Trekking with condors

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Even though trekking is not my favorite activity, I decided that I should experience the world´s deepest canyon a little more personally.Signing up for a challenging 3 day hike for 50 dollars, how can you argue with that price?

A 430 am pickup, I met the guide, Nestor. A short, cute guy who is from the Colca Canyon itself. As we waited for the two Irish girls who slept in, we danced some salsa in the hotel foyer.

The van was full of trekkers and we all slept on the 4 hour ride out to the canyon. Our first stop, the lookout to watch the magnificent condors. With their amazing wingspan, they seem to just glide and soar against the canyon walls with barely a flap of their outstretched wings. One flew over me head and seemed truely gigantic!! amazing!!

after lunch, we started out trek through part of the canyon. Mostly downhill, Nestor flirted with me pretty much the whole way. That night our group stayed in a homestay with a homecooked meal of soup and pasta. I helped in the outdoor kitchen a little bit, feeding the guinea pigs (usually food, but not on the menu tonight!!) and chopping veggies. and of course, practicing my kitchen spanish!

The next day we started out and headed for a place called the Oasis, where we stopped for lunch and a swim deep down in the canyon. I practiced a little yoga and ended up teaching some stretches for my new friends! Our biggest challenge was nearing, a 3hour trek uphill back out of the canyon. It is not only the walking uphill, but the terrain was constantly changing from stone steps, to loose stones, to slippery dirt and stone (you get the idea) but add the altitude and catching your breath and feeling your heart pounding in your stomach is great challenge. People who are born in high altitudes have larger hearts and lungs than us low-lying creatures, and when I went to feel the heartbeat of guide, it was beating normally and mine was going full strength!

By the time the sun started to set, we arrived at the top! What an accomplishment for me, blisters and all!! I am very proud to say I successfully trekked in the Canyon de Colca!!

That night our group celebrated by getting completely borracho (drunk) at the local pizzeria, where we could be heard down the street!! What a night!! The next day we slept in, opting out of some sightseeing and went to experience some well deserved hot springs and then lunch and then back to Arequipa where I had to catch a bus to Nazca, to see the famous and curious lines.

Two of guys from my trekking group were heading the same way and we ended up getting a small plane to fly over the lines. The lines were created by the Incas and create shapes of different animals, such as a monkey, hummingbird, a condor, and others. You have to see it by small plane, since they cover such a large area. No one knows what exactly they mean, but at 100 bucks per person for a 30 minute flight, don´t know if anyone is in a huge rush to figure that out!!

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