Day 8 – On to Parinacota by Cath Pendleton

Our last day in Putre and we all enjoyed a lay-in as breakfast was not until 9am. Everyone enjoyed a delicious breakfast of scrambled egg, yoghurt, cheese and cereal. Then it was time to load up the bus for our journey onto Parinacota. The journey was mainly uneventful other than some flying food from the bus racks on a few corners. Arrived in the village of Parinacota (4392m) at 1pm – unloaded and bagsied beds to avoid a top bunk!! Some of the group enjoyed a walk around the village and a picnic lunch. It was time to start testing, which was not particularly pleasant as the hostel was freezing cold. Others relaxed and watched the Olympics in the warm dining room and a few spent the afternoon relaxing watching the alpacas and other wildlife. Finally it was dinner time and we were treated to a delicious big bowl of hearty soup (quinoa + veg with some alpaca pieces) followed by a main meal of alpaca steak and rice. It was then surprise time for ‘Julien’ we had not forgotten his birthday and we all burst into song ‘Happy Birthday to you!’ with some balloons bouncing around and he was given a hand-crafted card & chocolate.