Intended as a quick sightseeing stop on the way to Arequipa, Toro Muerto (Dead Bull) - named for the herds of livestock that commonly died here from dehydration as they were escorted from the mountains to the coast - became a true quest for a sloppy five thousand 1200-year old petroglyphs hidden in the high desert.
Once arrived in the lovely little village of Corire, any signpost to the so called "fascinating mystical - must see - site" suddenly disappeared. Repeated conversations with the locals did not bring us any further than a "high up in the mountains" move. So off we went, feeling pretty relieved about our extra investment in an SUV.
With not even a morning coffee in our stomachs nor a drop of water at our disposal (our shelter for the night ended up being pretty basic), and high up in the desert during the hottest moment of the day, we could not feel more emphatic with the bulls that died here from dehydration.
On the verge of giving up (to avoid a similar fate!), appeared out of nowhere a little monsieur on a quad (wearing a flashy Ministerio de Cultura jacket), signalling us to follow him on even rougher terrain that we had considered off limits before. Needless to say that we were the only living souls amidst thousands of white volcanic boulders.
Upon questioning him about the lack of signposts to this pretty impressive sight, he sighed with regret in his voice: "My boss in Arequipa thinks Toro Muerto is dead." We figured as much! :)
