Blogs from Arequipa, Peru, South America

Our second day in the Colca Canyon region was dedicated to exploring the valley and some of the towns founded in colonial Spanish times. Our first mission was to arrive at the Cruz del Condor Mirador early enough to catch the condors gliding with the help of thermal winds, so we set out early in the morning as the viewing site was some distance from the lodge. On the way, we did take some time to stop at the nearby village of Yanque, to watch some of the children dancing in the square, a morning tradition. Along the way, we passed other settlements that dot the valley. I was constantly surprised by the small size of a lot of the houses we passed. They seemed more like Hobbit holes than real houses. Also amazing was the ... read more

A very early morning call saw us on our way to the airport for our flight to Arequipa. I really dislike these internal flights that seem to waste a lot of time dealing with airport procedures, occasional flights delays, etc., although I realize it's the only option when visiting distant locations within a country. We arrived in Arequipa late in the morning and were greeted on our exit from the airport with free beers being handed out by an Arequipa beer company in celebration of the festivities currently going in the city for the anniversary of the city founding on August 15, 1540. Then we had enough time to stop at the Mirador de Yanahuara to view the iconic backdrop to the city, the beautiful Misti volcano, before an idyllic lunch at Tio Dario, some yards ... read more

http://www.heygo.com Coporaque Village The tiny village of Coporaque is a great way to take in the stunning region & enjoy glorious views of the distant volcanoes, including the active Sabancaya which spews ash into the sky, gorgeous terrace views, flowering cacti, and crumbling stone ruins. We walked through pastures, visited the church which was badly damaged in the 2016 earthquake. This is a small town located on the right side of the Colca River, in the Western part of Chivay (Capital of the Colca Canyon), it has 900 inhabitants, it is located at 3583 meters above sea level, most of the inhabitants they are still cultivating their land following the knowledge of their ancestors and they are still wearing their typical costums. The temple of Santiago Apóstol de Coporaque, is a Catholic construction, which is located ... read more

Encore un bus, et après quelques 14-15h de voyage de nuit, et quelques 600km de virages, heureusement dans un bus VIP, allongés à 120 degrés, repose pied rembourré, repas du soir, pti dej et toilettes a bord (il est précisé que c'est uniquement pour le pipi lol, je me demande qui vérifie...), nous arrivons à Nasca. Quasiment enlevés par la compagnie aérienne Air Paracas qui nous attend, transfert à l'aérodrome, et sans presque savoir ce qui nous arrive (attendez j'aimerais me brosser les dents!), on est embarqués dans un petit coucou pour 6 personnes qui fait de la haute voltige (enfin presque, c'est ce que m'indique mon estomac tout retourné), pour nous montrer à gauche puis à droite, les fameuses lignes de Nasca, tracées dans le désert entre -500 et +500 ans, par une civilisation pré-inca, ... read more

We were driven to Yanque to meet up again with the same group as yesterday. When we arrived, Peter said we had 10 minutes to look around as there was a local market on in the main square with local women and men (dressed as women) dancing around the central fountain. Peter explained later on that the men dressed as women is a tradition passed down from the past when families always tried to match their daughters with a rich family, so sometimes boys would disguise themselves as girls so they could go out together. After 10 minutes I couldn’t see Daisy and Peter was also looking for her as well. I assumed she was shopping and checked all the market stalls but it turned out she was just watching the dancing and Peter found her. ... read more