Trip to the Colca Canyon

On August 6th and 7th, Sandy, Gloria, and Kevin take a trip to

the Colca Canyon, located about 100 miles northwest of Arequipa.

We leave bright and early for our four hour bus ride

to Chivay, a small town near the north end of the

Colca Canyon. Roads to this area have only been

open since the 1980's and have since become

a popular tourist attraction.

On the way, we see the back sides of El Misti

and Chichani, which we never tire of seeing

every day from our apartment in Arequipa.

There is much interesting wildlife to view on the way....

including vicuñas, whose wool is the

most valued for handcrafts in Peru.

A local girl along the way poses with her baby alpaca,

and we see many alpacas and llamas by the side of the road.

At the top of the pass (16,000 feet!) we find

snow and ice from a storm the week before, reminding

us of some of the passes in Glacier Park in the summer.

This one is for Ben! The highest outhouse in the world!!!

Many of the locals display their handcrafts to sell to tourists.

Kevin and Gloria with the view of the

Valley of the Volcanoes behind them.

Coming down into Chivay (12,000 ft above sea level),

the town where we will spend the night before

going downstream the next day to the Colca Canyon.

All over Chivay, one sees children with
their animals ready to pose for a picture,
for the price of one sol, (approximately 33 cents).

A beautiful river view from near our hostel.

The Catholic Church in Chivay on the plaza square.

The front altar area...

As in most Catholic churches in Peru,
it is evident the worship of Mary is very prevalent.

Although perhaps difficult to see, a figure of Jesus
lying in a glass coffin is seen below this ornate altar.
We were saddened to see the focus wasn't on His Resurrection.

Outside there are preparations for a parade

in honor of the people in Chivay from Puno descent.

We found this band interesting as the back of their

jackets said "Banda Fabulosa." No lack of pride here!

Women and men alike are dressed in colorful costumes. We think these men are portraying condors!

We left before dawn for the Colca Canyon

and are privileged to witness an incredible sunrise.

The way to the canyon was beautiful.

The bus let us out before we reached the lookout point

for the condors, and we all hiked about 45 minutes

along the rim. The views were magnificent,

as was the flora by the side of the road.

Finally, we reach the point where the condors are frequently
seen soaring gracefully on the rising thermals occurring as
the air warms. The condors are best seen in the early morning
and late afternoon when they are hunting. At this point the canyon
floor is 3,960 ft.below the rim of the canyon.We were fortunate
in being able to see six condors flying together on this trip!


Condors are magnificent birds with a wing span of up to 3 meters.

They are majestic in their natural surroundings of the Colca Canyon.

Although we didn't get to see the entire thing, the Colca Canyon

is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon at 4,160 m.

However, the canyon's walls are not as

vertical as those of the Grand Canyon.

Lord, Your power and majesty are

so keenly felt in this place, one of the

most awe-inspiring parts of Peru!

On the way back to Chivay, we stop at several vantage

points to view the pre-Incan terraces. In such rough

terrain, these form an amazing system of agricultural

ingenuity, very similar to that seen at Machu Pichu.

At one of the high lookouts, we stop to view one girl's craft,

beautiful handmade cards with scenes from the Colca

Canyon. She is dressed in native garb of the region.

At one Catholic Church along the way,

we see a statue of Mary in similar dress.

A cute little baby alpaca takes a rest outside the church.

The view coming back into Chivay is awesome,

with the Cross overlooking the town.

At lunch we are entertained by a local troubador,

playing both the guitar and panpipes at the same time.

On a walk through the town's central plaza, we are treated

to the sight of a family with both a baby llama

and alpaca, 6 months and 1 month old...

and see an older lady walking along spinning yarn.

A typical stone house with thatched roof in Chivay.

Note the cacti growing out of the adjoining wall.

This is seen frequently as a way to deter unwanted robbery.