Colca Pichu Chinchero

I am back in Cusco. Machu Pichu was even more impressive than I had imagined- the photos can never do it justice. It was definitely worth every penny of the US$105 that the trip cost, and was even worth the torturous 6hr van and 1hr train ride each way. I'm not sure if I mentioned that I am also very sick with a cold, and the drastic changes in altitude gave me such a bad sinus headache that I felt like throwing myself out of the van and over a cliff (a bit dramatic, I know, haha). I finally gave in today and went to the pharmacy for antibiotics to clear up what I think is a sinus infection. Oh, and I woke up with a eye infection this morning as well- so add antibiotic eyedrops to that as well.
Only since I've contracted these infections have I actually opened my eyes to the filth that surrounds me. For starters are of course the public buses or colectivo cars. Just today, I was crammed into a 15 seater van that eventually filled up to 30 people. Many of which were visibly ill with colds as evidenced by the secretions on their faces and hands, the sneezing, and of course the coughing. After the van, I took a ¨taxi¨, the back seat of which I had to share with 3 other people- none of which small children. I then took note today of how common it is to pass a man or child in the street peeing against a wall or squatting in the middle of the sidewalk like it ain't no thang. Oh, and I used my first squatter toilet in South America, reminiscent of Asia. And another thing, very few of the bathrooms seem to be equipped with toilet paper, let alone soap, and sometimes even running water. After purchasing the antibiotics I also bought myself some hand santitizer, although this won't protect me from the food vendors that don't wash their hands before preparing food.
On a more positive note, I really have been enjoying Peru. The people are really friendly for the most part, although it is a much more reserved culture than in Colombia (which I miss). The country is spectacular- the Andes are breathtaking and the scenery changes dramatically from place to place. I was really surprised travelling along the coast and around Arequipa and Lima- I hadn't imagined it to be such a dry, vast desert- essentially just rock and sand dunes for as far as the eye can see.
The villages that I visited today were especially interesting- both located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and both traditional Andean villages, however tainted by tourism. The first was called Ollataytambo, which is where I spent the night recovering after Machu Pichu. This village, like all Andean villages I imagine, is located in a valley with mountains surrounding it. Only these mountains happen to have Inca ruins built into the sides of them- on impossibly steep slopes. The ruins are clearly visible from the town, and I can't imagine how magical it would be to live in such a place and to enjoy those spectacular views everyday.
The second village that I visited was Chinchero- also in a beautiful setting. The highlight of visiting Chinchero was the Sunday market that I was lucky enough to see. The traditional clothing of the Indigenous people alone was intriguing enough, but to see all the textiles and artesania being sold was also interesting. Before heading back to Cusco I had myself a coca tea for the altitude and for my cold, spiked with limejuice which I was assured would help to cure me. Coca leaves are commonly used here for teas and are also chewed to aid with the altitude as well as to supress hunger and provide energy. It must work somehow because it's incredible to see the loads some of the woman carry to and from the markets- many of which appear to be quite elderly and debilitated.
And now to back track a bit and provide some details of the Colca Canyon. As I mentioned, I set off on an unguided tour of the canyon with a friend from Spain who I met in Ecuador. We took the bus 6 hours to the head of the trail into the canyon. The first view of it was breath-taking and we were lucky enough to see a condor soaring above before we descended into the canyon. The descent took about 3 hours and it was rough going because it was quite steep and the trail littered with loose gravel. My hiking shoes were also all of a sudden too small for my feet(?) and it killed going down. For once hiking uphill was easier than down.
After reaching the bottom we crossed a river via a foot bridge and began the ascent through the village of San Miguel onto the village of Malata. Here we stayed at the hospedaje of a local couple, who were excellent hosts. They had a little museum set up that the husband guided us through- showing us the processes they use to make flour, how they store their crops of corn, what kind of offerings they give to the Pachamama (mother earth), etc. The wife cooked us up nice dinner and we went to bed early for lack of anything else to do in the village.
The next day, Kike wanted to continue on uphill to some waterfalls and on to another village, but I didn't have it in me (I was already sick then). We parted ways and I went on to Llahuar, which is a place with naturally heated pools to soak in. I got there ready to relax in the pools,but they were all drained for maintanence! On I went back down to the bottom of the canyon, crossing the river again before beginning the ascent back up out of the canyon. The trail I needed to follow was visible from the opposite side of the canyon, but somehow I still managed to go almost an hour up the wrong trail. When I finally realized my mistake, the sun was beating down heavily and there was no shade to be found anywhere. In order to prevent another burn, I changed into jeans from shorts and draped a scarf around my shoulders, applying more sunscreen every hour. Knowing I still had a good 4 hours uphill ahead of me, I started to feel a bit panicky; looking around me at the enormity of the canyon I felt so small and insignificant. I knew I would make it up alright without getting lost, but the work that was ahead of me was intimidating.
I eventually passed a couple with a guide on their descent into the canyon, and they assured me that all I had left was about an hour and a half. It was brutally exhausting but I eventually made it as it was cooling off- I arrived in Cabanaconde around 5pm, after hiking the canyon since 8am. There I spent the night for 10 soles (approx. $4.00)- it was money well spent. If nothing else I can say that I have been having many interesting adventures on this trip!
Tonight I leave on another night bus for Copacabana, Bolivia which is located on Lake Titicaca.