Thursday, May 1, 2014

April 30th - Colca - Chivay - Areqipa

Another early start for us this morning and another long day (it seems that lately every blog begins with this statement). We left our hostel in Sangalle at the bottom of the canyon while it was still dark at 5 a.m. along with a number of other groups. The climb up is so grueling that the guides have hikers complete it before the sun becomes too strong. A couple of us rode mules all the way or half way through or else we would have kept the rest of the group waiting for a long time. 

The students did a fantastic job of sticking with it and just pushing through all the way to the top despite legs turning to rubber and cramping up. It was sheer determination in the end that got them through and I am so proud of the whole group. Everyone made it to the top in under three hours and there were many celebrations not only amongst our group but all the other hikers who were cheering their team-mates on from the top.

From the top of the canyon it was a short hike to our restaurant in the village of Cabanaconde for breakfast and we then made the 90 minute drive back to Chivay to pick up our luggage. After a quick stop for lunch we were on our way to Arequipa. Everyone was tired and desperate for a shower (we hadn't had one in over two days) so we didn't stop anywhere along the 3.5 hour drive. 

We did see some vicuña really close to the side of the road and pulled over to get some great pictures. Pablo told us that vicuña wool, because it is so fine, sells for about $400 per kg. Unlike the llama and alpaca which are domesticated, vicuñas are wild and because they are the national animal of Peru, the government is taking great care in protecting them. Since they are wild, we wondered how their wool is obtained and Pablo explained that once a year, local communities are allowed to use nets to trap them briefly so they can shear them but they are then released immediately.

As we got closer to Arequipa we saw an enormous cement factory in the middle of the desert. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru with a population of over 1million. It was obvious as we approached the outskirts of the city that this was a much more developed and prosperous area than any we had visited so far. The city is the center of commerce and industry for the region and one could see why more and more people are moving there for the prospect of employment and a better quality of life. Unlike the smaller towns that we saw in the Andes, where jobs appeared to be scarce because the economy was centered around agriciculture and tourism, this area appears to be growing and we saw many signs of economic progress. 

When we reached Areqipa it was time to say goodbye to Pablo. He had been an excellent guide but more than that I really appreciated his social conscience. He really cared about the communities still living in the canyon and tried hard to create an awareness of their lives and also to get tourists to interact with them like we did so that the focus was not just on trekking, which was ideal for our class. He was originally from that area but like many families his parents had moved to Arequipa for the education of their seven children. Pablo still had relatives who lived in the canyon and he he tries to help a different family each time he is down there. I think he has been one of my favourite people that we have met in Peru.

Our hotel is located a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas (the main square) and close to dozens of shops and restaurants. As soon as we had checked in and showered, the students wanted
to set out for some shopping. Lists were made (I'm so impressed with how organized some of them are) and names were slowly crossed off as we wandered from store to store. Some of the students have been so good at practicing their Spanish and have enjoyed the process of bargaining as well. 

After two hours of shopping we found the restaurant we had made reservations at. I chose a fancier restaurant for our last night as a group since tomorrow we meet up with the Spanish immersion half of the group in Lima. We had a nice dinner and talked about our experiences during our travels. We also talked about what we had learned about the economy of Peru in the different regions we had visited from the Andean mountains, to the Amazon rainforest, to island economies in the middle of the highest navigable lake, to poor communities at the bottom of a canyon. Upon reflection it's quite remarkable to think about the variation in physical geography and environment that we have experienced in these three weeks and how each region posed different challenges and sometimes advantages for economic activity. 

I had gotten a little token keychain for each student to represent something about them or something that happened to them on the trip. Hannah got a macaw to remind her of the two that tried to steal her bread in the Amazon by landing on her shoulders. Sydney got a pair of sandals to represent relief from her hiking boots which caused such painful toes for her. Alyssa got an image of the sun to remind her to put on sunscreen. Kurt got a Peruvian hat since he wore one almost every day. Kyle got a vicuña because he had the longest strides I've ever seen as he passed me up and down every mountain we climbed (I couldn't find a mountain goat).  Kathleen got a journal for being so diligent in keeping up with her writing every day. Last but not least, Connor got a sombrero-like hat to represent the intrepid explorer hat he wore all the time. 

Tomorrow we have a half day tour of Arequipa that we are all looking forward to before our flight to Lima in the mid-afternoon. We actually get to sleep in tomorrow until 8 a.m. which seems deliciously decadent considering our past mornings. 

Hard to believe we will be back in the US in two days!!

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