Valentina from Surdulica reached the tops of Andes in South America: She ate llama meat and she barely survived (PHOTO)

- My life has taken an entirely different dimension from the moment I flew over Atlantic and when I landed in the capital of Peru 15 hours later - Valentina Zareva said, graduated manager from Surduluca, who recently conquered some of the highest mountain tops of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and she recently got to the top of the highest mountain peak in South America, on the Andes.

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The expedition of mountaineers from Serbia and Bosnia, with Zareva as a member of the Mountaineering Society "Streser", landed in Lima, capital of Peru, which is turned to Pacific on the one side, and it has the sharp pinnacles of the Andes covered with snow on the other side.

- We already headed to Huaraz the next day, the city located at 3.052 meters above sea level, from where we went to the mountain sites from which we went to acclimatization ascents. I climbed to the unique holy rainbow mountain in Peru - Vinicunca 5.080, and I completed my climbing adventure by conquering Piko Austria 5.350 belonging to the Andes mountains - the Cordillera Real in Bolivia - Zareva said.

Foto: Telegraf

Such large climbs were risky for Valentina's organism, and her breathing was very difficult because she was in serious medical treatment for three days before going out to the journey because of strong bronchitis that threatened to become the lung inflammation.

- My hands were still bruised because of the many infusion I received, I was swallowing pills and vitamins to strengthen my immune system and to get healthy before the real time it may take for recovery.

Some of the sections were very tiring because I was irritated by a cough and the exhaustion that kept following me persistently "stole away" my strength on every climb. I played a bit too much with my health and it is a real fortune that everything ended well - Zareva said.

Then there was a climb to Kusko, which is in the mountains of the Andes, 3.416 meters above sea level and with 360.000 residents. Just like the former capital of Inca and many monuments from that period, or later from the Spanish colonization, could be found.

Foto: Telegraf

Many objects here are destroyed in the earthquake that happened in 1950, but the walls built in the times of Inca took the earthquake well unlike the Spanish buildings later.

- Incas are very short, stout, they have a black-red tan, they are dressed casually, according to their own fashion, which was worn here perhaps 50 years ago. Women are always wearing deep hats on their heads, woolen pants on their legs, and skirts down to the knees over them. They are usually wearing sweaters or they wear long robes in which they place their children and they carry them on the back. They are almost all walking barefoot in sandals, slippers and that is so simple to them - Zareva said.

Foto: Telegraf

Mountaineers from Europe also went to La Paz - the capital of Bolivia, which is located at 3.700 meters above sea level and it is among the cities with the highest altitude in the world.

- Houses are made from blocks, unplastered, packed one next to another with flat sheet metal roofs. Houses are placed everywhere as far as the eye can see - surrounding hills, flats, everything, absolutely everything. There is a cable car with multiple lines used mostly by those who live far away from the center of the city or tourists. That is the fastest and the cheapest transport, and the ride in both directions is around two dollars. Their food is not so tasty, I liked the corn the most which is larger and tastier than hours, the meat if llama is tough than our veal, while the watermelons and the fruit of cactus are a real treat. 

Foto: Telegraf

They drink "Inca Cola", yellow dring, sweet and savory taste, like our clacker. I will certainly remember this day because of the climb to the mountain Vinicunca, 5080m, so-called Rainbow mountain - unique in the world under the protection of the National park Vinicunca. We were guests on the same day to an Inca family where the hosts prepared breakfasts and lunch - Zareva said.

Then there was a visit to the famous, lost city of Machu Picchu.

Foto: Telegraf

- No photo, no video in the world can illustrate the mysticism, beauty, perfection, peace, spirituality, as if everything is combined and it is gliding into your eyes. Everything came together here, in my mind, heart, lungs, real confusion of emotions, from questions to dull answers, from amazement to disbelief, from excitement to pain. One timeless dimension, when even silence is sometimes excessive, but I was quiet and I wiped away my tears before the beauty - Valentina Zareva completes her story about her visit to South America.

Valentina was proclaimed the athlete of the year in Surdulica for 2017, and she has a rank if a national athlete for 2016/2017.

Foto: Telegraf

VIDEO: Did Valentina walk on this goat path? 

(Telegraf.co.uk / S.Tasic)