Yesterday morning we took a four hour drive from Arequipa to Colca Canyon, where the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s not quite the Grand Canyon, but the valleys are green and there are lots of terraces where the locals farm all sorts of vegetables. We also saw herds of llamas, alpacas, and vicunas (all similar species).
We stayed at a gorgeous hotel, the Colca Lodge, which is in a valley right on the Colca River. We had an amazing view of the river outside the window of our bungalow, and the sound of the running water was incredibly soothing.
The Lodge also has several outdoor hot spring pools. We relaxed in the warm water for quite a while, where we watched the sunset and gazed up in amazement as the sky filled with stars. Josh was trying to figure out which constellations we were seeing, as we’ve never seen stars from the southern hemisphere.
But really, the highlight of our time in Colca Canyon was this morning, when we woke up super early to get to Condor Cross on time. This is where condors take flight on the early morning winds, and these majestic birds were truly a sight to see. At first we waited for what seemed like ages, and no condors in sight. Then, all of a sudden, it was like someone released a whole flock, as condors started circling over head and below us in the canyon. Their wingspans were pretty incredible, and when they stretched out all their feathers we could see their beautiful coloring. They’re such graceful birds, and we were lucky to be able to see them soaring all around us.
Condors crossing the canyon