Chivay

We have reached the land of the Inca. There surely were cultures under the Inca umbrella living in Arequipa before the conquest but they have been pretty much obliterated by the Plaza and Iglesias, and the shops, restaurants and nightclubs catering to wealthy Arequipeños and turistas.

Our planned 10-day foray into the Cañon del Colca turned into 2 weeks in Chivay alone, and we will return here for a month's stay starting in February [this was written a week ago—we are currently back in Arequipa getting luggage, cash, and snacks of choice before heading back to Chivay].

Why Chivay? It is nearly overlooked in the Lonely Planet, mentioned as a good spot to visit hot springs and start some small hikes into the canyon. And the two-three day tours trucking turistas from Arequipa may spend a night here, or may just stop for lunch and a dip in the hot springs before heading to Cabanaconde, where the real hiking is to be had.

But we got stuck in Chivay. Perhaps it's because a bit of altitude sickness made us slow down and take a breath. Perhaps it's the landscape of peaks and valleys, and the incredible terracing now verdant green with this year's crops. Or the friendliness of the people. Or the ancient path we discovered of carefully built and well-worn stones that, we later learned, was indeed built by the Incas and it—or perhaps only remnants—lead all the way to the Inca captitol of Cuzco. Or perhaps it was because we found in Chivay a community that accepted us with or without our wallets (okay; preferably with).

Chivay (Chee-beye) is a small town with narrow, ½-paved roads where construction on a building will block the street completely. The plaza, as in Arequipa, always has people in it (though considerably fewer!), and ladies in particularly clean traditional dress with particularly clean, bright white baby alpacas are at the ready for photo ops and the obligatory fee. (Quick aside: one afternoon we watched from a window as one larger alpaca nuzzled the child it was with, so strongly that the child was soon on his/her back and the alpaca lying on top. It would then roll over onto the pavement, they'd both get up, and start the process over again.)

The development is a mixture ranging from old adobe and thatch residences to three-story stucco buildings with large glass windows. It is in one such building, on the 2^nd floor with an excellent view of the plaza (and nuzzling alpacas) that you will find Carlos, Ingrid, their now nearly 1-month-old baby girl, and Danny—the team that makes up a restaurant serving inexpensive but good-quality food, and excellent cafecita con leche y chocolate caliente.

We came for the 5 sole (that's ~$1.75) menu del día, and lingered with the café and chocolate. And as we lingered, we got to talking with Carlos, and he came to like us; particularly "Esteban." And so our first friendships formed. Meanwhile, those people we pass regularly on the street respond with a smile when we greet them with a buenas días. Another craftsman and shop owner names Cusi, who we have visited a few times and passed on the street, has invited us up to his shop for some conversation.

For me, an inherently shy person who longs for community but has a hard time stepping out of my timid skin to start it, this is a revelation. Here, you just stick around for a while, show the locals you are interested, and the community comes to you (even gringos!). But I do have to admit that having Steve as my "better half" certainly helps. He is the more out-going of the two of us. His playful (sometimes clown-like) nature is welcomed here, even encouraged, and it helps warm up relationships. As Mario of Pensión Mesa said on our very first trip together to Guatemala, Steve is a good one to travel with.

And perhaps amazingly, after nearly four months of spending every single day together, we are doing pretty well! There is the occasional annoyance, sure, and unfortunately I keep beating him pretty badly at Gin Rummy (the only two-person card game we can thing of to play). But, hey, we've already gotten that "in sickness and in health" part down pretty good, as we trade days of ill-health or low energy like a relay race. No, so far, so good.

And so we'll see what this next month brings. We are grateful to Ingrid for helping us secure cheap (VERY cheap! $75/month cheap!) rent for February at her uncle's new hostel. This month we truly will explore more of the canyon—the extensive Inca and pre-Inca terracing that runs the length of the canyon, the Cruz del Condor viewpoint where thermal uplifts make condor-siting at close range a regular occurrence (the Andean Condor is the largest bird of prey in the world, with a wing-span of ~10 feet), and trek down into the canyon from Cabanaconde which takes you to the semi-tropical microclimates of Sangalle, and further in, Tapay.

And we will do our best to follow Ingrid's mother's advice. She told us today, holding her tiny granddaughter, to talk with the folks here. They are the descendents of ancient peoples and they have wonderful stories.

Photos:

• Terracing in the village of Yanque, 15 min. drive from Chivay
• The old and the new
• The old road to Cusco
• Through the window: woman in indigenous dress with baby alpaca/llama
• Carlito's Chorritos a la Chalaca (mussels with a salad of chopped pepper, hot pepper and tomato with choclo and yucca); cafecita con leche y chocolate caliente
• Choclo (corn with exceptionally large kernels; slightly sweet and very starchy)
• Cactus flower
• Woman in indigenous dress (including hat from Chivay—there are other hats from other parts of the canyon), on the busiest corner in Chivay.