the city, the views stated to look good. A lot of smaller and bigger mountains, rivers, alpacas and other nice landscape. We used Andalucia bus company because their bus left earliest. The bus was quite old and the suspensions had seen their best days so we could feel all the big and small holes and bums on the road ;) The bus went first to Chivay, a small city, about 4 hours from Arequipa and 2 from Cabanaconde where we were heading. When we finally arrived to Cabanaconde, we had basically been travelling with a bus for 16 hours from Nasca to Cabanaconde.
We checked in to our hostel Pachamama. It looked really cozy and offered a lot of information about Colca Canyon and how to do it without a guide. We got to our room an Markus started to feel sick. He got sick really fast with headache, fever and vomiting. It lasted luckily just for few hours. The receptionist offered coca tee on the house to ease the possible altitude sickness. We have been at higher altitudes than Cabanaconde that is on 3300 meters before, but the long travel, bad sleep and nutrition may have been causing also the illness. Markus was already in the evening almost normal without any symptoms of altitude sickness :) The feeling is like a worst hangover ever... :P
The next morning we went with another couple to see condors to the Condors Cross. The owner of Pachamama took us with a old hippie van to the spot and told us about the condors and a bit of Cabanaconde. When we arrived to the spot Markus saw one condor flying close by but disappeared after that. During the next hour we saw only two condors from a very long distance, so it was a bit of a disaster :/ On our way back, Ludvig (the owner) dropped us to beginning of a trail that goes back to the village. It was a nice walk back trough fields. There were a lot of corn fields but also coca plantations. The rest of the day we just took it easy and walked a bit around the village.
We noticed that there were no ATM's in Cabanaconde so we started to count our money. "#/%... We didn't have enough cash for both Pachamama and Colca Canyon. We tried to get cash from one hostel, but they wanted a 15% interest of the cash and the card reader was broken at Pachamama so we couldn't pay by card either. Luckily Ludvig, the owner of Pachamama, was really nice and said we could pay by Paypal when we get to Chivay. :)
Our Colca Canyon hike started with an early wake-up at 6.00am to have breakfast. After that, we started our hike to Colca Canyon. It was a long but beautiful route down to the river in the bottom of the canyon. On our way down we saw few condors and they even flew right above us and the sound was amazing when they glade over us. The trail was quite ok but it was in some points steep, narrow, difficult etc... We went by our self without a guide and during the hike we noticed that it was the right choice. During our hike down, we saw only few other people. After crossing the river, we had still almost half of the way left to Oasis Sangalle which was about 3-4 hours. Down in the canyon it was quite green and there were even palms there whereas the climate in Cabanaconde is not suitable for exotic plants or trees because the high altitude. We had few times some small navigation problems down in the canyon because there are also villages down there and there are a lot of small trails and paths crossing each other. We had a short break next to a small stream, so we decided to try our LifeStraws. It should filter 99,99% of the bacteria and other stuff from the water. We filled our bottles and drank from the the rest of our trek. The taste wasn't the best but it was clean and it was nice to have cold water ;) During our hike, Markus found two cactus fruits. They were a bit difficult to get and also quite stinging :P but the fruit itself was delicious! It was a bit similar to the passion fruit but totally different ;)
When we finally arrived to the Oasis Sangalle, we were quite tired. We had hiked already for around 7 hours and maybe 17 km. We had heard bad reviews about the first lodge in the oasis (Eden) so we went to the second one. It had a pool and looked quite nice, but if we had known that we cannot get any food before 7.30pm we would had changed the place. Edda started to be quite sick when we arrived to the oasis. She had got a flu that started in the morning and she had been blowing her nose all day. In the evening the flu got worse and she got a bit of fever. The next morning we had breakfast around 5.30am and after that we started to climb back to Cabanaconde. It was only a 5,5km hike, but we had to ascend 1200 meters. It was a tough climb especially when Edda was quite sick. Markus took Edda's backpack so it wouldn't be too hard with the flu. The trail back up was not as nice as the route down, but we saw local farmers plowing the fields with bulls. We made it in 3,5h so we had time to take a hot shower at Pachamama before the bus to Chivay left at 11.30am.
