Colca Cañon, and tour group logistics

Colca Cañon was once thought to be the deepest canyon in the world. It has points that are more than 3000 meters from rim to bottom. However, measurements taken in recent years have placed the neighboring Cotahuasi Cañon even deeper.

But Colca Cañon currently is more accessible, and makes a decent two or more day outing from Arequipa.

The main town in the Canyon is Chivay, which lies at about 3500m (compared to IMG_128Arequipa at 2300m). It was about a four-hour drive, with a tour group of 11. I was the only native English-speaker. There were 4 Spaniards, some of whom spoke some English, 4 Peruvians (ditto), and 2 Poles, whose English was pretty good. (They were both high tech workers/business people.) The bus first passes through a reserve where the endangered vicuña is to be seen. (It's a relative of the llama and alpaca, for those keeping score. It's wool is supposedly even better than alpaca, but is .rare and expensive, since the animals are generally protected.)I
  

After snapping some vicuña pictures, we went over the 4910m pass before descending to Chivay. I believe this pass was the highest point I reached in Peru. Noticeable hints of altitude (headache and shortness of breath) were helped slightly by sucking on "Coca Candy" bonbons. First two ingredients (before even sugar!) were, you guessed it, coca derivatives. I may bring a sample home.
   

At one point the van stopped for a rest break and pictures that begged for a panorama (linked picture is 2Mb, and even larger).


The evening in Chivay exposed differing tour group logistics. Some people pay "package tour" prices that are all-inclusive, and some don't. Most of the group was staying at the Colca Lodge, a fairly tony affair in a wide spot of the canyon. I (on the budget plan) was put into a cheap but effective place in the center of Chivay, and also ate dinner in the company of the over-tired guide. The dinner included (for tips) a music-and-dance show.

The next day dawned early and clear. After reassembling the group, we traveled up some very bumpy roads up on the canyon sides to a place called Cruz del Condor. Between 9 and 9:30 every morning, Andean condors nesting in the area wake up and ride thermals into the sky. It's a quite impressive site.
   
   

The Polish guy took some really great pictures, which he shared.
   

Did I mention that the canyon also has some of the oldest South American terracing? It dates back well before the Inca. Very neat stuff.
 

The rest of the second day was basically occupied by driving back to Arequipa, basically the same way we came.

Back at my hotel in Arequipa, I met a gent (hi Mark!) who's been world-traveling for the last five years, after dropping out of the rat race in the US. He had some interesting opinions on what I should do with the remainder of my time here in SA. He and I both gave advice to a quartet of Swiss 20-somethings who had only recently gotten off the plane.

Coming soon, an account of my border crossing between Peru and Chile.

Hasta luego!