Arequipa (Peru)

Arequipa je o dost nize (2300mnm) oproti predeslym tydnum pobytu a je to znat. Da se opet bez obtizi dychat a je tu leto. Mesto je mnohem hezci nez jsme cekali. Ale nejvetsi zmena je v mistnich lidech. Jsou uplne jini nez v horach. Dalo by se rici, vice civilizovani, prodejci nejsou vubec agresivni a jedno ne staci. Take tu misto trhu maji obchody! Hlavni atrakci mesta je klaster Santa Catalina. Rozkladajici se na plose nekolika bloku tvori krasny labyrint uzkych ulicek, namesticek a pruchodu. Zdi natrene na modro, bilo nebo cihlovou barvou a kolem udrzovane zahony a zahrady s poletujicimi kolibriky. Absolutni klid - I kdyz nevim jestli bych tu chtel zit cely zivot bez kontaktu s okolnim svetem jako mnoho sester radu.
Pote jdeme na morce, narodni pochoutka. Nam nijak vyjimecne nepripada, ale je odzkouseno.
Dalsi den - budicek v 5, za 40min jsme na nadrazi, ale listky do Colca kanonu uz nejsou, tak kupujeme az na bus v 9. Jeste je to pak zpozdene a v Chivay si nechame narvat listek do parku o kterem vime, ze ho nemame kupovat. Termalni lazne v Chivay jsou dobre, ale nejak nas nebavi vzhledem k tomu, ze je ve stinu kolem 30. Dnes se nedari. Po koupeli pokracujeme do Cabanoconde. Bus je narvanej jako kdyby to mel byt posledni bus behem pristiho mesice a prakticky sedime po 3, plus dvojnasobek lidi v ulicce. Ale za chvili vime, ze vsechny tu utrapy dne k necemu byly - pohledy dolu do 2. nejhlubsiho kanonu sveta jsou nadherne. Zelene terasy s barevnymi policky, stromy, lamy, osli. Nejhlubsi kanon sveta je jen kousek odsud, ale pry neni tak pekny, tak vsichni jezdi sem. Behem vecere se seznamime s ceskou Pavlou a domluvime se spolecne na dvoudenni trek kanonem.
Prvni cil je vyhlidka San Miguel. Nalepil se na nas jeden z mistnich psu co se chce porad kamaradit. O tom, ze nejsme nejlepsi spolecnici a dole v kanonu by se mu urcite nelibilo ho presvedci az 3 presne trefy kamenem. Z vysky vidime co nas ceka a je to impozantni. Je opravdu ta tenka linie dole reka kterou prekrocime, a ty leskle tecky v zeleni strechy domu? Zaciname 4h sestup uzkou kamenitou cestou strme dolu (zmena, zatim vzdy vsechny treky vedly nejdrive nahoru) a potkavame jen muly a osli, BMW mistnich srazu, nalozene tahnouci naklad nahoru. Dole u reky je kontrola vstupenek do kanonu o kterych veskere pruvodce rikaji, ze nemame mit. Pavla nema, ale naschval zaplati 100. Po 15ti min premysleni, kdy strazce nema nazpatek ji pousti dal. Konec pouste, druhy breh je jiny svet s vlastnim tropickym mikroklima. Rozhodneme se pochutnat si na kaktusovych plodech a pak pul hodiny tahame z prstu jemne jehlicky. Cesty jsou neznacene, ale vubec nam nevadi, ze bloudime. Nadsene trhame fiky, avokada, citrony a kukurici a cpeme se co to jde. Pote zjistujeme, ze absolutne netusime kde jsme a mistni zena, ktere tece potok primo pred prahem a pere v nem, nam radi kudy dal. Po hodine stoupani ve vedru se cesta uplne vytrati a hledame, hledame, az se vratime o 100vky metru zpatky k domu s pani. Tentokrat je venku pan domu a kdyz zjisti jak spatne na tom jsme jde s nami a navede nas. Jak jsme mohli minout tuhle odbocku?! Za chvilku uz jdeme pres zaveseny most pres propast. Stoupak jako prase a jsme tam kde jsme chteli byt pred 3mi hodinami. Malata, mestecko z hliny postavene podel cesty vydlabane ve svahu. A pohledy na kilometrove steny nahoru i dolu jsou nepopsatelne. Dame zaslouzenou Inca Kolu (chut bananove bonpari, barva nuklearni moci) a rozloucime se s Pavlou co tu chce zustat par dni. My pokracujeme dale a na pristi odbocce jdeme doleva, jak nam bylo receno. Ve tretine kopce dolu potkavame skupinu turistu s pruvodcem a ten nam rika, ze jdeme spatne! Takze znovu nahoru a dolu. A pak konecne po celodennim vlaceni vidime Raj! A to doslova. Za hodinu a pul jsme dole na dne kanonu mezi palmami, domu z babusu a prirodnich bazenu kde smyjeme nanos prachu. Vecer sedime a popijime se skupinou turistu z Kanady, Iska, Rakouska a Francie. Paradni vecer plny srandy. Jeste pred spanim se pokochame nocni oblohou. Nikde zadna svetla a tak vidime uplne ciste mlecnou drahu jak protina kanon napric.
Opet budicek chvilku po 5. Chceme byt co nejdrive na ceste a vyhnout se smrtelnemu stoupani ve vedru. 1200m vzhuru prachem a kamenim, sem tam nas predbehne karavana mul a nekdy nesou i nejakeho toho turistu na ktereho je to moc. Odmenou nahore je pohled zpatky dolu na celou nasi trasu a 2 plachtici kondory. Lide v udoli a kolem jsou mili a nezkazeni turismem. Usmivaji se, zdravi prvni a po fotu nechteji penize. Uzasny vylet, nejvyssi bod cesty 4800mnm, nejnizssi Oaza Raj 2100mnm. Cesta zpet do Arequipy uz snad da nazvat jen vizualnim kycem, policka v terasach hraji vsemi barvami, za tim 6tis hory, hluboko dole reka a svetlo pred bourkou...

