Lima, September 18th 2016
Arequipa. It was almost a year ago. Memories.
Arequipa is this city, south of Peru, stuck right under the volcanoes Misti (19,101 ft) and Chachani (19,931 ft). Far enough from the ocean and the main Andes to remain mostly dry, it is the perfect destination for November, when the torrential rains are starting to fall over the Andes.
The historical center is pretty enjoyable. More or less pedestrian, it is nice to walk from building to building, to enter in a courtyard when a door is open or to admire the richness of some facades, made of volcanic stones.
There is a very calm and quiet feeling in the city even tough the streets start to be animated when the restaurants and bars are opening on the evening. It is in Arequipa, in the Andean museum, that we can find the mummy of Juanita, a young woman sacrificed on the summit of the volcano Ampato a long time ago.
As usual, the city market brings life and colors and this one is pretty well organized. The large amount of fruits and potatoes could be surprising. The streets, the buildings, the cathedral or the convents are as much witnesses of the Hispanic colonial past.
Arequipa is also a door, easy to open, to enter the Peruvian Altiplano to discover the volcanoes area. A few hours from the city, after a pass at 16,000 ft, there is Chivay, little town at the entrance of the Colca Canyon. Less impressive than the American Grand Canyon, the Colca Canyon is, with the nearby Cotahuassi Canyon, the deepest in the world. Walls are not vertical and it is not vertiginously high but there is still a 10,000 ft difference between the river floor and the higher summits.
In this area, traditions are still pretty much respected despite the affluence of all kind of tourists. Along the Cabanaconde road it is possible to admire the gorge from some interesting belvederes. Cabanaconde is a little Peruvian town, at the end of the main road, that sits on the top of the canyon: tourists will find lodges (the Pachamama auberge is really nice), few convenient stores, some restaurants, Peruvian music that resonate in the streets (but no panpipes… ). Most of the “tours” are leaving Arequipa early on the morning to stop right before Cabanaconde before going directly down in the canyon in order to sleep at Sangalle Oasis. The next day, it is right up to Cabanaconde and back to Arequipa in the afternoon. It is a pity to go that fast in such a place… Tourism should have a positive impact on this village and the nearby communities, leaving in the canyon.
As often, we prefer avoiding the masses and we pick a less frequented itinerary. The path down to the river is steep and long but calm and quiet. Then, we could resume this trek as a 4 days hike between different villages… but the reality is richer. This is not a remote and adventurous trek but much more a cultural one through inhabited villages. The trail network is ancient, used for centuries and still used today, to link one village to the other.
A trekking, like any kind of hobby, is definitely a luxury, a privilege, and it seems important to acknowledge that. Here, we are moving along some impressive irrigation ditches that are bringing water high on the slopes to a diversity of crops, pretty far from the creek. The trail is crossing a recent dirt road that links some of the villages to Cabanaconde. Others of those villages are still remote and isolated, sometimes high in the mountains. Mules are carrying the harvest to Cabanaconde and are coming back with other goods. At the end of one of the canyon’s branch, the little village of Fure has been abandoned: too far from the dirt road, life there was too difficult, too remote.
People have moved a bit lower, near the Colca River, on the side of the new road, or even further, near Arequipa, with the hope of a different life. In the canyon, people are building new lodges, expecting that it will attract tourists for more than a night unlike the Sangalle Oasis. At the end of the road, there is Tapay, an interesting village, nestle under higher mountains. The gate welcomes the courageous one who went off the main road to get a bit higher, seeking for calm and silence. The road here is completely new, finished recently under the pressure of the company that manage the new mine, higher up.
A small lodge, “El Encanto de Maruja” is situated in the center of the village and will offer even more calm for a night. The tenants are a couple of seniors and their son is now living in Arequipa. While eating a delicious alpaca steak, we are being told a few stories: how the road and electricity recently arrived here, how kids were running to Cabanaconde to get a missing bottle of vegetable oil in 2 hours round trip (before the road)… Going up on the steep trail to Cabanaconde took us 3 hours.
The next day it is time to go back to Arequipa. We are leaving in a tourist bus and quickly we are regretting this choice: about 10 young and very annoying French tourists are showing the worst tourist cliché possible…A trip has to be an exchange. Coming back home, we are bringing memories and an incredible experience that are much more than a simple consumption of a place or a service. A nice chat, a smile or a warm welcome are unforgettable moments that are more important than a business transaction. To enjoy a trip, it is important to show humility and respect, to forget the usual and comfortable standards and it is important as well to look around and to be aware of what’s there.
