Life in South america has been easy; little sickness, only minor theft of belongings, generally good times and great people. Transport had been cheap and reliable, the weather clear.
So when we decided on a weekend vist to the thermal springs at Santa Teresa we were in high spirits. I had had a cold for 4 weeks and hoped that the cleansing natural springs might help me clear it.Off we set at 6pm, for an hour and a half collectivo ride to Ollantaytambo. Easy. Change onto the 8.30pm train with only three more hours travel before our destination. Easy.
¿Por favor, que hora es el tran a Santa Teresa?
No hay, solo para Peruanas, no para extranjeros!
Que!? Turns out that the only train was only for Peruvians. Ok, a bus then.
¿Que hora es la proxima bus a Santa Teresa?
Only two hours to wait. Good. We have hot pancho and chat with the stall lady. One hour later we are sprinting after our bus that has arrive early and not stopped. Sprinting at 3500 metres is a challenge, believe me. We make it to the other side of town (it´s a small town) to grab the bus as it is pulling away. Excellent!
Hmm, only one seat left for me. My chivalrous friends take the aisle. Four bone jarringly bumpy hours later we arrive, at 1.30 am at the town where we would connect to Santa Teresa. We find a collectivo but the driver insists on waiting for more buses to fill up his van with customers.
Luckily after just one hour we are full. At 2.30am we set off for a hours drive to the springs.
Forty minutes of bumpy and bendy road later we hit a problem. Water has washed away the mountain road ahead of us. We have to turn back and use the higher road. Forty minutes back to town. The next road is also unpaved, and higher up the mountain. We dont ask the driver how long it will be, we just want to be at the springs. It takes another hour and a half. At 5.30 in the morning, exhausted, dusty, wobbled to within an inch of our sanity, we pull in to Santa Teresa town. Finally.
Now just twenty minutes walk to the springs. ¡Bien! Five minutes later the shoe of a friend breaks, leaving him to hobble on pebbly ground for a walk which now takes thirty minutes.
Twelve hours after starting our apparently 4 hours journey we are soaking in blissfull, crystalline, naturally hot water, watching the sunrise over misty green mountains and feeling completely rejuventated.
So when we decided on a weekend vist to the thermal springs at Santa Teresa we were in high spirits. I had had a cold for 4 weeks and hoped that the cleansing natural springs might help me clear it.Off we set at 6pm, for an hour and a half collectivo ride to Ollantaytambo. Easy. Change onto the 8.30pm train with only three more hours travel before our destination. Easy.
¿Por favor, que hora es el tran a Santa Teresa?
No hay, solo para Peruanas, no para extranjeros!
Que!? Turns out that the only train was only for Peruvians. Ok, a bus then.
¿Que hora es la proxima bus a Santa Teresa?
Only two hours to wait. Good. We have hot pancho and chat with the stall lady. One hour later we are sprinting after our bus that has arrive early and not stopped. Sprinting at 3500 metres is a challenge, believe me. We make it to the other side of town (it´s a small town) to grab the bus as it is pulling away. Excellent!
Hmm, only one seat left for me. My chivalrous friends take the aisle. Four bone jarringly bumpy hours later we arrive, at 1.30 am at the town where we would connect to Santa Teresa. We find a collectivo but the driver insists on waiting for more buses to fill up his van with customers.
Luckily after just one hour we are full. At 2.30am we set off for a hours drive to the springs.
Forty minutes of bumpy and bendy road later we hit a problem. Water has washed away the mountain road ahead of us. We have to turn back and use the higher road. Forty minutes back to town. The next road is also unpaved, and higher up the mountain. We dont ask the driver how long it will be, we just want to be at the springs. It takes another hour and a half. At 5.30 in the morning, exhausted, dusty, wobbled to within an inch of our sanity, we pull in to Santa Teresa town. Finally.
Now just twenty minutes walk to the springs. ¡Bien! Five minutes later the shoe of a friend breaks, leaving him to hobble on pebbly ground for a walk which now takes thirty minutes.
Twelve hours after starting our apparently 4 hours journey we are soaking in blissfull, crystalline, naturally hot water, watching the sunrise over misty green mountains and feeling completely rejuventated.
No comments:
Post a Comment