Great idyllic country life in the Peruans Mountains
Last night my camp site was suboptimal, as I had to wait till 8am for the sun to dry my tent! Then I needed only 30min to my third pass, Tupatupa (4360m). Then it was a long descent and I loved it as it reminded me of New Zealand! I reached a very idyllic village at 3650m altitude, called Pishgopampa! Maybe there are about 150 people living! It is a fantastic place with all farm animals that you know: goose, dogs, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, hens and other! I managed to photograph a little child playing with 2 little dog puppies! Very nice pictures! So in case I got robbed in Lima they would get everything from me, but not those pictures! I will fight for my life and i will keep the pictures!
Here in this little village I could have stayed a week for a holiday on the countryside! But maybe another time! I got in contact with a farmer and tried to explain my next route! It is very difficult without any Spanish but after a while he understood my plan and we started together! The route is up about 500m and my camp shall be close to the next steep pass (4610m). I gave him 50 Solas (18USD) in advance and he was very happy! First he took his horse and packed it with my 20kg bag and then we started. When he saw that I had problems with the pace he even took my 25kg backpack himself! That was great and we had a decent pace then! He was in unbelievable good shape and he didn't even need any rest or drinks! I found a nice campsite at 4150m directly at a little 1m-deep lake! Maybe I will stay here for 2 nights to recover a bit and gain some strength! Also I plan a nice swim tomorrow as I urgently needed a wash! I hope the ground is not muddy! Difficult to say!
What I really like is the kind of farming here! Nearly all animals are free! There are no fences! Horses are free and sometimes I first encounter them at 4000m altitude close to the passes! Then there are cows, pigs and all are free! Sometimes with their puppies! It is really great to be among those animals, who behave all very nicely!
So I like Peru even more than Nepal! Beautiful landscapes, idyllic country life, very nice people here in the mountains and also mostly sunny weather! Great place to be! But on another note: You have to avoid Lima! I judge it as dangerous, dirty and polluted! There I dont feel safe and I will not explore it this time!
Though I am very high at 4150m I cannot see any snowy mountains from this place! Expect me to stay here for 2 nights! ;-)
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