Early Thursday morning (7/11), we left Arequipa on our journey to the Colca Valley (an overnight) and then Puno (2 nights). Among the 10 tourists who accompanied us, six different countries were represented. While the drive direct to Puno might take only 5 hours, our trip took considerably longer due to the many enjoyable stops and the overnight in the Colca Valley. It was a beautiful day for a drive into the countryside.
Our first treat was the huge vicuña reserve where we saw hundreds of wild vicuñas, some really close. Vicunas run in herds of one male and maybe 20 females. The herd instinct is strong because of predation by pumas and foxes. We also saw domesticated alpacas and llamas on the open range, mostly alpacas because their wool is so valued by the developed countries. Almost all of Peru’s alpaca wool is exported. Even though the tourist shops sell “100% alpaca” goods, they are often synthetics or sheep wool blends. In one place, a herd of alpacas belonging to a local family was at the side of the road. We got to pet them and hold a baby (finally!).
Next we drove over Patapampa Pass at an elevation of 16,100 ft. That’s pretty high. A lot of people experience altitude sickness (nausea, headaches) even at 7000 feet (Arequipa). Our guide gave us instructions on how to avoid it—chewing coca leaves. He demonstrated putting coca leaves in your palm, rolling it around a pinch of soft mint-flavored gypsu (calcium carbonate), putting it in your mouth and chewing it like gum. Most of our group tried it. It tasted like mint-flavored alfalfa (if you can imagine such a taste) and made our mouths numb. Other than that, it didn’t seem to have other effects on Roger and me. However, who knows? We did not experience altitude sickness, so it may have helped.
Two other comments about our stop at Patapampa Pass. First, you are supposed to see 3 large volcanoes from this viewpoint: Ampato (where they found the “Ice Maiden” described earlier), Sabancayo which was blowing off plumes of ash at that moment, and Hualca-Haulca. Unfortunately, when we reached the pass, the mist enveloped us and we could not see any of the volcanoes. Second, the pass has what is claimed to be the highest flush toilet in the world! Kathy needed to use it (of course) so she fought through the bitter cold and wind to the stone structure, opened the door, saw a black toilet deep inside, and felt for a light. No light! Desperate, she closed the door, felt her way to the black (now invisible) fixture and sat down on what felt like ice. A brief but memorable experience! Mission accomplished, she opened the door to the light and worked her way back to the van to thaw out. Everything at this altitude is VERY COLD. Roger and I had on every piece of clothing we brought with us, including gloves, hats, long undies, vests, coats.
From the pass, we dropped into the Colca Valley, a decline of about 4,000 feet and lots of curves in 30 minutes. We had a buffet lunch in Chivay, the largest town in the Valley, and then drove to a hot springs for a hot water soak—one of the biggest treats of the day. Of course, removing our many layers was a bit of a chore. En route, we got a chance to try a Colca Sour (Roger’s choice) and an Colca ice cream (Kathy’s, of course). Both contained Sancayo, a tart citrus-tasting fruit of a local cactus. The hot springs was a delightful end to the day, warming us throughout our bodies. We were then driven to our lodging for a good (but very cold as it dropped to low 30s with no heat in the room) night’s sleep.
The next day, we continued on to Colca Canyon and Condor Cross. Here we saw many Andean condors. After the albatross, Andean condors have the 2nd largest wingspan (11-1/2 feet!) of all living flying birds. They are vultures (so not so cute), and their numbers are dropping. It is thought that the low birth rate—one chick every two years—may be contributing to this decline. Peru has about 300 birds. Nations south of Peru have more. (The picture on the left was taken from the web…we didn’t get that close.)
The 6-hour trip to Puno was uneventful. We had Inca tea stops (a delightful brew of hot water and sprigs of local herbs known to help with altitude sickness, digestion, as well as diabetes, cancer, headaches, you name it!) and bathroom stops. We stopped at Lake Lagunillas at over 14,400 feet, higher than Lake Titicaca. Still very cold, but beautiful sunshine.
When we arrived in Puno late in the afternoon—the highest point (12,600 feet) that we will stay on our trip—it was very cold. The hotel lobby was cold. The halls were cold. Our room was cold. We were cold. BUT, we had a working heater in the room and it eventually got warm. Still we went to bed wearing 2 pairs of wool socks, long underwear and coats. I mention this to illustrate how pampered we are in the States with central heating and to marvel at the heartiness of the Peruvians who live at this altitude with this cold all the time (in winter)…and survive, nicely thank you. Actual nighttime temperatures were not that cold—just below freezing, but without heat, it feels very cold.
The next morning, we joined a small tour group for a boat trip on Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is known as the highest navigable lake in the world. It is the largest lake in South America both in terms of surface area and volume of water. Our first stop on the lake was a “floating island.” This was one of over 100 floating islands created by the Aymara people to escape Inca rule in the 1400s and 1500s. The islands are made by lashing together chunks of rooted reeds that float to the surface when the lake rises in the rainy season (see picture). The root clods are covered with multiple layers of dry reeds to create the floating islands. The islands are secured to the lake bottom so they don’t float away. New reeds must be added every few days and the entire island must be rebuilt every 30 years. Five to seven families generally live on one. They also use bundles of reeds to make boats, although in modern times, they also use motor boats to travel into Puno. It is a hard way of life. There is no electricity, except for a few lights from solar panels. Very little protection from the cold. These people survive on tourism, handicrafts, and fishing. They eat fish, ducks, and duck eggs.
Once again, we planned a day of rest into our itinerary. Aptly this turned out to be Sunday. We spent the day working on our blog, and walking the pedestrian-only downtown streets of Puno. At the main plaza, we were surprised by a traditional dance performance by the elaborately decorated costumes (these performances are Sunday only events). They danced their way from the main plaza to another. Moms and dads took pictures of their kids and helped with the costumes.
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