We woke early to the sounds of a futball match. We had assumed we would be woken by church bells, as it was a Sunday and we were camping right by the only church in Quilla Quilla, but no, it was to their other religion, futball. We had a pretty lazy morning, and then it was time to leave town. Kat decided to stay behind to catch a cameo back to Sucre, as she had a meeting scheduled. Federica and I figured we weren’t quite done, and we were both eager to explore a nearby canyon.
And then we were two!
It took Federica and I couple of hours to hike down the country road, heading west towards the Pilcomayo River and canyon. Normally, I’m not much of a fan of hiking down roads, as it gets a bit dull. But that road was an exception for me. It followed a valley, and the surrounding landscape was dotted with the occasional homestead and colourful fields. It was a beautiful walk in the bright sunshine.
We arrived at the Pilcomayo River mid-afternoon. Shortly down the river, we came across a mountain slope with steaming streams of boiling water seeping out. The hot water flowed into the freezing Pilcomayo, and it was possible to sit/lie in the warm water as it flowed by. It was glorious! The two of us bathed in the waters for over an hour, relaxing our tired muscles.
Behind the thermals, the locals had dug a path into the cliff side, leading to a suspension bridge downriver. The bridge was somewhat new, and had been built so that the villagers on the other side had easier access to Sucre, to sell their handicrafts, livestock, or vegetables. It’s a big deal for them. After crossing the bridge, we found an ideal campsite nearby, close to the river. As the light faded, we gathered a huge amount of dead wood and had a fantastic bonfire in a hollow between large river boulders. Another amazing day, another fantastic end. Not too shabby!