Traditional capture of Vicuñas (Chacu) was performed in Pampa Cañahuas

by The Colca Specialist

Yesterday the traditional capture of vicuñas or chacu was performed yesterday in the area of Pampa Cañahuas in Arequipa,located at an altitude of 3,950 mts above sea level inside the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca in Arequipa. The event was organized by the local communas of the area and the representatives of the Municipality of Caylloma province,AUTOCOLCA and other authorities of Arequipa were present in this important event.

The stars of the event were the representatives of the tour guides association from Caylloma province ASGUIP TUCAY: César Antonio Neyra Nuñez (historian) and Guillermo Carlos Rendón Cuadros (native and aboriginal cults investigator) who shared their vast knowledge about andean cosmovision with all the periodists . There were several buses with tour guides but the authorities and the people of the different means sof communication had the luck of having these two recognized professionals as guides.

Because the inca ceremonials have a very deep symbolism it was absolutely necessary to have specialist like the ones above mentioned or by the contrary we would´t have been able to understand the real meaning of this event.

The Word “chacu” means “ not to let to pass” and this traditional capture of vicuñas was performed in an special way specially during the inca period. The people used to create big circles around the animals and everybody carried poles with puppets and whistles in order to scare the animals and finally when the circle was totally closed the male leaders were neutralized and the hair of the vicuñas was clip and then put into the royal deposits of the inca. After theat all the animals were released to their natural environment.

The hair of the vicuñas was exclusively for the use of the Inca or “The Son of the Sun”,in other words the Ruler of the Inca Empire,the hair of the Alpacas was for the noble and the hair of the Llamas was for the common people.

During the traditional capture an andean proest or paq´o performed an offering to the Apuas or spirits of the mountain who are considered as the protector of the vicuñas.

Because the hair of this mammal is much valuable,the vicuñas are actually one of the protected species in the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca.

Afterwards the people proceed to the traditional hair clipping and the ceremonial ended with some traditional dances of the area.

Kodak Time!

César Neyra Nuñez the President of ASGUIP TUCAY giving printed information to the representatives of the different means of communication.

All the people had the oportunity of participating in the Chacu. In this scene we can see the people holding the line and moving forwards scaring in that way the vicuñas in order to make them run towards the nets.

A group of vicuñas captured in Pampa Cañahuas.

An incan priest (Paq´o) performing a ceremonial to Pachamama and to the Apus or Spirits of the Mountain.

The different authorities of Arequipa and Caylloma province were present in this event.

A vicuña being holded carefully due to its agressive nature in order to prepare it for the traditional hair cut.

Brazilian tourist Paula Sibov dies tragically in Colca Canyon

Southamerican Explorer Travel Agency from Arequipa sold tour to Paula Sibov

Illegal guide was a student of Elmer Faucett Institute from Arequipa

by The Colca Specialist

The dead student Ciro Castillo has already a companion and this time I am writing about the brazilian Paula Sibov,a 24 year-old medicine student in Brazil who died tragically on Sunday 22 when she was doing a trekking tour in Colca Canyon.

Paula Sibov bought a trekking tour to Colca Canyon with a travel agency from Arequipa called Southamerican Explorer .The travel agency where Paula bought the tour was identified by the police officers thanks to the receipt they found in her pockets.According to the tourists Paula was not informed properly about the physical requirements needed to do a trekking tour in Colca Canyon and besides the travel agency endorse the tourists to a cheaper tour operator whose tour guides are not profesional.

Many travel agencies in Arequipa offer their clients the same circuit and the problem is that they don´t really care about their clients security. They just care about the money and they don´t inform their clients about the reality of this touristic circuit.

The main characteristic of these informal and cheap travel agencies is that they work with non-profesional guides but with informal tour guides who are exploited by travel agencies from Arequipa whose main concern is to increase their profits without caring about the security and physical integrity of their clients.

¿How it is possible that a conventional 2day tour to the Colca Canyon costs 16 US dollars and a 2day trekking tour with Peru Andes Expedition 90 soles? For that price be sure that something is wrong.