We got to the bus to Chivay and during the 2-3 hour bus ride, Edda got really sick. She got high fever and slept most of the way. When we arrived to Chivay we found one hostel close to the bus station. It looked to be quite nice. We took it for two nights so that Edda could rest and get better. Otherwise it was a nice hostel but we didn't get even warm shower there and the owner started to shout that there are other guests as well and they have used the hot water...uhhh...And that's our fault and deserve to get yelld at!? Edda stayed in the bed for 2 days and Markus brought some food for her. Markus found from one restaurant organic cactus juice. He had it with his lunch and he bought one bottle of it to Edda as well.
Chivay itself is a small town and the local people were mostly dressed in traditional clothes. The last day in Chivay Edda was able to walk around the town. We went to some market and found hats to us because, when the sun goes down, it becomes quite cold. We had coffee, hot chocolate and chocolate cake in a nice café, Aromas Caffee. We spent time in the park watching people walking by for a while. Our bus to Puno left at 1.00pm. Markus had managed to drop the price from 50$ to 40$ when he met the 4M bus companys guy the previous day in the city. The price was quite high because there were no straight bus routes to Puno, so the only option was to take a tourist bus or to go via Arequipa. To the price was included a guide and a small lunch. It was actually a good trip and our guide Leandro was the sales guy from Chivay and he was really good. On our way to Puno we stopped few times at different viewpoints and the highest was at 4900 meters. We arrived to Puno around 7pm and our guide helped us to get a taxi to our hotel. It was a quite long but nice bus ride with a lot of information about local stuff e.g. that condors are together for life, and when the other one dies the other one commits suicide by flying first really high and then dropping itself down and that there can be just few families living and farming alpacas in a radius of 100km.
Locals with their hats
Trying to sleep
We checked in to our hostel Pachamama. It looked really cozy and offered a lot of information about Colca Canyon and how to do it without a guide. We got to our room an Markus started to feel sick. He got sick really fast with headache, fever and vomiting. It lasted luckily just for few hours. The receptionist offered coca tee on the house to ease the possible altitude sickness. We have been at higher altitudes than Cabanaconde that is on 3300 meters before, but the long travel, bad sleep and nutrition may have been causing also the illness. Markus was already in the evening almost normal without any symptoms of altitude sickness :) The feeling is like a worst hangover ever... :P
The next morning we went with another couple to see condors to the Condors Cross. The owner of Pachamama took us with a old hippie van to the spot and told us about the condors and a bit of Cabanaconde. When we arrived to the spot Markus saw one condor flying close by but disappeared after that. During the next hour we saw only two condors from a very long distance, so it was a bit of a disaster :/ On our way back, Ludvig (the owner) dropped us to beginning of a trail that goes back to the village. It was a nice walk back trough fields. There were a lot of corn fields but also coca plantations. The rest of the day we just took it easy and walked a bit around the village.
Our transportation to Condors Cross
Morning fog
On our way to Condors Cross
The condor that we saw just when we came but it flew away after that.
Sitting tight on the rock ;)
Coca leaf plantation
Views from our walk from Condors Cross
Local couple returning from the fields
We noticed that there were no ATM's in Cabanaconde so we started to count our money. "#/%... We didn't have enough cash for both Pachamama and Colca Canyon. We tried to get cash from one hostel, but they wanted a 15% interest of the cash and the card reader was broken at Pachamama so we couldn't pay by card either. Luckily Ludvig, the owner of Pachamama, was really nice and said we could pay by Paypal when we get to Chivay. :)
Our Colca Canyon hike started with an early wake-up at 6.00am to have breakfast. After that, we started our hike to Colca Canyon. It was a long but beautiful route down to the river in the bottom of the canyon. On our way down we saw few condors and they even flew right above us and the sound was amazing when they glade over us. The trail was quite ok but it was in some points steep, narrow, difficult etc... We went by our self without a guide and during the hike we noticed that it was the right choice. During our hike down, we saw only few other people. After crossing the river, we had still almost half of the way left to Oasis Sangalle which was about 3-4 hours. Down in the canyon it was quite green and there were even palms there whereas the climate in Cabanaconde is not suitable for exotic plants or trees because the high altitude. We had few times some small navigation problems down in the canyon because there are also villages down there and there are a lot of small trails and paths crossing each other. We had a short break next to a small stream, so we decided to try our LifeStraws. It should filter 99,99% of the bacteria and other stuff from the water. We filled our bottles and drank from the the rest of our trek. The taste wasn't the best but it was clean and it was nice to have cold water ;) During our hike, Markus found two cactus fruits. They were a bit difficult to get and also quite stinging :P but the fruit itself was delicious! It was a bit similar to the passion fruit but totally different ;)
You can see Oasis Sangalle down there. It's a long way to get there!
