Peru Travel Diary Part 2

13.9. 9:05
I’m sitting on the bus to Puno. Yesterday, I visited Vinicuna Mountain, also known as the “montaña de siete colores” or “Rainbow Mountain”. It’s at an altitude of 5,000 metres, and everyone warned me to take it easy and that it could give me a headache and make me nauseous. I only went there because of my younger sister’s recommendation, and she also said that she didn’t feel well when she did it because it was so high.

I had to wake up at 3:45 because the tour guide said they would pick me up between 4 and 4:20 a.m., so I didn’t get a lot of sleep. Even though my sister did it by public transport, after talking to a local, I decided to book a tour this time because it was really cheap. It was 22€ and included breakfast and lunch. After about two hours, we arrived at the breakfast spot. There were a few unlucky circumstances that made us arrive late, so there were a lot of buses ahead of us. It was a buffet, but the line moved fast, so we didn’t have to wait too long. Then we continued the drive to the mountain, and another guy and I asked the driver if we could sit at the front. My reason was to be more comfortable; the guy’s reason was to make conversation. We chatted for the rest of the drive and got a first-hand view of Peruvian streets. In Europe, we probably wouldn’t even call it a street; we went through rural terrain, at one point even driving through water.

After arriving, the guide told us the plan and explained the route to hike up the mountain. He said that we were at 4,400 metres, so we would climb to 5,000, where the mountain is located. It would take between one hour and 90 minutes, depending on how fast we walked. We could walk together or by ourselves; we should only make sure to be back by 12:15, and therefore start the descent by 11 at the latest. Even though I had the feeling I was pretty slow, I was the fastest of the group, arriving at the top after one hour and ten minutes. I didn’t take a single break this time, but used a different technique. Instead of walking fast and taking a break when out of breath, I decided to walk at my normal pace when the path was flat, and to slow down once it went up. The steeper it got, the slower I walked, sometimes only setting half a foot in front of the other. Looking back now, I find this was the best strategy I have ever used on a hike, because my heart rate and breathing were consistent throughout the hike. Usually, I would walk very fast and take breaks, which often gave me a side stitch.

I decided to take a photo right before I arrived at the top because there were hundreds of people. This way, I was able to get a picture without any people in the background. Obviously, I got very hot while walking up, so as I went, I took two layers off. But now, at the top, when I wasn’t walking anymore, I had to put them back on because it was windy. I took some more pictures, then had a hot chocolate and enjoyed the stunning view beyond the Rainbow Mountain.

After about 30 minutes, I felt like I wanted to go back down because the cold was really getting to me. When I got up, I saw my guide. Apparently, the group had just arrived, at least the ones who had walked together. He asked if I wanted to take pictures, not knowing that I had already been here for half an hour. I told him that I was thinking of going back down because of the cold. He confirmed that it was a good idea and told me where I should wait for him once I was down. I walked down very slowly, knowing I had all the time in the world, and tried to be very aware of my surroundings, taking in the stunning mountain scenery.

Throughout the hike the weather was changing a bit. Sometimes, it looked like it was snowing, but it wasn’t real snow. It looked more like small, round pieces of Styrofoam. They said it was hail, but the hail in Europe looks different. Anyway, I took almost the same amount of time going back down because I walked so slowly. I ended up not having to wait too long for the group, only about 30 minutes. I used the time to delete unnecessary pictures and enjoy the mountains. We just left on time because suddenly the hail was coming down hard. I connected with some fellow-travellers, a couple from Brazil and a Peruvian guy. The couple was so sweet; they sent me a list of places I should visit in Brazil and offered to let me stay at their place when I came. I’m so grateful. This is exactly why I came here. “Mi casa es tu casa” is not just a saying in Spanish; it seems to be a fact in throughout Latin America.

After lunch, it took us about two hours to get back to Cusco, where I packed my things and rested for a bit before meeting my Argentinian friend again for the last time in Peru. We were both leaving the next day, and she also invited me to her place in Argentina. We want to meet again within the next six months.

17.9. 15:39
The bus ride to Arequipa isn’t for the faint of heart. For about half the journey, the road is full of potholes. It’s about seven hours. Enough time to reflect on Puno.
I arrived in Puno on Sunday afternoon. I booked an accommodation because I was worried it would be cold. The guy from the accommodation offered to pick me up and I accepted. I asked him where I could get the cheapest boat tour to the famous Uros and Taquile Islands. He told me I could get it at the port and that he could bring me there after I left my stuff. On our way, a quick search showed that it would be between 80 and 100 Soles. I found a booth at the harbour (the only one that was open) and there were three men inside. They invited me to come in when I told them I wanted to buy a ticket. They said it was 40 Soles plus 18 for the entrance fees for the islands. It wouldn’t include food, though, but I didn’t mind and paid. One of them was sleeping and quickly woke up to explain everything to me. It later turned out that he was the captain of another boat. The next day, I had to be there at 7:45 and, typically Austrian, I was right on time. The captain was very impressed; he said that he never had that and congratulated me. I told him that it was a sign of respect in my culture. He brought me to the boat and gave me the best seat right at the front. The seats were like those in a bus, way more comfortable than I would have imagined. Then he left because he would be on another boat that visited three islands with a layover at night. About 30 minutes later, the boat was pretty full, and we started. The ticket also included a guide; he explained a lot on the way. About half an hour after we left, we arrived at the first island: Uros. They’re also called floating islands because they literally are. We sat in a circle and the guide and the local from the island showed and explained to us how they built the islands and how they live. It was very interesting. Then the local took us to a neighbouring island in their traditional boat, where they had a small café and some souvenirs to buy. We spent some time there and made our way to Taquile Island afterwards. It was about two hours away and close to the Bolivian border. First, the locals performed a dance for us and asked us to join (not many did). Then the guide said we would hike to the restaurant before heading back to a different harbour where the boat would await us. I got along well with the guide and told him earlier that I didn’t have food included and that I didn’t like to do everything in as I’d actually been told we’d have some time to ourselves. I’m glad I didn’t go for the food and brought my own instead, because the only vegetarian dish they had was an omelette. He hesitantly agreed to show me the way to the other harbour and let me walk around by myself, but it was obvious that he didn’t like the idea. I told him that he could trust me to be back at the harbour at the time we agreed on. So we parted.

