Colca canyon

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Bus: Arequipa to Chivay
Hotel: Pozo del Cielo, Colca Canyon (Chivay, Peru)
The Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world; over 3000m from the peaks to the valley floor below. Until recently it was thought to be the deepest, but that title now belongs to another nearby canyon. The main town of Chivay was a 5+ hr bus ride from Arequipa over a 14,000 ft pass, only partially paved. We stopped at a store on the edge of Arequipa to buy coca leaves; the locals chew these with lye to help stave off the effects of altitude sickness. We definitely started feeling the effects of altitude here, I ended up with a splitting headache. The coca leaves didn't help at all; in fact I've never tasted anything quite so nasty in my life! Though maybe that's the point; the nastiness distracts you from your other ailments. The coca tea is much better, especially once you add sugar. Just make sure you don't have to take a drug test anytime soon! Aspirin also worked for me for the headache, but really all you can do is take it easy for a few days. The drive over the pass was stunning, with wide vistas of the treeless altiplano, salt pans, and grazing herds of alpaca and llama. We arrived at Chivay in time for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch we heard the sound of a brass band coming from down the street, and wandered down to investigate. It turned out to be a wedding! All the locals were out in their colorful finest, and much pisco and chicha (the local corn beer) was being consumed. We were invited to join in the dancing and drinking, but unfortunately we had to get back to the bus. We were dropped off at the hotel, the Pozo del Cielo, overlooking the town of Chivay. The hotel had a great view, but wasn't very convenient for the rest of town. It is possible to walk to the center of town, but the way back is all uphill. We had about 20 minutes to get ready before heading to the local hot springs. My wife was feeling pretty bad because of the altitude, she popped an aspirin and decided to stay at the hotel while I went off to the hot springs. The springs were very nicely done, with a large thermal swimming pool. That evening, we attended a local dinner/dance show. The dancers invited diners out onto the dance floor for the very energetic dances, I gave it a go for a few minutes until I felt dizzy and out of breath. The band was traditional Peruvian music, with several panflutes of varying size (I was already sick of Flight of the Condor, mind you).

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Photos

Chivay wedding
The chica was flowing freely