Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [146]
Hostal Valle del Fuego (hvalledelfuego@hotmail.com; dm S20, s/d/tr with breakfast S35/50/70; ) This budget hostel is an established travelers’ scene, with DVDs, a full bar, solar-powered showers and owners who are knowledgeable about trekking. Ask about free passes to the Sangalle pools. To make a reservation, call Pablo Tours (054-20-3737) in Arequipa; if you reserve in advance, they will take care of getting you your bus ticket to Cabanaconde the following day for no extra charge.
La Posada del Conde (40-0408, 83-0033; www.posadadelconde.com; San Pedro s/n; s/d/tr with breakfast US$25/30/40) This small modern hotel mostly has double rooms, but they are well cared-for with clean bathrooms. The rates often include a welcome mate (herbal tea) or pisco sour in the downstairs restaurant.
Hotel Kuntur Wassi (81-2166; www.arequipacolca.com; Cruz Blanca s/n; s/d/ste with breakfast US$45/55/70; ) This charming upmarket hotel is built into the hillside above town, with stone bathrooms, trapezoidal windows overlooking the gardens and a nouveau-rustic feel. Suites boast enormous bathtubs. There’s also a bar, restaurant, library, laundry and foreign-currency exchange. In low season prices may drop significantly.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Buses for Chivay (S5, 2½ hours) and Arequipa (S15, six hours) via Cruz del Cóndor leave Cabanaconde from the main plaza several times per day. Departure times change frequently though, so check with the bus company office on the main plaza. All buses will stop upon request at towns along the main road on the southern side of the canyon.
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TORO MUERTO PETROGLYPHS
A fascinating, mystical site in the high desert, Toro Muerto (meaning ‘Dead Bull’) is named for the herds of livestock that commonly died here from dehydration as they were escorted from the mountains to the coast. A barren hillside is scattered with white volcanic boulders carved with stylized people, animals and birds. Archaeologists have documented more than 5000 such petroglyphs spread over several square kilometers of desert. Though the cultural origins of this site remain unknown, most archaeologists date the mysterious drawings to the period of Wari domination, about 1200 years ago. Interpretations of the drawings vary widely; a guide can fill you in on some of the most common themes, or you can wander among the boulders yourself and formulate your own elaborate interpretation of the message these ancient images aim to tell.
To reach the site by public transport, take a bus to Corire from Arequipa (S10, three hours). If you don’t want to sleep in Corire, take an early bus (they start as early as 4am) and get off at a gas station just past the sign that denotes the beginning of the town of Corire. From there, you can walk the hot, dusty road about 2km uphill to a checkpoint where visitors must sign in. Otherwise, continue on into Corire, from where you can catch a taxi to take you to where the petroglyphs start (from S40 round-trip if the taxi waits). In Corire, Hostal Willy (054-47-2046; r per person from S35) has basic accommodations and can provide information on reaching the site. Bring plenty of water, sunblock and insect repellent (as there are plenty of mosquitoes en route).
Buses return from Corire to Arequipa once an hour, usually leaving at 30 minutes past the hour. The Toro Muerto petroglyphs can also be visited more conveniently on expensive full-day 4WD tours from Arequipa.
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EL VALLE DE LOS VOLCANES
El Valle de los Volcanes is a broad valley, west of the Cañón del Colca and at the foot of Nevado Coropuna