A condor flying above us for a quite long time :)
Mind your step! :P
Some parts of the mountains have nice shapes
Filling the drinking bottle :)
Testing how LifeStraw works with stream water ;)
Down at the canyon it is a bit greener
Markus getting a cactus fruit
Cactus fruit. It's not big, but very tasty :)
View of the canyon
When we finally arrived to the Oasis Sangalle, we were quite tired. We had hiked already for around 7 hours and maybe 17 km. We had heard bad reviews about the first lodge in the oasis (Eden) so we went to the second one. It had a pool and looked quite nice, but if we had known that we cannot get any food before 7.30pm we would had changed the place. Edda started to be quite sick when we arrived to the oasis. She had got a flu that started in the morning and she had been blowing her nose all day. In the evening the flu got worse and she got a bit of fever. The next morning we had breakfast around 5.30am and after that we started to climb back to Cabanaconde. It was only a 5,5km hike, but we had to ascend 1200 meters. It was a tough climb especially when Edda was quite sick. Markus took Edda's backpack so it wouldn't be too hard with the flu. The trail back up was not as nice as the route down, but we saw local farmers plowing the fields with bulls. We made it in 3,5h so we had time to take a hot shower at Pachamama before the bus to Chivay left at 11.30am.
A bit dusty from our hike :P
The view from our cabin at Oasis Sangalle
Local farmer plowing the fields with bulls
We got to the bus to Chivay and during the 2-3 hour bus ride, Edda got really sick. She got high fever and slept most of the way. When we arrived to Chivay we found one hostel close to the bus station. It looked to be quite nice. We took it for two nights so that Edda could rest and get better. Otherwise it was a nice hostel but we didn't get even warm shower there and the owner started to shout that there are other guests as well and they have used the hot water...uhhh...And that's our fault and deserve to get yelld at!? Edda stayed in the bed for 2 days and Markus brought some food for her. Markus found from one restaurant organic cactus juice. He had it with his lunch and he bought one bottle of it to Edda as well.
Chivay itself is a small town and the local people were mostly dressed in traditional clothes. The last day in Chivay Edda was able to walk around the town. We went to some market and found hats to us because, when the sun goes down, it becomes quite cold. We had coffee, hot chocolate and chocolate cake in a nice café, Aromas Caffee. We spent time in the park watching people walking by for a while. Our bus to Puno left at 1.00pm. Markus had managed to drop the price from 50$ to 40$ when he met the 4M bus companys guy the previous day in the city. The price was quite high because there were no straight bus routes to Puno, so the only option was to take a tourist bus or to go via Arequipa. To the price was included a guide and a small lunch. It was actually a good trip and our guide Leandro was the sales guy from Chivay and he was really good. On our way to Puno we stopped few times at different viewpoints and the highest was at 4900 meters. We arrived to Puno around 7pm and our guide helped us to get a taxi to our hotel. It was a quite long but nice bus ride with a lot of information about local stuff e.g. that condors are together for life, and when the other one dies the other one commits suicide by flying first really high and then dropping itself down and that there can be just few families living and farming alpacas in a radius of 100km.
Views from the bus on our way to Chivay
Locals queuing to the bank
Locals at the main square
Bus ride to Puno:
You can see an active volcano behind us
Peru's national animal, Vicuña
A hawk had lunch at the same time as we did
Interesting views
A lake at 4400 meters with flamingos
The lake from above
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