And the Cat Came Back the very next day

After what turned out to be a 26hr trip we finally made it to Arequipa. On the bus we met a guy by the name of Lavanti from Hungary he asked if we could share a cab and Eve and I said sure, we were glad to have a guy with us on our midnight taxi ride what we did not know what that we had just agreed to a whole lot more than a cab ride.

It started with sharing a room at the hostel so that it would be cheaper, then another night together. After two nights in Arequipa Eve and I decided to take a trip to Chivay to see the condors and the Colca-Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world over twice as deep as the grand canyon. It then came as an unpleasant surprise when Lavanti asked what we were all going to do the next day. We told him what the two of us where planning on doing, he invited himself along. When we got to Chivay and Eve had spoken with the man at the tourist information desk it was obvious that the next morning if we really wanted to see the condors we would have to get up around 3A.M. so that we could take the 4A.M. bus on the two hour drive to the Mirador del Condors.  It was at this point that Lavanti, whom we now called the cat, became truly a bother. He began to complain that that was too early in the morning and that he wanted to be able to sleep in before the hike etc. Eve then told him he could do whatever he wanted but we were getting up a 3 in order to see the condors.  

I'll finish later

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Santa Cruz Trek day 4

On the final day we walked through two no road access villages to the final one where there was a road. We waited half an hour before a truck came by we got in the back with bags and bags of food and a few personal backpacks and our own gear and we began to drive one of the most highly rated drives in the whole world. It was cramped and cold and generally uncomfortable but my goodness there are not words to describe the differences in beauty and grandeur and magnificence of all the things I saw. I only hope that I am able to hold the images in my mind forever. We then took another cramped ride in a colectivo to Huaraz dropped our things at our hostel and went out for a large dinner at a French restaurant.
It was a great trek!      

Santa Cruz Trek day 3

The third day was UP and UP and UP and UP and UP and Up to the very tippy top of the pass. I have to say if that man had not said on the first day that I could not do it I’m not sure I could have, but every time I thought of quitting that man’s voice saying “es possible por tu and por Ella perro por la sinorita no es posible.” And I would become determined to prove this little insulting man wrong, and in the end I did. We then went Down, Down, Down, Down, Down, over 1000 meters and camped. 

Santa Cruz Trek day 2

The next morning we observed a group of other travelers peeing and pooping into and next to the river we had been fallowing the whole day before the river which was obviously the major source of water to the village we had started our trek in. We all began to fume as one after another they would do this, what made it especially egregious was the fact that there was an outhouse maybe one hundred yards from the river. Eventually Eve was no longer able to hold herself back, she marched over to one of them and explained what it was they were doing and how horrible it was. Tim and I were both quite proud of her for having done something about it.      

We then packed our things, ate our oatmeal, and left. 

Being about 800 meters higher than the day before the temperature was much cooler and the soft breeze that ran through the valley was wonderfully refreshing. We soon reached the first Lake of our trek.  Turquoise and green it was bordered in reads and a family of ducks made their way up it searching for food. We walked on for some time before reaching the end of the lake making our way up and over some rocks and around a large bend in the trail and we found ourselves at the second lake. It was large and completely Turquoise with white granite rocks forming much of the beach the sloping mountains surrounding it were covered in dark green foliage reminding me very much of home. We stopped and ate a bit before going on along its edge and then fallowed the elevated path of granite to its other end. On the far side of the lake there was a slope to climb up, on top of which we were granted our first view of the large step towards the pass. This vista was afforded over a large swamp strewn with streams, cows, and manure. After a bit of mud sinking and Eve fording a glacier fed river we were on our way up the first step. When all was over were ate an incredible meal of spaghetti and went to sleep.    

Santa Cruz Trek day 1

The Santa Cruz Trek is one of the most well know and popular treks in all of South America. It is a Four to Six day trek depending on how fast you go and how many side trips you might take.  

 

We started with the early on Thursday taking a colectivo (or twenty passenger van) and then a taxi to the start of the trek.  We started at a post with a group of locals standing by asking if we needed donkeys to carry our bags when we said no thank you the head guy preceded to tell Tim, well within ear shot of me, that I would not be strong enough to do it that I would definitely need a Donkey to carry my bag over the pass. We then were told we had to pay a toll fee to pass through the 1000ft of town before reaching the National Forest.  We paid and then were on our way however within a few moments we were all suffering from the incredible heat. Eve finally changed into unzipped rain panty and walked on in this fashion despite the looks of other gringos and the incredible number of biting flies. I spent most of the first day sweating out the water Tim was encouraging me to drink and praying for shade from the few clouds in the sky. In the end of the day we camped at a camp site with many other trekkers and slept like the dead. 

Poverty

I have never in my life been so shocked by poverty the people who live near the valley we trekked through don't beg for money of gifts they ask for bread and medicine. How can you say no to someone asking for such bear essentials like Tylenol to lower their child’s fever?