We were up and out of the hostel by 7 am, picked up our equipment and were on our way.
We were doing the hike the cheap way. We rented the equipment for about $40 each, no guide - but Ceyhan is an avid trekker, and did not hire a ride out there. We were taking a combie - the local transportation; which is an oversized van that they pile in people until it's too full for anyone to stand or sit down. Someone hangs out of the door and yells at people on the street, when they put their hand up or call out the guy hanging out of the door calls to the driver to stop and the people get on. It's crazy and cramped but the whole experience just put a smile on my face; its these things that make me travel. It was so packe on the combie that at one point there was no room for me to stand up anymore as there was no floor space. I had given my seat up for an older woman so I was leaning against our backpacks that were on the floor infront of Ceyhan. Every time someone got on they were brining I more bags eventually making the floor of the combie non existent. I had to sit on Ceyhans lap and even then there still wasn't much room for me.
We rode the combie for a little over an hour. We drove out of the city and into the slums. It was dusty and dry and little houses had been built all over the sandy landscape of the hills, it was so different from where we were staying. We drove through slums in a flat area where the houses - if you could even call them that - were made out of makeshift poles and tarps held together by rope and other materials. I could tell who the people were on the bus that were from the slums; not by their clothing but there hands were withered and there faces were aged. They were beautiful.
We got dropped off in a square of a little town, three hours from the actual entrance to Misti and then from there it would be another 4-6 hour trek to basecamp.
We got dropped off in a square of a little town, three hours from the actual entrance to Misti and then from there it would be another 4-6 hour trek to basecamp.
It was 9am in the morning and it was already super hot, I could tell this was going to be a challenge.
We had to follow a path - where we walked with farmers and their pooping cows - that was going to take us to the entrance to Misti; we were on a time constraint as we had to make it to base camp before it got dark which is 6pm. Nine hours; seems like enough time right? I thought so too but te sligh incline of the path was making it hard for me to breath. I was walking at a slow pace hoping it would help with my breathing and energy level. The guys were way ahead if me, they kept looking back and I told them to keep going.
9:45 - we stopped for a break. Water. It made me feel better.
Off again.
I really wanted to do this hike. I wanted to make it to the summit. I have done hikes before and struggled but always finished. I was determined, but my breathing was getting worse. My throat and lungs felt like they were closing up and made me feel like I was going to vomit - I am not exaggerating for writing purposes - I had to keep stopping as I was almost gasping for breathe. I began getting light headed and then I got a headache.
10:15 we had to stop again. This time water and an apple. I felt heaps better and was ready to push on.
Within two minutes my lungs and throat started closing again and my backpack was not helping, it was between 12-15 kilos but it felt two times heavier. My back was sweating an my legs didn't want to work the way I wanted them to. Of course in a moment like this my famous question popped up in my head, say it with me now "wtf did I get myself into." I looked over at Misti. The excitement I felt looking at her first thing in the morning had disappeared and now I felt like she was looming over me and taunting me, and that after step I took she just got further and further away. This was not gonna happen.
11:00 I felt really bad. John was gonna keep going bit Ceyhan didn't want to leave me to go back on my own so off John went on his own. There was a town an hour away where he could spend the night and then head to Misti and base camp the next day.
Ceyhan and I walked up a little incline - which even bothered my breathing - with an incredible view of Misti and we were able to see the path John was taking. We rolled out our mattress and plunked ourselves down.
We talked for hours in the hot sun eating our canned beens with crackers. We saw a tiny John on the path heading towards the town and watched him disappear into the hills. We said hola to the local (mountain people) as they walked buy and listened to the mountain donkeys make that loud sound they make. What's it called? We took a nap, which was amazing. Nothing like sleeping out in nature like that.
Around two o'clock we woke up and saw a tiny figure walking back on the path. "I think that is John. It looks like white on the bottom of his shorts like Johns have!" I said. "Stay here, I will be back in 45 mins" Ceyhan said. I watched him make his way down the hill. He was going to try and catch up with him and bring him to where we were. If he could catch him we were going to camp for the night as we already had the equipment and the food.
I had fallen back asleep and woke up to Ceyhan just returning. He wasn't able to catch up with John so we were going to head back, but only after we napped a bit more. Ahh nature...
4:00 - We packed up and started heading back, it was going to take us an hour to get back to town and we wanted to be there before dark. We looked at Misti, we took in her beauty and admire her from afar. " We were this close" Ceyhan said.
It was way easier heading back as most of it was a decline, however I had angry feet. My feet hate being covered, they are happiest in flip flops or with nothing on at all and hours in hiking boots - even tough I had taken them off during nap hours and feeding time - they weren't happy and were letting me know by yelling at me in blister form.
Ceyhan said we should tell everyone back at the hostel that we hiked Misti in one day because we are that good lol. It made me feel better as I was the reason we didn't make it.
We passed a local that Ceyhan spoke to - in Spanish of course - about John and she said she saw him pass hours ago. Too bad we missed him, camping would've been fun.
We actually made it back in exactly an hour I was so happy to see the bus stop...with John sitting at it?!? It had taken him a few hours to get back and had pretty much just gotten there a half hour before us. He was up for camping but at this point I wanted a shower and a bed. John told us that when he got to the town it was empty and wasn't able to camp there so he had to head back. Turns out, even if I hadn't of stopped us and slowed us down we wouldn't have made it to base camp, we were two far and it was a three day hike from our starting point not a two day hike. That made me feel better.
I was stoked when the bus (combie) came however they wouldn't let us on because it was completely full and our backpacks wouldn't fit. They pretty much drive off with Ceyhan hanging in the door way. Great now we had to wait another 45 minutes to an hour. Not happy.
Ceyhan's Spanish comes in handy. He walked up to some locals who just so happened to be going back to Arequipa and were willing to take us back in there pick up free of charge. John hopped in the back seat and Ceyhan and I hopped in the back with all the equipment of the locals and our backpacks.
The drive was amazing! As the sun set Misti and Pichu Pichu (one of the other volcanoes) turned red. Then all the little village lights turned on at the base of the volcanoes sprinkling it with glittering lights. The ski was clear and we could see the stars perfectly which seemed to move with us as we drove... We even saw a satellite.
Even though Misti defeated me before I even got close enough to feel we under my feet, the day was pretty good. Sleeping in nature, hanging out, riding in the back of a locals pick up truck...that's what it is all about.
I foud out a few days later that it was the altitude that had affected me while we were hiking. It has actually affected me a lot here as Arequipa is just over 7,000 feet above see level. I get dizzy, my breathing is bad, drinking is impossible as 4 drinks and I'm on my ass drunk as a skunk and I'm always tired. It will take some time too adjust. Plus Peru belly has been a factor for me since I got here but I'm adjusting to the new feelings of my body and am getting used to the, they are almost normal now.
Misti may have defeated me but I am definitely not letting my students lol however, you will have to wait for my next blog for that.
Hasta Luego
- My Beautiful Life -
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