Back from Puno and Lake Titicaca, I took a day to readjust from my sea (lake) legs to the lower elevations and pavement of Arequipa. There were two things I was considering during my 6 day stay in the Arequipa area - the Colca Canyon and a possible attempt to climb El Misti, the 19,000’ volcano just a few kilometers outside of the city. 

Arranging for tours in Peru is quite easy. All you have to do is step out the front door of your hostal and into the place next door and chances are they can help you out. Out for a walk and some lunch, I came across Colca Trek, a company I’d read about in my Lonely Planet: Peru guidebook. Though the price seemed a bit high, I decided to just go for it as the comfort of the bus trip and the hotel I’d stay at would be a nice change of pace from my $10 hostal in Arequipa. I was to be picked up at around 8am the next day along with 15 or so others and we’d make our way (with many stops) towards the Colca Canyon. Climbing into the van, I was greeted by the French family of four that had been on my trip to Amantani a couple of days before. This has become more than common, running into the same people time and again on this trip. Its always nice to see a familiar face.

Stopping probably a dozen times on the 4 hour drive to Chivay, the gateway town to the Colca Canyon, we came across my first Vicunas of the trip and hundreds of Alpaca and Llama that seemed to be wild, but belonged to large farms throughout the area. Driving over a pass that peaked at over 16,000’, we stopped along the roadside to have some Coca and Chachacoma tea (very minty and good!) to help with the altitude gain. Chivay is set in the valley at the edge of the Canyon. I’d opted to stay in the smaller, less touristy town of Yanque, a 10 minute drive further, along with Alexandra an American working in Lima. After a huge buffet lunch in Chivay we made it to our hotel where I could surely take a nap and have a bit of a rest after the big meal. After 5 minutes, we were told to meet out by the hammocks where we’d depart on a walk up to the farming terraces and pre-inca ruins near Yanque. Struggling a bit, I soon found a rhythm and the walk turned out to be quite nice. It was nearing sunset and we came across a nice, quiet grouping of ruins set on the hillside known as Uyo-Uyo. When the Spanish settled in the area, they burned down the structures and rebuilt on the other side of the river. Continuing on, we walked through empty farmland that the locals were beginning to plant with beans, corn and other traditional crops. A call from one of the fields and we were summoned over for a cup of Chicha. As you’ve probably seen on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or any similar show, Chicha is a fermented corn drink made by the local women who begin the fermentation process by chewing corn (or other grains) and spitting them out then allowing them ferment for a week or two. The situation couldn’t have been better and I knew I’d probably never have a chance (or want to) try the drink again, so I gave it a shot. Emptying a small amount as an offering to the earth, I downed a large glass of the concoction before we were off again walking towards the much anticipated hot springs where we soaked away our high altitude hiking pains. A 30 minute walk back to the hotel and we enjoyed a wonderful meal before retiring early.

Another early start and we were on our way to Mirador de la Cruz del Condor, an area of the Colca Canyon known so well as the place to see Andean Condors. Arriving along with a dozen other tour buses, our guide pointed us to an area that was a little quieter and a good spot for seeing the birds. For 90 minutes we sat on the edge of our seats (well, rocks) in anticipation of the giant animals flying directly overhead or near the edge of the drop-off into the Canyon. Camera ready, I wasn’t fast enough to capture the first of many passes only a few meters away. The animals seemed to enjoy the crowd and showed off flying high overhead, then circling around from the opposite side, closer each time. In all, about 6-7 different condors of varying sizes wowed everyone during our short stay. A highlight of the trip to the canyon and of my time in Peru, it was an amazing experience not to be forgotten.

From an early age, studying geography and history through elementary, high school and university, there are two places that are synonymous with Peru - of course Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. Now, I have to admit that I wasn’t sure where exactly the Lake was or that much about it until I started planning this trip, but I decided it was a must see. From reading a few blogs and trip descriptions I had an idea about the floating islands and the possibility of staying on one of the larger islands as part of a homestay. Arriving in Puno around 2:00pm, I settled into my hotel, then set out for a late lunch and to organize a trip out on the Lake for the next two days. Like so many other towns in Peru, the main street with restaurants (and dozens of tourist offices) was close to the Plaza de Armas. Just finishing my lunch, I heard a lot of noise and music approaching from down the street. Quickly paying my bill I was greeted by hundreds of dancers and a band headed towards the Plaza. Its so cool how small things like this happen when you least expect it. I followed the crowd and performers nearly 10 blocks past the Plaza before heading back towards the center of town to find a travel agency as the procession continued on.

