Colca Canyon, Peru

Driver Gustavo. Guide Marco

Up at 4:45, breakfast at 5:30 and out to van at 6:30. We are off to hopefully see the Condors. Marco showed us lots of good views. First stop was in Chivay to see the children who are in their last year of Primary school, perform a dance called Wititi (weetitee), a traditional folk dance associated with the beginning of adult life. The girls wear white hats signifying the snowcapped mountains and the boys wear coloured hats that partially covered their faces and skirts of overlapping layers to disguise they are boys and get close to the girls. It is danced with rows of male and female couples performing a variety of steps to the beat of a band. Typically performed by young people during religious festivities celebrated throughout the rainy season. We then went into the Immaculate Conception Church and spent 10 minutes viewing interior.

Next we drove along to the first stop to view the canyon which was formed by the movement of the Tectonic plate that heaved up the land 130-150 million years ago. At our viewing site it was approximately 1000 metres deep with a dried-up riverbed at this point due to an upstream dam. Marco told us about the condors. They are actually a vulture that lives up to 80 years of age and has a wingspan just over 10 feet. When it is flying it is only spread about 7-8 feet. It’s main source of food is Alpaca that the Puma’s kill and then the vultures clean up. We took a number of pictures in the area and then Marco spotted a Condor coming down the canyon, it flew by us and then after a couple of minutes it came back by us and did this a couple of times more. We were very lucky to get a few pictures as it was hard to follow in flight. Condors like this area because they can just walk to the edge of the cliffs and then drop off to catch the thermal updrafts.

On our way back up to the van, huffing and puffing, we saw a bright yellow flower on a cactus. When this flower stops blooming a fruit develops which is called Sancayo. This fruit was used for medicinal purposes for the liver among other things but today it is used to produce a refreshing drink and ice cream. It looks a bit like a woolly round cactus. The ladies scrape off the spines and then it looks more like the outside of an avocado. Inside the fruit looks similar to kiwi fruit but is more gelatinous and quite sour. They blend it with sugar syrup and water, and it is very good.

When we arrived at the actual viewing location it was very busy with tourists and busses. We walked around for a while and the busses thinned out and then the last 15 minutes we heard “Condor” and rushed to take pictures. This was again not easy, and we didn’t have as good luck as we had before. The one we did see was identified on the back with a yellow tag because it had been rehabilitated after an accident and was being watched by the condor care people.
We drove along further to a stand selling the Sancayo and watched as the lady blended it for us. While we were there Lee talked to a fellow from Santander, Spain and then a couple joined her and they were from Barcelona and were very nice, with good English.

We then returned to Maca, which we had passed on our way to see the canyon and bought Sancayo Helado (the Spanish for ice cream). We enjoyed it while walking up a slope looking into the souvenir stalls. Just at the end Lee spotted some belts and called Don over to take a look. While he was browsing Lee thought she would buy a holder for her water bottle,but ended up with an embroidered purse which held both her bottle and her iPad as well as the belt Don purchased. We then returned by bus to our hotel. Don and Lee ordered a lunch at the restaurant of a Peruvian chicken Caesar salad and a jug of minted lemonade, we sat out on the porch looking over the valley. We find we are constantly thirsty and sour things seem to help.
We watched people zip lining across the valley to a spot above and behind us. We went for a hot spring tub, and then to the dining room for another delicious dinner. Early to bed again as we have an early start to Cusco.Read more