Day 3 of Trekking in Canyon del Colca

On day 3, we had to get up even earlier. At 5 AM, we were starting the climb back up to the surface of the canyon—without breakfast. The hike was supposed to take about 3 hours, but we managed to do it in just 2 hours and 15 minutes. If anyone thought the ascent would be too tough, they could rent a mule or donkey for 50 S. Finally back up, we hiked the last stretch down to the village for breakfast—eggs, bread with jam, and tea. After that, we continued on to the Hot Springs, where the bus stopped for about an hour, giving us time to pamper our sore legs. The entrance fee was 10 S. Lunch wasn’t included in our tour, so we had to pay for that ourselves. The bus stopped at a specific restaurant where they expected everyone to buy their lunch. The buffet cost 20 S, which is cheap in Denmark but pricey in Peru. Instead, we wandered over to the neighboring restaurant and got a delicious Menu del Dia for just 8 S per person. Before we made it all the way back to Arequipa, we stopped at the highest point on the route. We were nearly 5000 meters above sea level. When you drive up to these heights, you hardly notice it. It’s only when you start hiking that your body really begins to react to the lack of oxygen. Finally back in Arequipa, we quickly shed our dusty, dirty clothes and jumped in the shower. We had big plans to celebrate the end of our trip with pizza and wine. The restaurant offered pizzas in three sizes: for 1, 2, and 6 people. They recommended we get one for 2, saying it would be enough. When the pizza arrived, we looked at each other and quickly agreed it wasn’t big enough, so we ordered one for 6 people. We feared we had ordered way too much, but we polished it all off, helped along by a good bottle of wine :o) In total, we spent 78 S.