The Colca Canyon trek was PHENOMENAL. It was also tough and trying at times, but definitely well worth it. We walked through a mountain-side Quechuan village, and had dinner by the light of a single candle in a lean-to kitchen on the floor of the deepest canyon I've ever seen. We traversed rickety rope "bridges" suspended high above a rocky riverbed, we swam in natural springs, and we slept under a roof through which we could see the stars. We laughed and we loved and we fought and we struggled. We couldn't stand each other in the heat and sweat and strain of the afternoo
n sun, yet we instinctively supported each other in the truly difficult moments. An invisible wedge was working its way between us and it ironically drew us together as much as we grew apart in its presence.You know how people say that one of the true tests of the strength of a relationship is whether you can travel together? Well I think it’s more than that. I think that equally telling is whether a couple can travel with a group, while continuing to nurture their relationship with each other.
The Group Dynamic is one I hadn’t considered before Jax and I set out together, but it’s a big one, and it surprised me. In traveling with people we both got along with really well, Jax and I began spending less time with each other and, after the Colca Canyon trek, we began staying in dorms more frequently, sleeping in sepa
rate beds more often. After all, we’re all friends and we’re all on a budget and we’re all going to be up late anyways, so doesn’t it just make more sense to stay in the dorm? Sure. Yeah, it does. But after awhile, it also changes things.
I’m not saying that a couple should be attached at the hip – not in the least. In fact, I think that having time apart is crucial to a healthy relationship. But whether two people are physically together or not, a certain tenderness needs to be reserved especially for each other…which can be easy to forget in the midst of an amazing travel adventure. So things began changing for me and Jax – not in terms of nega
tive or positive things, but simply in terms of the Grand Scheme of things. In the moment, while it was happening, I almost didn’t even notice. Almost.
The next travel email was sent out from Cusco, after Jax and I returned to Arequipa from the Colca Canyon trip. As mentioned before, these emails are posted exactly as they were sent out from the road......
Hello from Cusco!
Date Oct 27, 2006 5:11 PM
Buenas noches!
I hope everyone is preparing fabulous Halloween costumes! As you know, Halloween is one of the most fantabulous holidays in the universe. Today I bought a showgirl-type dress from a Goodwill shop in Cusco- fun fun!
Our trek into Colca Canyon was incredible. I have now survived my first truly SCARY bus ride. Did I mention SCARY? Well it was freakin SCARY. Oh course Jax didnt´t think it was SCARY, but he´s traveled on busses in India. Ha. So we´re on this bus. It´s a big bus. BIG bus. Lots of pèople. LOTS. And we´re going on and on on LITTLE roads. Mostly dirt or gravel roads. Oh yeah, and we´re on the side of a freakin moutain. At one point we passed a sign which, with my mediocre Spanish abilities, I was able to translate as saying something about crossing a huge FAULT. As in earthquakes. Then right after that we go through a big tunnel. Then, while going/rocking around a blind curve on this dirt 
mountain-side road that is surely about to crumble in an earthquake that will hit at any second, we pass an OIL TANKER. Every now and then we swerve to miss cattle or other obstacles in the road. And the movie of choice on-board said bus, you wonder? A horror film. Wel we survived. Phew.
We arrived in the town of Cabanaconde (3900m?) in the early afternoon and began our trek down into Colca Canyon straight away. Most tourists go into the canyon with a guide, but we spoke with other folks who did it with a guide and got a pretty good idea of where to go. A coup
le of friends - Claire from South Africa and Steve from Australia - were with us. It took about 3.5 hours to get to the canyon floor, and by that time we were exhausted, hungry, and very very dirty.
We met a woman in traditional Quechuan dress who offered us rooms at her house for the night and we gladly accepted. She led us UP the opposite side of the canyon for about 30 minutes (OUCH) to a beautiful and extremely rustic set of huts. She prepared dinner for us on a wood-burning stove and we ate by candlelight. In the morning, she drew a map in the dirt for us, indicated how best to travel down-river to the oases. The hike to the oasis was just over 3 hours - up, up, up (OUCH OUCH OUCH) the canyon wall, opposite that which we climbed down, then flat, flat, flat (PHEW), then down, down, down (surprisingly - OUCH OUCH OUCH).
On the way, we traveled throu
gh two remote mountain-side villiages that actively used land tiering for growing crops. The views were stunning - I´ll send photos soon. In one of the villiages, a little old toothless woman approached us but no one could understand a single word she was saying. Finally we realized she was speaking Quechuan (s/p?), a language which is currently only used by the older folks in rural areas and is rapidly dying out. Just like we did not understand Quechuan, she did not understand Spanish. Fascinating.
The oasis was incredible - truely complete with lush greenery, waterfalls, and swimming pools - right in the middle of th
is dry, dusty canyon. Yee haw! That night we slept at the oasis in a simple bamboo hut with a dirt floor. There were actually vines growing through the roof above Jax´s head! In the morning we got up early and hauled ass straight up the canyon wall, gaining 1200m elevation in about 3 hours. Whew! We did not ride the mules, but we did send our packs on one.
I was pretty sick that night and the next day - I think a combo of the altitude and some sort of bug - but I´m better now, and I´m very glad for the experience (let me know if you need tips on how to puke on a public bus). We´re in Cusco now - we´ll probably stay here for about a week, then head over to Agua Caliente. I hope everyone is doing well! Will send more updates soon.
Take care,ç
Aubrey
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