Huambo

The long awaited canyon trip was finally here today! After a sumptuous dinner last night we knew we had a big day ahead of us and they were coming to pick us up at 3 am (3 am!!!) And we still needed to get our bags packed. So rosy went back to the hotel and Pasquale and I went to find the only gay disco in the village! 😂😉😉

The disco wasn't much but they were REALLY happy to get some foreign people on that they didn't even charge is entrance! We only stayed for a drink because of the early start planned and because the security guard patrolling the premises was just delicious! I wish I'd taken a pic, you'd totally agree with me!! 😉

Off to bed for a quick kip then phone rings and we barely make our way out. We're all worried about the bus ride which is notoriously dangerous roads and very sick inducing, especially Rosy who suffers from travel sickness, and about raising our altitude to 4900m a whole 2000 metres above Arequipa (we had all felt it when we first arrived, headaches etc). The ride proved true to its story with our driver almost causing a full frontal accident but luckily it was a near miss and Rosy's medicine worked great so she slept and want stock. Our hero!!

Pasquale woke up first and got the great sun rise colours in the valley, half way through the night we had all had problems with altitude, at the tallest point we felt terrible breathing and general heaviness but it soon passed.

After breakfast we headed for the real canyon side and stopped by the condor nests and storm am hour observing and trying to take pictures of them flying, some came right past us and we got some awesome shots although with the DSLR so you're gonna have to wait for the pictures. Condors are definitely cool but ver ugly, like a turkey that can fly.

Off to various other bits of the canyon, learning history and myths and stories and all sort of things, sceneries surrounding us were always amazing with tall mountains and glaciers and snow on side of the road, precarious but somewhat fun too.

Interestingly this area is surrounded by inactive volcanoes although it's not the usual black soil I'd come to expect but it was rather arid and red and tones of browns, rocky and in places even very green.

Lunch then obligatory stop to meet the alpacas, they're so soft and sweet!! Rosy decided to get some scarfs (if you know her your not surprised) made of baby alpacas, despite me telling her how bad that is: to keep the wool that soft they keep the baby alpacas from birth immersed in fabric conditioner with the kids repeatedly combing the fur over a hundred times twice a day (they have no Barbie here, they're poor!). Still she didn't listen and decided to feed this horrible trade. 😂😂

As it was we tried alpacas meat for lunch and I think the fabric conditioner sips through because it's oh so tender!!

On the way back we stopped at a viewing point for the five or so biggest volcanoes of the area, shame we couldn't go up.

Rest of the return trip was a little harrowing and now we're off to 12 more hours bus ride overnight to the best part of the Peru trip, Cusco. Loads to do there but will tell you each time, keep reading our blog.
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