Aplao, the Fertile Valley

We hit the road for about an hour south toward Aplao to visit Howard’s family and see the dinosaur site.

We arrived around 3:30 p.m. at the Parque De Dinosaurios – Querulpa, much too late since it takes a good hour to hike up.

We decided to postpone the visit until the next day and headed to Howard’s family farm. We had dinner there, and in the evening, we went to a hotel for the night—with hot water! What a treat!

At 6:30 a.m. the next morning, with everyone ready and our suitcases loaded directly into the car, we headed to the dinosaur site.

According to the explanations, this site, located in the Arequipa Valley of Majes, is notable for the footprints and replicas of the dinosaurs that once inhabited this region.
At this site, called Querulpa, 69 dinosaur tracks dating back millions of years have been discovered. In addition, gigantic fiberglass dinosaur replicas are on display.

The area also contains fish and crocodile fossils, centuries-old graves, and mummies.

That said, the view of the valley is simply fabulous. Once we reached the top of the site, we spent a good while there enjoying the view of the valley.

We went there very early because the site is in full sun and the heat can rise very quickly. Around 9 a.m., as we were heading back down, the heat was starting to take its toll.

At 11 a.m., we were invited to lunch with the family. In the meantime, we took a short tour of the area.

We spent the entire afternoon at the farm, and Howard’s uncle gave us a tour of his farm and plantation. There, I discovered a delicious new fruit called pacay.

There were also lucuma fruits, but they weren’t ripe yet. Too bad, because I’d really enjoyed that fruit during my last visit to Peru.

There were also lots of citrus trees and avocado trees, so I took the opportunity to ask a few questions about the plant. Apparently, it takes three years to get the first fruit, and they can also be grown in a large container filled with soil.

On his farm, there were traditional chickens, Chinese chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs—a delicacy highly prized in Peru.

In the evening, we hit the road again in the dark, winding our way through the mountains, zigzagging so sharply that we were worried we might fall into the ravines.

We arrived in El Pedregal that evening to spend one last night there before heading back to Arequipa, a 3.5-hour drive.

Saying goodbye to Erika’s family was heartbreaking; some told me to come back as soon as possible, and others told me to find a Peruvian so I could stay in Peru. No, not Peru to work. Maybe spend a semester there to leisurely visit the places I’ve always dreamed of seeing—why not?

Your devoted Ninve

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