Arequipa & Canyon del Colca

Unfortunately we both felt sick for most of our 2 days in Arequipa so we didn´t tour around as much as we would have liked. Maybe it was related to the delicious ceviche we ate for lunch the first day? We did see some mummies at the history museum, the colonial art museum, a few cathedrals, and the beautiful Plaza de Armas. While Jordan was in bed with a fever, Molly went to hear the Cusco Orchestra play a concert in La Catedral on the plaza. The nearby Volcano Misti sets the backdrop to this colonial city, along with 81 other volcanoes in the region. Once feeling better, we planned a trip into Canyon del Colca, the 2^nd deepest canyon in the world, only after its neighbor Canyon del Cotahausi. It is supposedly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. We got on a tour which left Arequipa at 3am in order to get to a viewpoint to see the magnificent Andean Condors in flight in the early morning. With a wingspan of up to 3.2 meters, it is only fitting that the largest bird lives in the deepest canyons.

Condor!

After breakfast we began the steep hike descending into the canyon. With the hot desert sun it was a pretty intense hike. After nearly 3 hours we crossed the river at the bottom of the canyon and had lunch. Next we walked across the floor of the canyon along the river, passing agave cactus, 2 types of fruiting cacti which we sampled, avocado trees, and tons of other beautiful flowering desert plants. We then arrived at the oasis at the bottom of the canyon where we spent the night in a rustic hospedaje.

Desert Canyon

Agave Cactus

So many stars above the canyon at night!

In order to beat the heat for the ascent, We began the climb at 5am in the dark. The series of switch backs steadily climbed up the canyon on a different trail than we had come down. The sun slowly rose over the canyon walls and illuminated the mountains around us. We made it to the top after a tough 2.5 hours then had a much deserved breakfast in the little town another 20 minute walk further.

Made it to the top!

Woman in the typical dress of the Colca region

In the valley below are terraces for farming

Terrace farming

Llamas and alpacas! (Alpacas are delicious)The tour took us to a hot springs outside the canyon which was was a good way to loosen up before our last overnight bus heading to Cusco.