I’d remembered the name of a company that I had found months ago when planning this trip and it just happened that my hotel was right next to their office. The thing with seeing Lake Titicaca and the floating islands is that you can make all the arrangements yourself or go through a tour company. In the end, its all the same as they put you on a boat with a group anyway. The cost came out the same, so I went with All Ways Travel. The group I would spend the next two days with was to be about 22 people, just enough to fill the small boat. Leaving early the next morning, we started our slow journey out into Lake Titicaca. Only 5 km from the dock in Puno, the floating islands were our first stop. I had no idea of the scale of the community until we passed several ’islands’ that had larger buildings as well as smaller huts for several families. In all, the islands included 4 small schools and 2 churches (Catholic and Seventh Day Adventist). As we approached each island, 3 or 4 local women would come out to the edge to greet us and try to get us to stop at their island. My understanding is that the tour agencies rotate each time they go out, giving every family a shot at wooing the tourists. Our boat pulled up to one of the islands and we were welcomed by 3 women and seated in a circle. Our guide then explained how the islands were built and functioned with help from the locals and their pre-made exhibits. While the whole thing was extremely rehearsed and generic I did learn a lot about the culture and how the Uros people got to where they are today. You can’t blame them for taking advantage of tourism as they really don’t have that many options for making a living. As is the case almost everywhere in Peru, the people were extremely kind and full of laughter and good spirit.

After an hour or so we boarded our boat and set sail for Amantani, a two hour trip. A slow trip to say the least, we reached the dock around 2:00 and were divided up into groups of 2 or 3 and assigned to our ’mother & father’ for the homestay. Joining Chris, a retired farmer from the UK (in the process of moving to Spain to try his hand at wine making) we followed Augustina to her home where she showed us to our room and immediately sat us down for lunch. The kitchen and dining area consisted of a wood burning clay oven/stove next to the dining table with only small windows to allow the building smoke out of the room. The house and our room did not have electricity and the bano was of the manual sort (bucket of water to put in the toilet in order to flush). Despite this, the room was comfortable and we were given more than enough blankets to stay warm during the cool night on the island. After lunch and a bit of a rest, we met the other members of the group for a walk to the top of Amantani Island. Already at over 4,000 meters in height, we would walk to about 4,300 meters on a breathtaking hour long walk. The views continued to get better and better and at the top we waited for the sunset. The trail was constructed on concrete and stone which made for an easy descent in the dark with assistance from the bright moon and stars. After dinner, we gathered in a small community building for traditional music and dance and were of course dressed up for the part. An hour of sweating in a wool poncho and hat and I was ready for a good nights sleep.

my homestay house for a nightAn early breakfast of pancakes and café and we bid our farewells to our host families and headed towards the other major island on our tour, Taquile. The more visited island proved to be quite different with local customs and dress in contrast to Amantani. While being tutored on the culture of the island we climbed yet again to the main village where we rested and were given the opportunity to buy arts and crafts in the plaza. The main goal while on Taquile was to get some lunch and we settled on a place overlooking Lake Titicaca. The view was beautiful as the sun made the water a bright blue to match the sky. The final leg of our journey would be the descent of over 500 steps infamous to Taquile. Most groups climb these stairs and I was happy to be headed in the opposite direction. A quiet 2 hour ride back to Puno got us there by 4:00, just in time to crash in a hotel for a couple of hours before dinner. One thing I do enjoy about group tours is meeting really cool people and I’m happy to have hung out with my new Danish friends, Allan and Marianne. 

All in all, the experience was positive. Its tough to see how tourism affects a culture, but I was impressed at how true the people have stayed given the influx of visitors on their island and I really hope it can stay that way. I suppose its inevitable that tourism will take hold, but I hope that it happens with respect to the land and people of Lake Titicaca. Everyone we came across was extremely friendly and welcoming and I very much appreciated getting a glimpse into a way of life that is so foreign to me.

I’d heard good things about the Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa so decided to set aside most of a day to see it. Knowing only that it encompassed more than 20,000 sq. meters of land in the center of Arequipa, I was expecting to get lost in this ‘citadel within a city’ as I‘d heard it called before. Walking into an entry court off of La Merced (or Santa Catalina) I paid the $10 admission and set out on a beautiful bright day in Arequipa. Two things that drew me to the monastery were the fact that I didn’t have to hire a guide and was able to take my camera in (as opposed to other monasteries I’ve visited here). The complex is referred to as a photographers playground and it would not disappoint.

The Monasterio de Santa Catalina was founded in the late 1500’s as a place for the rich of Spain to send their children off to be nuns. However, it became a place for the privileged to live an easy life with several servants per nun. Living in style wasn’t the original idea for the monastery and in the 1800’s, the Pope sent a rather strict Dominican nun to straighten things out. The monastery is still active with about 30 nuns living in a separate area not open to the public. Walking through the many outdoor ’streets’, I was began to get a feel for the size of this place. The cells, as they call them, where the nuns lived a solitary life were amazingly comfortable apartment style residences, most with complete outdoor kitchens and brick oven stoves. There was a never-ending system of rooms and niches created from the local volcanic white stone so common in Arequipa. Many buildings had been damaged by earthquakes throughout the years, but have since been beautifully restored.

Enjoying the ability to find corners of the monastery to myself, I was able to appreciate the tranquil atmosphere that is such a huge part of monastic life. It was amazing to be within a large city like Arequipa but have such solitude. A small café open to a beautiful courtyard was a great spot for a rest and a lemonade (lime really). I also met Maura from California and had a good time exploring the rest of the campus with her before tiring and needing some lunch and replenishment of spent energy. In total, I think I was there for 4 hours and got an endless collection of photos. The day was a pleasant surprise to say the least. 

a typical 'cell'one of the many streets within the complex