Take me wherever the combi's going

I wanted to take a day trip to a small village outside of Arequipa just to explore around. So I choose any little village that was supposed to be interesting, Yarabamba. I vaguely knew the street where I was supposed to catch a combi out of town. So I went to this street and asked around until some security guards told me I need to take a different combi to Characato and from Characato transfer to a combi going to Yarabamba. 30 mins later I was crammed into a combi and 20 mins after that at the impromptu bus stop, cruce de Characato. Luckily, there was a line of combis there and the first one in the line was going to Yarabamba. On the way we passed a sprawling shanty town, one room brick houses with tin roofs held down by rocks. Most of the people got off here in what looked like deserted housing set up in the middle of the desert and I ended up the last person riding in the combi trying desperately to keep up with all the questions the driver was asking me about where I was going and what food we eat in Washington D.C.

In Yarabamba, there was a somewhat more permanent looking town center with a small square and church but I decided not to get off there because I had no idea what I would do there for more that 10 minutes. I told the driver I was going up the road. I figured to just ride it out until there was a place that I wanted to see. The driver said I must be going to Sogay, and so that was how I ended up in Sogay. I got ripped off and paid s/2.5 to get there. But then I ended up taking the same combi back and told the guy that I had already paid him since the s/2.5 was more than twice the price. He smiled at me and told me I'm a smart tourist. HA.

In Sogay, I walked up the street leading into the village. At the top of the hill I followed the road to the left, around the village, following the green fields in the valley below you. I kept walking until I got to the end of the road. From there I weaved my way around the fields and eventually made my way down to the creek. I didn't find a path down but it seems like it's a pretty touristy place and there should probably have been one.  

Looking back at the church of Sogay.

I didn't really find 'waterfalls' but the stream running down between the mountains was a perfect place to end up, especially since the weather is always beautiful here. 

I waited for a long time in the afternoon for a combi to come back and then I ended up walking to another town to try to catch a bus, because the sun was setting. That day the combi only went to Sogay at 4:30 and 6 in the evening, so I should have just waited. And then when I left Sogay we passed through a very cute town, Quequeña, with a small plaza de Armas and old church. I thought next time I go back I'll walk to this place and the catch the combi from there.