According to the investigations done the second day Paula Sibov had to go from Sangalle or Oasis to Cabanaconde. On the way she felt really sick and weak. The informal guide Sabino which is a student of the worst tourism institute of Arequipa: Elmer Faucett Institute suggested her to ride a mule which was already carrying cargo on the sides.

On a narrow point of the way the mule couldn´t continue anymore and it lost balance falling down in the depths of Colca Canyon with Paula Sibov who died after hitting the rocks on the way.

Paula Sibov is just another name in the long list of tourists that have died in Colca Canyon victims of the informality of the touristic services in Arequipa and because of the lack of professionalism of tour guides of Arequipa and the carelessness of AUTOCOLCA ,an entity whose main concern is to increase the price of the touristic tickets for visiting a place whose touristic services are CHAOTIC, a place that turned itself into the kingdom of informality.

As somebody asked me before about the difference between hotels. All hotels have beds, but they are not the same.Some of them have luxury rooms others not. The same happens with travel agencies of Arequipa so you should check carefully your trip choice before making a decision because this could be the last decision of your life.

Mule that falls down survives to the accident

According to the police officers the mule Pula was riding on fell down on a part of the path and stayed there but Paula was not so lucky and continue falling down.

Paula Sibov dies because of severe brain damage

Paula Sibov was about to finish the trekking when the accident happened. She fell down and she crashed against rocks in different points.The tourists that saw the accident were in state of shock and they couldn´t avoid crying. “We felt useless,we saw her falling and we couldn´t do anything to save her life. I am not going to come back to Colca Canyon again,definetively.These holidays are the worst of my life.I figured out that the authorities here in Colca Canyon don´t care about the tourists”.-These are the comments of the one of the visitors that arrived from Colca Canyon after the accident.

Peru Andes Expedition EIRL is one of the worst travel agencies in Arequipa

Incredibly the cheapest tour operator after the accident started to send emails to the different travel agencies in Arequipa saying that “they are the only ones in Arequipa that work with profesional tour guides”. These barefaced bastards believe that nobody knows that the guides they work with are NOT PROFESSIONAL. Peru Andes Expedition EIRL is the branch office of Santa Catalina Tours and Peru Andes survives thanks to the other irresponsible travel agencies like SOUTHAMERICAN EXPLORER that send them “victims” to take to Colca Canyon like Paula Sibov who died tragically because of the irresponsability of a travel agency of Arequipa.

James Posso the corrupted touristic promoter from AUTOCOLCA guilty of Paula Sibov´s death

The corrupted touristic promoter of AUTOCOLCA James Posso presented in a press conference a photo álbum with pictures of Colca Canyon .The death of Paula Sibov shows the reality of tourism in Arequipa and the kind of touristic promoters it has ,promoters that do nothing to improve the quality of the touristic services in Arequipa and Colca Canyon.

A real touristic promoter has to organize courses and seminars in order to improve the quality of the services offered.

The death of the brazilian tourist provoked by the irresponsability of a travel agency which sent the tourist with a ilegal tour guide who is a student of Elmer Faucett institute in Arequipa is something terrible. Colca Canyon is not a touristic marvel.

Authorities of Colca Canyon avoid the press because of the death of Paula Sibov

Authorities of Colca Canyon Elmer Caceres Llica and the other representatives of Arequipa are runing away from the press because of the death of the brazilian student.

Paula Sibov payed a touristic ticket of 70 soles in order to visit a touristic area. Paula died because of the irresponsability of the travel agency SOUTHAMERICAN EXPLORER from Arequipa which sent the tourist to do a trekking tour with an ilegal tour guide.
AUTOCOLCA is the entity in charge of the administration of this touristic circuit so they are the direct responsable ones of the death of the tourist because they are in charge of the administration of the touristic circuit and they are the ones in charge of the certification of the services provided by travel agencies of Arequipa.

No more dead tourists !

The Colca Specialist is a vitual magazine that denounces all the time the abuse of the travel agencies and corrupted authorities against the tourists.

We would like to send Greetings to all our friends in Brazil and at the same time we would like you to join us in the protest against the corrupted authorities of Colca Canyon who don´t care about the visitors but just about the money.
Send us your comments that gladly we will publish them. If you want to get more active please elaborate blogs or facebook fan pages protesting for the death of Paula Sibov. Thank you very much.

