Trekking Colca Canyon II

Ascent from Sangalle to Cabanaconde

Even today, it's not difficult to get up for the early morning call, thanks to the rising sunlight entering through the window and the anticipation of a prompt return from the bottom of the canyon. Without breakfast, just a couple of "coca cookies," we meet at the designated spot to begin the hike that will take us to Cabanaconde. It involves approximately 1000 meters of elevation gain. The climb is steep but steady, and we manage to cover the distance in about two hours, largely due to the lack of altitude-related issues. arrive at a small square where a woman sells drinks to thirsty hikers.

When I arrive, there are still few people around and it's a good opportunity to chat with her and enjoy some coca tea. She is happy to find someone who speaks Spanish; usually everyone speaks English, but she can only respond with the few words she knows. She is of Quechua ethnicity, so Spanish can almost be considered her first foreign language. Learning other languages is difficult due to the lack of teachers willing to come this far, and even if they could, it would cost a lot of money given their limited finances. In fact, we are at least five hours away from Arequipa, and here only tourists and locals arrive. They live off… basic farming, primarily based on the cultivation of white corn, with larger and more resistant grains suitable for these altitudes, on extensive terraces. For the rest, it can be said that they live off tourism, and quite successfully.

By 8:00 AM, we regroup and head to the village for breakfast. As yesterday, the menu includes scrambled eggs with butter and strawberry jam. The main square features a small cathedral, while around it, work is underway to modernize the streets. We continue on our way to Chivay, and just before the village, we have time for a visit to the thermal baths. There are several pools with different temperatures, and the incoming water is definitely too hot to touch. And that's where I make a mistake: it's important to remember that we are at high altitude, weakened by the lack of oxygen, just like 3300 meters above sea level feels much more intense than at the same elevation in the Alps. Furthermore, we are also tired from waking up in the middle of the night. Any mistake or carelessness can be costly, such as getting into a pool that is definitely too hot and staying there for several minutes. The return journey to the minibus confirms that even with minimal effort, a headache will accompany me during lunch, leading to an increase in blood pressure due to digestion, which will ultimately result in a painful afternoon.

From Chivay to Puno on the Altiplano.

Lunch in Chivay was a buffet, excellent and plentiful, with rice pudding and chicha morada (a sweet made from black corn). At this point, we say goodbye to our friends with whom we spent these two days. We need to hurry to the terminal where the bus for Puno departs. It's a tourist bus without any special features, but there are only six of us, and the driver will provide excellent explanations about the culture and... places we are passing through We learn how to consume cocaine, its history and its energy properties. We are told that we need to take a few medium-sized leaves and chew them in one corner of our mouth for a maximum of twenty minutes.

The following provides a detailed explanation of the differences between llamas and alpacas, with the latter being particularly suitable for meat and leather processing. The former is used to produce more durable products. At the same time, there is a market for wool with fluctuating prices depending on the time and demand. Llamas have a stiffer structure and are mainly used to make rugs, while alpacas are used for cushions and delicate items. Alpaca fleece can be white, but also shades of beige and brown. There is also a breed of alpaca with long hair similar to yaks, but they are always camelids, and the skin is used to make chair covers and sofa covers because it is particularly warm. Baby alpacas correspond to our lambs and are the most prized fleece because it is the softest. As they age, the fleece becomes coarser and rougher.

Let's make some intermediate stops, one particularly at an altitude of around 4800 meters, where the cool evening air is very noticeable and clear. We can also admire the flamingos that fish in the shallow waters of a lake. We can see camels grazing, and in some areas we encounter large flocks of sheep and cattle. As we approach our destination, the sky becomes darker, and scattered raindrops fall during sunset. This creates magical light effects: cameras don't need special filters to capture a nearly surreal reality.

Close to our accommodation, the rain starts pouring down and the streets of Puno, without drainage systems, quickly turn into raging rivers. Once the rain stops, they dry up very quickly, and everything returns to normal, just a little cleaner. We arrive in Puno a few minutes before 7:30 PM, and with a taxi, we go to the guesthouse where we will stay for three alternating nights, which will also serve as our base during our excursions on Lake Titicaca and in Bolivia. In fact, Posada Kusillos is not just a guesthouse; it's a truly welcoming home, considering the hospitality we received. They helped us find the two-day tour on the lake and also bought the tickets that would take us to La Paz. A light dinner concludes a long day, leaving us well-deserved rest under five layers of blankets in this town located at 3900 meters on the shores of the largest lake in South America.