Sep
18
Written by:
Cathie
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Huayhuash / Andes – Huaraz Our final day´s trek. The ¨low¨ road took us high around the edge of the mountain range. A perfect weather day, in fact one of the hottest days we´ve had. It was t-shirt only weather after a short while of walking and even though we set off at 8am by 9am under the direct sun it was at least in the mid 20´s.
The scenery changed quite remarkably The valley floor was green and quite densely vegetated. On the mountain slopes we passed through bush scrub and the occassional tree that provided some refreshingly contrasting coolness.
As we walked along the quite narrow rocky track, mountain on our right, steep drop-off on our left, I was reminded to pause and look back to the snow capped peaks of our past 12 days. What a spectacular sight. I have only been in snow 3 times in my life so having the experience of being surrounded by such glaring beauty was awesome.
At one point it really felt like we were standing on top of the world. The range that we were on was high enough to equal the peaks of the other mountain in sight. What an amazing feeling. I felt light like I could fly.
Uplifting and exhilarating.
Trekking down the mountain took 2hrs and unlike some other days my body did not want to run. For the whole trek I employed the use of ski poles. My $5 specials from Vinnies. They were my saviours on the uphills and knee supports on the uneven downs. They now multiskill and reside in the hands of our trusty guides as burro (donkey) prodders. 5hrs into the final trek saw us decend into a smallish town called Llamac. We met up with our bus and 1hr later stopped for lunch at Chequean, negotiated a deal with the local poncho maker and cleared him out of his last 4 ponchos. We piled back in to start the rest of the 4hr ride to Huaraz only to realise that the road ahead was closed until 5.30pm. It was only a short delay so we filtered throughout the town absorbing new sights and scenery.
In a country such as this I am inspired to see how flexible and accommodating we as humans can really be. This road block was just one example of how minor glitches in the system can cause delays and possible inconveniences but with the right attitude you flow around them like water over stones in a stream. There´s no arguing, demanding or stomping it´s like ¨Ok, hmm, how can I best fill in this space of time before the pathway to my immediate destingation is clear?¨ Imagine those remote controlled cars that when they come up against a wall they flip over and keep going in a new direction. If you don´t get stuck in ¨your own¨ direction life can have a flexible, always changeable feel to it. This type of life is predominant in underdeveloped countries. All the conveniences of the western world are not at your finger tips. These people are incredibly inventive and resourceful in every aspect of their daily lives.
The dirt and dust is offset by colourful costume and vibrant music. We arrived back in Huaraz after a big day, tired and desperately in need of showers. Gluttony is back! Double the shampoo, turn up the heat, prolong the luxury of the cleanse. Pizza Peru style – very yum and then bed. A REAL BED. Stretch out – no sleeping bag restrictions. Warmth. Sleep Ahhh.
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