Colca Canyon

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So after Nasca it was off to the Colca Canyon (the deepest canyon in the world and home to Condors). A 6 hour overnight bus journey to Arequipa, made me realise that if i try to sleep upstairs on a bus that is flying around windy mountainous roads then i get travel sick, really travel sick and so spent most of the night ill in the bathroom! Luckily Arequipa was so beautiful that i managed to explore and felt much better by the afternoon.

The next day we set off to Colca Canyon and a place called Chivay. We are now well and truelly at altitude now, averaging about 3,600 m.a.s.l in the places we stayed and the highest point we stopped at on the journey was nearly 5,000 m.a.sl. I'm fine with the altitude but that was too high for me, i started to get really short of breath even on short walks and had a headache that even the coca leaves couldn't get rid off. Luckily we only stayed there for a bit! The place were we stayed was beautiful, and i got to see the first of the Inca terraces in the mountainside. To acclimatise to the altitude we went on an uphill walk to 4,200 m.a.s.l, which i had no problems with other than shortness of breath so at least i don't take after Suzy. Colca Canyon itself is amazing (as you can see from the photos), and we got to see three Condors flying which was pretty impressive. And then in the evening we relaxed in some natural hotpools and then saw a presentation of natural singing and dancing.

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Comments

[Sarah Patterson]

Love the condors. So beautiful ... and amazing photos of them ... you have the best camera!!! xx