The Colca Specialist

Rainy season has started in Colca Canyon

by the Colca Specialist

Summer is back once more again. Many people are ready to go to the beach which in few weeks more they will become crowded with vacationers from all the country.
In Colca Canyon the rainy season has started.While in the coast is sunny and hot in the highlands it becomes rainy and cold.

The clouds that appear on the coast of Arequipa they move towards the highlands and there they will turn into rain,hail or snow,giving life to all the flora and fauna of the area.

Because an imagen speaks more than a written text here I have some pictures for you in order to describe in a better way to you the weather conditions we are having now in our beloved Colca Canyon.

Kodak Time my friends!

This is the view of Tocjra mountainbogs on the way to Colca Canyon!

This is a view of Chucura volcano crater...fantastic!

The same view with the touristic van of Kusi Travel!

An enclosure for the alpacas and lamas...all covered with snow!

A vicuña I found on the highest point called Patapampa (4,800 mts)

The sunrise in the surroundings of Chivay...

A view of Qotallaulli volcano next to Chivay

The pictures cannot describe fully how beautiful the views were,come and visit us!

The Colca Specialist

Famous people in Colca Canyon Part I

by the Colca Specialist


Miguel Rumaldo Mamani Huanca

To talk about Miguel Rumaldo Mamani Huanca means to talk about mountainbiking. He took part in several road cycling competitions and cross country events and his reputation as a champion is well known in Arequipa.

Miguel Mamani is not just a professional cyclist but also a touristic promoter and a tour guide from Caylloma province, a province where the Colca Canyon is located.

As a professional tour guide and touristic promoter I had the opportunity of traveling with very qualified tour guides from Arequipa,but let me tell you something, traveling with a local guide is very interesting because their knowledge doesn´t come just from books but from their daily experience.

If you go to Chivay just by yourself you can contact him and you won´t be disappointed. Miguel Mamani won´t offer you the classical boring two-day tour to the Colca Canyon but other circuits that are not visited by tourists such as the tour to Mismi volcano which is the source of Amazon river, mountainbiking and trekking in the Colca Canyon among other tours that are very interesting and worth to be done. The prices are cheaper than in Arequipa. Enough reasons to book for tours with local guides from Colca Canyon.

Miguel Mamani has a passion for tourism and he loves to show the culture of his people to the visitors. He is very patient with the tourists which is important and he is very helpful.
If you are traveling by yourself or you are looking for free info about the different circuits in Colca Canyon you can write him to: mikicolcabiker@hotmail.com You won´t be disappointed!

Trekking training guide for the Inca Trails

by the Colca Specialist

Although walking is something most people do every day, we strongly urge you to train for your trek. You should start training several months before the event and this Trek Training Guide for Inka Trails will help you to do this.
It is designed for a person of 'average' fitness. Even if you walk regularly and have a good level of fitness, you will still need to train for this type of long-distance walking, though you may find that it will not take you as long to reach the stages outlined below. If you do not walk often and have only a basic level of fitness you should allow more than the 16 weeks outlined.

Why Walk?

• It strengthens your heart, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• It improves circulation, breathing and endocrine functions.
• It tones muscles and strengthens bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
• It reduces blood fat and cholesterol.
• It burns calories and helps you manage your weight.
• It boosts mental performance and improves psychological well-being.
• It enables you to solve problems, manage stress and reduce anxiety.

Walking Techniques - ways to avoid injury and discomfort

• Touch the ground heel first, roll forward through the arch, over the ball of your foot to your toes, which push off to start another step. This reduces the risk of shin splints and tendon pulls.
• Walk with your head up and eyes focused ahead.
• Keep your shoulders level, pulled back and down, lift your chest.
• Contract your abdominal muscles, pressing them towards your spine.
• Carry your arms at 90° angles and pump them forward and back, rather than side to side. The faster you move, the better your cardiovascular workout. But try to keep an even stride and maintain a steady pace. To walk faster....
• Accelerate your arm movements.
• Take smaller, quicker steps.
• To prevent lower back pain avoid leaning forward and arching your back.

