You may well be wondering why this blog is originating from Arequipa, when at the end of the last one we said we were off to Cusco, however you should know by now that nothing ever goes to plan with the two of us!! We took our flight to Cusco and tried to check into the hostel we wanted to stay at, only to find out that we would have to wait until 1am to see if they had any beds.  On top of this, it was miserable, grey and cold outside, and it didn´t really put us in the best of moods. Since we were planning to volunteer in Cusco for approximately two weeks, we decided to spend the time sorting out which project we would be helping at. This didn?t take quite as long as we thought it would, and after a quick phonecall, we had arranged to visit an after school children?s project called Aldea Yanapay that afternoon. Since it was midweek and we realised that our plans had shifted so much from our original itinerary, we decided that we would head to Arequipa and a few other places, and then return to Cusco to begin on the project on a Monday/Tuesday. That afternoon we went down to the project and we were immediately greeted by scores of children, who all gave us hugs and kisses as we came in the door.  We talked to some of the other volunteers, and helped out with a few of the daily duties, and although we were both exhausted from running around with the children by the end of the day, we decided that we were definitely going to volunteer there when we returend to Cusco.
The bus to Arequipa was a long overnight one and although it was one of the better bus companies, neither of us got much sleep. We arrived in Arequipa in the early hours of the morning, and headed straight for the hostel we had reserved a place at, before going straight back to sleep until lunch time!! We woke up feeling much better, and after a quick shower, headed out in the sunshine for some lunch. We found a great Turkish restaurant and treated ourselves to some kebabs and much needed falafel!! After refuelling, we were ready to see what Arequipa had to offer. It was a beautiful city boasting yet more leafy plazas, cobbled streets, churches and white colonial buildings made of sillar stone, but with one difference...the stunning sight of El Misti, a snowcapped volcanoe that towered over the city. We went past the cathedral, main square and BILLIONS of churches, before ending with a walk around the huge Santa Catalina Monastery, which had beautiful arches and courtyards, and was almost like a small town itself, as all the "streets" inside had names. There were amazing views of Arequipa from the rooftops and there are still about 200 nuns that live there, supposedly in seclusion. We managed to spot one however, hanging out her washing on one of the roofs- Rakhee waved, but unsurprisingly the nun didn?t wave back!! We spent the rest of the evening sorting out our trip into the Colca Canyon for the next two days, and after traipsing up and down the street several times, we finally settled on an agency who gave us a fairly reasonable price for what we were going to be doing.
The next morning we were up really early, and set off in a minibus with a family and some couples for the Colca Canyon. About 200km north of Arequipa, the Colca Canyon is almost twice the size of Arizona?s Grand Canyon and it lived up to all of our expectations. The bus ride was long, but we stopped in a few small villages - complete with cute and friendly alpacas and llamas - along the way, stopped to see a series of snowcapped volcanoes in addition to El Misti, saw lots of Andean hares and vicu?, and even saw a stunning ice waterfall that was simply breathtaking. Our guide was also very informative, which helped to pass the long hours spent on the bus, as he pointed out things we otherwise wouldn?t have noticed and talked about the history of the region and its peoples. That night we stopped in the small town of Chivay, the jumping off point for tours into the Canyon. The town was tiny, but somehow all the mod-cons had made it into the middle of nowhere, with shops off the square trying to entice tourists into their buildings with the promise of internet and international phonecalls! In the early evening we headed over to some thermal baths, which were absolutely luxurious!! Despite the freezing temperatures outside, the baths were boiling and the views of the sides of the canyon, mountain ranges, and the millions of stars that were out that night was so such a surreal experience. After dragging ourselves away from the warmth of the baths, our guide took us to a pe?a traditional Peruvian restaurant with a folk band. The food was good, but the entertainment was even better. The band were excellent, and after finishing with their traditional pieces, they attempted some panpipe versions of modern songs, and even got everyone singing along with a rendition of Guantanamera!! There was also a performance of three traditional dances by a guy and a girl in traditional Peruvian dress. One was related to when people had gotten malaria from mosquitoes, and was hilarious to watch because it involved the pair taking turns in lying on the floor, while the other stood over them and beat them with their clothes to "beat the fever out of them"!!! After the excitement of the night, we returned to our hotel to get up early for the final morning?s trip to Cruz del Condor.
We dragged our bags across the square in the early hours of the morning and sat on the coach until we reached the Mirador Cruz del Condor. This is the viewpoint from which you can see condors circling up from the depths of the canyon against the breathtaking scenery, and what a sight they were! We had to wait a while before we saw anything, and then for a good 30 minutes or so, 3-4 condors kept flying over our heads and you could hear nothing but camera clicks and gasps from the crowds. The size of these birds is simply indescribeable, and our pictures don?t do them justice. They are magnificent and they glide through the air with more grace than you?d expect from such a large animal. We strongly recommend that everyone tries to get out to seem them at least once in their lifetime!!
Satisfied with our viewing, we jumped back onto the coach for the long ride back to Arequipa. Once we had arrived, we made a quick stop for some provisions, before catching yet another coach onto our a next destination, Puno and Lake Titicaca...