Traveling to Colca Canyon

We left Arequipa at 6am and had a slightly stressful ordeal getting bus tickets 15 minutes before the bus left. But we made it! Our tickets were 15 soles each then we went to the exit terminal and the guard told us, in Spanish, that we had to buy something, we couldnt figure out what he was telling us. Finally, about a long minute later we realized we had to buy an exit ticket for one sole each. We loaded and the bus and left only 15 mins late. The bus ride was a bruttle six hours long. Every time the driver shifted the whole bus felt it and Jason and I had bets as to how far the bus would go till it broke down.
The road was a bumpy dirt path for quite some time and then shifted in to very sharp turns; which were enhanced by the drivers swerving and tailgating. We made it safe and sound so neither one of us won. There was an old man on the bus who most definitely did not win, he pooed his pants. The bus driver had to stop and the ticket taker guy got out shovled dirt and then swept the poo off the bus. The entire time we were all still on the bus and it smelled terriable!! On the bus ride back a girl got on and she put her baby llama under the bus with all the bags. She then got off about 45 mins later and got out her pet and was kinda inspecting it for damages as we drove away.
The hike started out a bit confusing, the maps here do not give a great description of trails nor are there markers so we were kind of guessing. We eventually made it past the pampa (plane) and down the trail to San Juan de Chuchoo. Jason and I started measuring the width of the trails by how many donkies wide they were. Some parts were four donkies wide and others only one. The locals in San Juan can make it up to Cobanaconde in 1 hour 45 mins and down in one hour. Not to mention that they are hiking in sandles, well sandles whoses tread are made from Goodyear tires! It took Jason and I five and half hours down with 20 pounds or so on our backs. On the way down two boys passed us with a chair, it was a funny site. The locals also use donkies to carry down all the supplies they need for daily life.
We stayed in San Juan for 2 days it was beautiful very lush and lots of flowers! We then trekked over to Coshnirwa then to Malata. We stayed at Veronica´s in Malata. She had a museum and a place to camp for five soles. She also had a cute little puppy with huge paws that fell in love with Jason. The museum was full of traditional Peruvian tools and outfits for men and women.

As we were hiking we ran across two girls and guy from CA that were also trekking around and heading to Malata. We passed rio colca and decided to jump in because it was a hot day. They proceded to strip down naked and jump in. It made for an awkard yet very funny experience. These same people passed through Glorias house (where we were staying) as we were leaving and asked to pick some fruit from the trees. Her answer was "go ahead they are not my trees." This gave Jason and I a long conversation to go over why socialism may not work. To me this is very disheartening, but there will always be people who do not put in any work and want to reap the rewards. This very same group of three told us they asked another man early in their hike for some of his fruit he said they had to pay and when they told him they did not have any money he said "Oh, you must be Isreali." Proving that the Jew joke makes it all the way down to the bottom of the Colca Canyon in Peru.

One of the fruits that grows wild, but is also harvested in the canyon is tuna. It is the prickly fruit on top of the cactus. It is sweet and has edabile seeds like a watermelon. There is parasite that grows on the cactus that kills the cactus but it´s blood is used for coloring makup. They get about 35 to 40 soles per 2.2 pounds. So they are intentionally harvesting this bug for the blood.
We hiked out of the canyon in about seven hours, should of only taken four and half but we were tired from six days of hiking and being sunburnt at the oasis.

When we finally got back up to Cobanoconde we ordered ravollis and we were so exicted about it. The menu had three options one with meat, the other two no meat but with white or red sauce. So Jason and I ordered the white sauce one with meat and one without. However, when our food arrived both ravollis were stuffed with meat!!! I was sad, but Ceaser (the cook/busser/hostel manager) made me a plate of spagettii that I had to pay for of course. Thankfully Jason was hungry and ate both portions of ravollis and I had my meat free spaghetti.

In Peru it is really hard to find change for anything so it is best to travel with small bills/coins if possiable. We were in a shop buying a soda so we could pay the internet cafe 80cents and the shop lady went outside looking for change. She ended up not finding any and just pulling some out of her own box! Why she didn´t just give us that change in the first place is beyond me. As I am reading there is an ambulance waiting behind a taxi! Only in Peru well maybe more of South America, but sirens and authority get no respect!

That was a really long post my neck is hurting from sitting here. It took three times longer to type because the German girl next to me keeps talking. It´s fine, just slowed me down.

Sending all my love from South of the Equator
PS there is no spell check that I can get to work on blogspot so excuse all the spelling errors!