Shoes

Choose a comfortable pair of walking shoes designed for the specific activity of walking. It should have a reasonably high ankle and a stiff heel counter to give lateral support. The midsole should be firm yet comfortable. It is worth investing in a good pair of trekking or hiking boots, and appropriate socks. New boots must be worn in. Wear them around the house, on the way to work, etc, and then on longer trips. Once they have conformed to the shape of your feet there is less likelihood of getting blisters.

Feet first!

There are some common foot problems which are very easy to treat and avoid:
• To avoid blisters keep your feet dry and wear socks made with fibres which draw moisture away from your skin - steer clear of pure cotton. Don’t lace your shoes too tightly or too loosely. The irritation from the pinching and rubbing may cause blisters.
• Aching arches are usually caused by pounding when you walk. Make sure you touch the ground with your heel first and pushing off with your toe. Arch supports may help.
• Blackened toenails are caused by the big toe hitting the front of your shoe. Keep your toenails neatly trimmed. Make sure that if one of your feet is slightly larger than the other, as most are, that your boots fit the larger one.

Long-distance Walking: 16-week Training Programme

Week 1 - 6:
2 x 30mins walks. 1 x 2 hour walk. Full stretch after each walk.
Week 7 & 8:
Sat or Sun: 4 hour walk and stretch
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 3, stretch.
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 3, stretch.
Fri: Rest Day
Week 9:
Sat AND Sun: 4 hour walk and stretch. (Walk both days if possible).
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 3, stretch.
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 3, stretch.
Fri: Rest Day
Week 10 & 11:
Sat or Sun: 6 hour walk and stretch
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 4, stretch.
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 4, stretch.
Fri: Rest Day
Week 12:
Sat AND Sun: 6 hour walk and stretch. (Walk both days if possible).
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 4, stretch.
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 4, stretch.
Fri: Rest Day
Week 13 & 14:
Sat or Sun: 8 hour walk and stretch
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 5, stretch.
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 5, stretch.
Fri: Rest Day
Week 15:
Sat AND Sun: 8 hour walk and stretch. (Walk both days if possible).
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 5, stretch.
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 5, stretch.
Fri: Rest Day
Week 16:
Sat or Sun: 4 hour walk and stretch
Mon: Rest Day
Tues: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 3, stretch
Weds: Rest Day
Thurs: 1 hour walk, stretch, exercise circuit x 3, stretch
Fri: Rest Day

Programme Notes

The 16 week programme is a rough training guide. Obviously with work, family and fundraising commitments you may not always be able to achieve what we have set out for you. However in order to get close to achieving the training it is very important to organise your time properly. There are plenty of ways to ensure that you maximise your training, even if you feel you have no time outside work.
• You must organise your week to make time to get out to do some training.
• Get up an hour earlier and go out for a quick walk with some stretching in the morning before work while it is still light.
• If you can walk to work, do so. If you get to work by public transport, get off a stop or two earlier than usual, so that you walk some distance each day. If you drive, park further away than usual, or walk a longer route to work.
• Use your lunchtimes to take regular brisk walks around your work area, not just a stroll around the shops.
• Find a steep set of stairs i.e. five floors of a department store/office block and climb them five times, at least three times per week.
• Swimming, squash, badminton, cycling and any other sport will also help get you prepared.
• Joining a leisure centre is a good idea as the local fitness instructors may well be able to design a programme specifically for you. Most good gyms have a walking machine, or even better a stair climber, where you can clock up mileage more safely and comfortably, but do try to walk as much as possible in ‘real’ conditions and wearing your rucksack and boots.
• It is important at weekends to get into some hilly areas to experience walking on different surfaces, get used to the hills and of course the weather. You should wear the boots and rucksack you will take on the trek.
• You should make the time to walk some consecutive long days: an isolated Sunday walk does not have the same effect as two consecutive days. Nothing will prepare you for the trek better than actually walking. Even if you’re only doing an hour around the park or streets put your rucksack and boots on, you may look silly but it’s worth it.
You may not stick to the training guide exactly but you need to keep it in mind and to do regular exercise every week according to the guide. You will enjoy this challenge far more if you are physically fit.

