Colca Canyon Day Two

Sunday 13th April

Today was a VERY cool day! We had a leisurely lie-in until 0700, and then began our trek at 0830. We walked to the next village - Malata - and stopped to have a chat with a family at a stall selling fruit and got to try two different types of cactus fruit - one of which us called Tuna (like the fish), and was bright pink and tasted kinda like melon, and the other was bright green and full of black seeds and kinda sour, but very refreshing. I gave the kids some solouring pencils and balloons, and the little girl was playing around with her balloon, and then decided she would turn it into a water balloon! We talked to them about life in the village and the state of education at the school etc (much like rural schools in NZ, there were 2 teachers for 25 kids from 5-12 years old, but unlike NZ these schools have literally no resources and get very little money).

Then we visited the village medical centre and Carlos explained that most people still use traditional medicines and will only visit the western trained doctor if it is a matter of life and death. The we continued on to the main square and saw the church in the picture above, and then visited a small museum showing items related to daily life in the valley. It was immensely interesting to interact with the locals and find out how they live etc - very cool.

We then continued on for another 1.5 hours to Sangalle - the Oasis- literally an Oasis at the bottom of the canyon. Here there are three companies which have set up as lodges and have swimming pools etc. The setting was beautiful and a great place to have lunch and a swim before our mega 3 hour climb out of the canyon in the afternoon.

We left at about 1430 and started climbing......and climbing.....and climbing. It was very hot for the first 1.5 hours and the track was very steep. There were three other groups out that day as well, so we had lots of company on the way up. Finally, just before 1730, we made it to the top! Here we had a bit of a rest and some food, and saw another really cool sunset (also in the photos above).

Then we had a quick 20 minute walk through fields of maize in the rapidly fading light to get back to Cabanaconde. Here we stayed in another really nice hostal, with private bathrooms (with great showers - a real luxury over here), and a nice comfy bed. Then it was down to the local pub, for some pretty crap food - the only lowlight of the whole trip, and then back for another well-earned sleep.