Foto:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55662&id=1344786025&l=b4cf3a1934


Arequipa is much lower (2300m) compared to previous weeks of our stay and we can feel the difference. No problems with breathing and summer is back. Town is much prettier than we expected. But the biggest change is in the local people. They are very different to the mountain people, we could say more civilized, no aggressive sellers, saying not interested once is enough. Also they have normal shops instead of markets! The main attraction of the town is Santa Catalina monastery. Spreading over the area size of couple blocks, creating beautiful maze of narrow streets, squares and corridors. All walls of blue, white and brick colour, well maintained gardens with fluttering hummingbirds. Absolute tranquility - although I´m not sure if I wanted to spend here entire life without contact with outer world as many nuns did.
After that we go and try guinea pig, national delicacy. We don´t think it´s anything special, not much meat to feast on. At least we can tick this one off.
Next day - alarm at 5, in 40mins we are at the bus station. But all the tickets to Colca canyon are gone. So we have to take the one at 9. Then it´s delayed and in Chivay we buy ticket we know we are don´t need. Thermal baths are nice, but not a best idea considering it´s around 30degrees in the shade. Today is not our lucky day. After the baths we head to Cabanoconde. The bus is packed so much like it was the last bus going this month, we practically sit 3 in a row on each side, plus double that standing in the middle. But after few minutes we know that all hardships of the day were worth it - looking down the second deepest canyon of the world is very cool. Green terraces with colourful fields, trees, lamas and donkeys. The deepest canyon is not far from here but apparently it´s not so nice so everybody comes here. At the dinner we meet a Czech girl and team up for the 2day trek down the canyon.
The first stop is viewpoint San Miguel. Local dog sticks upon us and wants to make new friends. We are trying to persuade him that we are not the best companions and that he definitely wouldn´t like the heat down the canyon. The point is taken only after few stones are thrown. We look from the top at what is expecting us in next days, impressive. Is that thin line down below really the river we´ll cross, and the shiny spots in green roofs of the houses? 4hrs descent goes via narrow sheer path and all we meet are mules and donkeys, local BMW, loaded to the top with heavy packs. Down at the river we meet ranger checking the canyon entry tickets, the ones we bought and that all guides say we don´t need. Our new Czech friend doesn´t have it so out of spite pays with a 100 soles note. Of course she´ll achieve what she wants, ranger waits for 15mins what will happen, but no other change comes in his way so he has to let us go without a ticket. End of desert, just cross the river and new world waits for us. World with its own tropical mikroclimate.
We decide to have a snack and pick up some cactus fruit. And then spend half an hour pulling out fine needles from our fingers. The paths are not marked at all, but we don´t mind and get lost quickly. All excited we feast on figs, avocados, lemons and corn. Only after that we realize that we don´t have a clue where we are. There is a house in the middle of trees, stream going through its door step and a woman does her washing in it. She points us in the right direction. One hour up, it´s really hot and the path trails off. We look for it so hard that we end up back at the house. This time it´s the husband of the woman that helps us. When we tell him how we managed to get lost he walks with us and shows us where to go. How could we miss this turn?! Few minutes later we walk across bridge hanging over the gorge. Steep, steep up and we reach a village we wanted to see 3hrs earlier.
Malata, village built from clay along the trail scooped out in the slope. And all around us huge walls going both up and down, wow. We earned this Inca Kola (taste of banana candy, colour of nuclear urine). We say good bye to Pavla who decided to spend here couple days and continue. Next turn to the left, that is what we were told. Third way down the hill we meet group of tourists with hired guide and he tells us go in the wrong direction. No, again up and down. And then after the whole day of hard walking we see the Paradise! And it´s real. Bottom of the canyon is full of palm trees, houses built from bamboo, and natural pools of fresh water. We have a great craic in the evening with group of Canadian-Irish-Austrian-French group. And before laying down to bed we have a chance to feast our eyes with night sky. No lights around so we can see clearly Milky Way cutting across the canyon.
Again alarm at 5. We want to avoid the heat on the way back up, that would be lethal. 1200m up through dust and rocks, again we meet just caravans of mules. Sometimes they carry a tourist that couldn´t take it any more. The award at the top is view back down seeing the whole track we walked and 2 gliding condors. People around the canyon are very nice and not spoiled by tourism. Keep smiling at us and don´t ask for money after a picture. What a great trip, highest point we reached 4800m, lowest Oasis Paradise 2100m...

Pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=55662&id=1344786025&l=b4cf3a1934