Our first thermal spring in Peru was in Ayaviri. The guide book mentioned Pojpoquella but didn't give directions, so we camped at Ayaviri bus station and asked bus drivers for directions in the morning. They actually pointed at the wrong spot on the map, but after gradually being directed in the right direction by very helpful locals, we found them. It turned out to be a big complex, rather than a natural spring - they've tiled around the spring and built a complex around it including showers and a swimming pool. The spring water itself was really weird in that it fizzed on the skin, and every 10 minutes or so, a guy with a paddle would come and skim the scum off the surface, but it was worth the 50p entrance fee for the hot shower afterwards alone!
We went to our second thermal spring en route from Cusco to Abancay, in Cconoc. This one was more like a series of pools fed by warm spring water that was piped down from the source.
Here we got talking to a local guy called Francesco Ernesto, who later asked if we could give him a lift to the next town - our first hitchhiker in Peru!
Most recently, we went to Pincahuacho springs en route to Nasca. These were 6km up a dirt track around the side of a mountain - a bit of a hairy drive, especially when the wheels started slipping when we got to a bit of mud!
But the scary drive was so worth it. These turned out to be private baths - we got our own room with a bath which we could fill with spring water to whatever temperature we liked - all for 70p per person!
Before we drove back down the mountain, we pulled over so we could have breakfast with a view.
Just as we were finishing, an elderly couple came and asked if we could give them a lift down the mountain - of course! And we picked up two more elderly passengers on the way. We had a van full of Peruvian pensioners!
