Colca Canyon Tour First Day

The standard colca canyon 2 day/1 night tour usually starts around 8-830am. However Sunday happened to be election day, and it was a big presidential election between PPK and Keiko. In Peru, it is mandatory to vote up until the age of 70, with heavy fines being the punishment for not voting. Therefore our tour did not start until 930, to give the guides a chance to vote. We journeyed by bus and first drove through an animal reserve with vicunas, which are the wild version of alpacas, since alpacas are domesticated animals. Afterwards we traveled to Patapampa Pass. This pass is at an elevation of 16,109 ft, which is higher than any point in the lower 48 states. We got to see volcanoes in the distance, including one that is smoking. Afterwards we descended to about 12,000 ft and stayed in Chivay. We went to some hot springs/pools and for dinner we were entertained by people playing folk instruments with folk dancers. It was very cold, the coldest place we've been and the hostel didn't have heat! Luckily the beds had four blankets to try and keep us warm.Read more