Kat, Federica, and I trekked out of Maragua crater the next day, heading southeast towards the town of Quilla Quilla, following dirt roads for the most part. It was easy trekking, passing through several villages, over a mountain pass, and eventually dipping down to dry river valleys. The edges of the crater were so cool to see. They resembled waves to me, or a 8km wide seashell.
The three of us really liked the town of Quilla Quilla. As we walked between high rock walls towards town, villagers passed by wearing traditional clothing, herding cows or sheep. I felt like we had stepped back in time. A group of four elderly women huddled together in the doorway of one of the houses in town. They called us over to sample some of their home-brewed chicha. Not a fan of it, I must say, and it was strong! I looked at the women in surprise and then I realized that they were actually quite drunk! It was pretty funny to see, because they were all over seventy years old. But they were giggling like schoolgirls, every one of them missing several teeth, only adding to their charm.
The town was essentially one road with houses on each side, and was surrounded by fields. We made our way to the church, and shortly behind it and a futball field, we set up camp in a small hollow. We had a cheerful fire that night, sipping on a bottle of Grants’ Scotch that I had hauled all that way, enjoying the warm night air and the multitude of stars wheeling above.