Finally, I had some time to myself. I walked around a bit and sat down along the path to have my lunch. Then I walked a bit more, and whenever a local came along, I greeted them in their language, Quechua, which the guide had taught us on the boat. They really liked it. But I soon got bothered by the trash that I saw along the way and cursed the stupid tourists for leaving it behind. Remembering that I had a small plastic bag, I started to collect as much as I could and made my way to the harbour. I arrived half an hour earlier, so it was only the captains from all the boats and me waiting. I sat down by the shore, had another snack and decided to fill up my filter water bottle with water from the Lake Titicaca. Why? First, the tap water doesn’t taste good (like in Spain) and second, I found the water very clear and spontaneously wanted to do that, remembering that all the water filter bottle brands say that you could even drink from a dirty river. So I just wanted to try it, and I’m glad I did because it tasted way better than the tab water.

My group arrived last. Altogether, I had to wait an hour which I told the guide about when we were on our way back. So he told me that there were two French guys who had left the group for a while and they had to wait for them. He was not amused, but he thanked me for picking up trash. About three hours later, we were back in Puno. Although the guy from my accommodation told me that I should call him to pick me up whenever I needed a ride, I decided to go for lunch first and then walk back because I still hadn’t reached my 10K steps. It was exhausting because the accommodation is on a hill and Puno is at an altitude of about 4,000 metres.

The following two days, I didn’t have anything planned. I wanted to rest a little, had a few online meetings, and did some organising. As suspected, I found a shady pharmacy that sold antibiotics to me. I didn’t take them yet, still hoping that my bladder problems might resolve themselves. One day, I visited a ship museum, which was more interesting than I thought it would be, because it was in the water next to a hotel, and the captain had to pick me up with a motorboat so could get onto the ship. It was quite a long way to walk there, so when I wanted to go back to my accommodation after the visit, I decided to take the public bus for the first time since I arrived in Peru. I was hoping to find someone waiting in the street already, and I was lucky. The thing is that there are no bus stops or schedules. You just stand somewhere along the street and when you see a bus, you wave your hand. I had been observing this for the last couple of days, but I was still glad I found someone who could help. I told her that I wanted to go to the centre, and she said that she was also on her way there. We sat in the front next to the driver, and she told me when we had to get off. It cost one Sol, which is about 25 cents.

After these two weeks of travelling, I realised that I needed to adapt the original plan I had for travelling. I couldn’t be as spontaneous because the volunteer positions required some planning ahead. I also noticed that Oaxaca in México was in an extremely high demand during Días de los Muertos. I ended up sending over 20 requests through the volunteer application and Couchsurfing, even though I didn’t want to use the latter unless absolutely necessary. So far, I have only received two answers that they were already fully booked, but I’m not gonna give up.
On a positive note, I did find someone who would host me in Ica and Pisco, my next stops after Arequipa. I’ll be arriving soon and I’m very excited for my first official volunteer position.


25.9. 17:02
The first week in Arequipa is over, and I got some great news: I found someone who would host me in Oaxaca and even invited me to join the family traditions they would be celebrating. This was exactly what I was hoping for. I also found a volunteer position in Paracas, which is still in Peru, and a Couchsurfing host in Lima for my last few days before México. This goes to show that, with some patience, things will turn out the way they’re supposed to.

Here in Arequipa, I’m staying with a woman who owns a hostel, and my tasks are very simple: I help her wash the hostel’s bed sheets and clean the floor in her house. There’s also a second volunteer staying at her house, and a few volunteers staying at the hostel, but they have to share a room. Whether it’s volunteering or Couchsurfing, whenever possible, I’m looking for a private room at least. That option isn’t always available, though. In Paracas, for example, I’ll have to share, but I’m only staying there for four nights. I’m really happy here. I was finally able to rest a bit, not having to pack and unpack all my things every three days. The most exciting thing for me, though, is the weather. I’m finally at a place where it’s hot enough to wear short sleeves. I really needed this. To be honest, there aren’t a lot of things to see in Arequipa, but I’m glad to be able to rest a bit. There’s a famous canyon, which I will visit tomorrow.

One thing I find curious is that stores are grouped by streets. For example, there’s one street with all the phone shops, one street with hairdressers, and one street with funeral homes. I don’t understand why, if you need something, you HAVE to go to this street. There’s no other way. Another thing I find interesting, is that public buses always drive by with their doors open, like in the movies. Other than that, Arequipa isn’t a very interesting town, even though it’s the second biggest city in Peru.