High Altitude with Arturo and Artemis

Ducks, we were promised ducks! Well it was the Canon del Pato, another spectacular drive which would leave us with bruised bums and choking on dust... And erm a toilet phobia for years to come. We both squaked like ducks anyway when we saw the toot at the only stop on our 6 hour washing machine ride, bwoar.

Our bumpy journey had a happy ending, as always, when we arrived in the sleepy little mountain town of Caraz, the starting point for our next Andean adventure. 2500m above sea level, our practice in Riobamba and Chugchilan came in handy and we started planning a 4 day hike in the surrounding snow capped Corderilla Blanca. We needed a day to decipher the various bags of grain and unusual looking fresh produce at the local market to stock up on hiking supplies, rent a couple of mules to lug our over sized hire equipment (you should have seen the stove!), organise a donkey beater to keep the mules and as it turned out, us too, moving and then another half a day to sort out some washing which came back dirtier than it started.

With half a day up our grubby sleeves we were suffering ruin withdrawal symptoms and found ourselves engaging the services of/ being jumped on by some local wee Indiana Jones, no less than 6 in total. Their enthusiam, dragging us through tiny dirt tunnels (fine if you´re under 1m) more than made up for their lack of expertise. Returning to town they overtook us running as fast as their little legs could carry them to the sweet shop to spend their well earned solitos.

The next day, up bright and early to squeeze (no kidding - "there were 7 in th taxi and the little one said, move over") into the back of a collectivo (a very quick way to get to know strangers), ouch to be whisked up into the hills to Cashapampa to meet our Donkeys, Arturo and Artemis and Sepherino their boss. The hike started at 2900m and wound its way through deep gorges, rivers and mountain lakes to reach the climax of the hike (literally) at Pass Union, a tough slog up to 4750m.

The two nights camping before the pass and one after we were kept busy creating Aussie camping cuisine for our local Quecha arriero who didn´t quite know what to make of his salad sandwich or scrambled eggs. That was OK as we were equally baffled by his fried eggs that left a teflon coating on our teeth for the rest of the day. Pretty nippy camping at that altitude as well - all our clothes on,with just the tips of our noses poking out of our sleeping bags was the order of the night.

It was all pretty go, go, go hiking and we finished the walk in record time for Sepharino to make the return journey in a day! Must admit this donkey hiking definitley has its merits particularly when you´re desperately trying to find a molecule of O2 above 4000m and if you´re after the occassional sloppy donkey kiss as Kaz found out. Very rewarding stuff though with wonderful views and a sense of achievement - aaaaaaaah! The return trip from the mountains was a spine-tingling ascent and descent with innumerable switch backs and amazing views of the Lagos Llanganuco. Dropping down into the valley past Yungay, the andean town burried in an instant by a huge landslide in the late 70's when an earthquake rocked the region.
Love,
A pooped (putting it politely) Kaz and Stu xox

Sight of the Week: marching munchkins around Caraz´s plaza

Bargain of the Week: shopping to feed 3 + 2 mules for 4 days at the local market, $50