Training Tips

After the first six weeks you need to gain endurance by walking long slow distances. Pick one day per week as your long walk to gain endurance. Choose two evenings or mornings as your shorter walks with the Circuit Exercises to help build specific muscles groups. Remember to stretch after ever walk, it is also essential to stretch after about ten minutes of walking once you’ve warmed up a bit. Make sure you plan adequate rest/recovery days as part of the training.
Of course nothing is better than walking. However if you play squash, tennis, badminton or go to the gym, cycle or swim for an hour or two, then this will also help with your general fitness. Adding this to your programme instead of one of the short days or on one of the rest days would be fine. Make sure you stretch properly after each session.

Walking in Coporaque with the Colca Specialist

by the Colca Specialist

Coporaque is one of the beautiful villages in Colca Valley. In one publication of my blog you can read more about this place where the incas established their center of power when the Kollawas and Cabanas were conquered.

This tour I did was specifically to visit this place. The are many advantages of traveling in a private tour is that you can take it easy and you can have more time for your pictures and visits.

Our holidays are important. Quality and not quantity is the rule for having an unforgettable trip in Peru and in Colca Canyon.

Well now it´s kodak time and I will guide you in this beautiful trip to Coporaque.

This is a picture of Chachani volcano at 5:00 am in the morning. The sun is about to come in the highlands of Arequipa!

Great! The sun is coming out in the highlands of Arequipa...How many of us have we seen a sunrise in the morning?

We arrived to Chivay at midday after some stops we did on the way. After our lunch we went quickly to Coporaque and on the way we can see this little gorge on the way to Coporaque!

After the little gorge, we stopped in this place to see the views of these fields in the area of Coporaque.

Along the way to Coporaque we can see remains of the old terraces that are still being cultivated in this area of Coporaque.

Now we are watching remains of inca houses that are on the way to Coporaque.

Finally we are arriving to the village of Coporaque or place where the corn is given. Our adventure is going to start here in this place in some minutes more...

This is the church of Coporaque which is one of the oldest chapels in Peru. See the difference between the towers... the duality is present in the inca and in the preinca world...

This church is dedicated to Santiago,one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. Why the spanish conquerors built churches in the power places of the inca or preinca people and they put Santiago just in specific places of Peru?

Next to the church we have this chapel dedicated to San Esteban.

We left the village and we took a path that is going to take us to Yuraq Qhaqha to see the burials of our ancestors.

Views from San Antonio de Chijra from Yuraq Qhaqha area.

Coporaque seen from Yuraq Qhaqha or white rock.

After a walk of some minutes finally we arrived to the area where the burials are located.

We dont´t understand why the local authorities don´t protect this place. You can find bones scattered in the place and there are many skulls that present a notorius craneal deformation. This place should be protected and tour guides should respect this place during their visits.

The cult to the death is still alive in Peru. There are many obscure ancient ceremonials that are still performed in Colca Valley in which the death is involved.

After the tombs of Yuraq Qhaqha we continue with our way and now we will visit the ancient town destroyed by the spanisn cavalry in 1570.

We are at the top of the hill and we are watching wonderful viewes of one of the most important shrines of our ancestors in the area of Coporaque.

Nice view of Coporaque from the top of the hill.

We are in the inca ghost town and we see remains of the old terraces done by our ancestors.

Apu Wayra or Lord Wind is the keeper of these places where according to the old people,the spirit of the ancient ones is still alive there...What kind of rituals are still performed in these places?

Now we can see Yanque village and down there we can see some inca terraces that look like a greek amphiteather...incredible!

Now we are descending in order to go back to Coporaque after a nice walk in the area, trying to understand the way of living of our ancestors...

After a walk in which we talked a lot about history,anthropology,architecture,etc we come back to the square of Coporaque very happy of having learned much about our ancestors.

On the way beck to Chivay we can see this beautiful view of Qotallaulli volcano or purple lake in Aymara language,the language of the Kollawas the original inhabitants of Colca valley area.

The sun is about to be eaten by the Pachamama...it will take the shape of a puma or cougar to travel into the underground world.The next day will come in the east again to give life and heat to all living creatures...

I hope you enjoy watching this pictures. Thank you very much and see you later!