Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Anna & Kerry's South America Travels
Hey guys
Have just had a great 2 days in the Colca Canyon (the second deepest in the world and twice the depth of the Grand Canyon).
The tour started early yesterday (sat) at half 8 when we got picked up from our hotel and got on our bus, a proper but slightly old coach. Drove round various streets of Arequipa for about half an hour picking up everyone else on the tour and then headed out towards the Canyon.
Drove for a couple of hours, up steep single track roads and mud tracks with huge drops down one side, (scarier and narrower than any roads in the Lakes, I will never dount our car getting up the mountain passes again mum and dad). Had a quick rest stop at a little mountain side cafe, where Anna made friends with a sheep, and we met the resident llama, and also tried the local soroche (altitude sickness) cure of coca tea. Basically coca leaves in boiling water.
After this we carried on for another couple of hours, on even steeper and dangerous roads to a view point looking over the Colca valley, there were traditionally dressed Peruvian women and children here selling goods and souvenirs. A couple of kids had a llama each and were posing with us for pics, they were very cute but also knew how to make money out of tourists and probably manage to earn more a day than we do.
After this stop we drove on for about another hour to the small town of Chivay. Which was really nice and traditionally Peruvian however is being exploited by tourists and tour companies, most of whom stay there for the night whilst visiting the canyon. At this point we both felt rather crap, the altitude was catching up with us and we're not sure the coca tea helped. We both flopped for half an hour on beds with major headaches and feeling a bit sick (slightly concerned about what we are gonna be like up Machu Picchu and in Bolivia at twice this height). After the rest we forced ourselves up to get the bus to the Calera hot springs, a couple of mins out the town. Arrived there in the cold and pooring down rain, so were quite pleased to see that the main tourist pool was under a roof and that the water is about 40c. Stepped in and burnt feet so had to get in gradually as it felt so hot to begin with but soon relaxed in the water and steam and decided that this was the closest we are prob going to get to a bath in 3 months. Initially the warmth helped the headaches but after getting out we felt even worse. Had a worrying ride back to the hotel, along the muddy bumpy track, with a large vertical drop down one side into the river, rain pouring down and by this time it was also dark, we were clinging onto the seats and peering out the front window through which you could see absolutly nothing.
Flopped on beds for another half hour feeling worse and then got up to go to the folklore dance and meal that was put on for all the tourists. Arrived at a restaurant with long tables down either side and an area in the middle for dancing. There was a small stage at one end and a small band played and sang all night. All wore traditional brightly coloured ponchos and hats and played various pan pipes, drums and guitars. There was also a man and women who started the dancing again in traditional dress and performed traditional festival dances that tell stories of Peruvian life. After this the man who was absolotuly crazy came round and pulled people from their tables to go and dance with him in the middle. Eventually after avoiding eye contact with him for a while he came over and got me to go up and dance, didnt have a clue what I was doing but that didnt phase him he flung me round the dance floor and seemed to spin me round lots. Then it was Anna's turn, she got taken up on the floor at about the same time everyone else stopped so it was just her and him dancing solidly for about 4 mins, he had her jumping round all over the place, spinning round and trapping one of the waitresses in their arms. When the music stopped she was allowed to sit down again completly out of breath, but by now beginning to get rid of the headaches. Went to bed both feeling a bit better but veyr tired and in need of a good nights sleep.
Which we didnt get as had to be up for breakfast at half 5, to catch the bus at 6.
Drove from Chivay, which is in the Colca Valley, down the valley to actual canyon. On the way we stopped at a view point, looking up the valley, where one of the really cute little Peruvian girls came and gave me a special birthday cuddle and had a photo. Next we stopped at a small village called Maca, where a man had a condor that we could go and hold. After this close encounter with the condor we headed to a viewpoint called Cruz del Condor which had lovely views down into the canyon, there were also a couple of wild condors sitting on a rock about 20m below us.
After this we drove back to Chivay for lunch and then had a scary drive back to Arequipa, it seemed to last for ages in thick mist, heavy rain and snow at one point. All of this of course on a coach along mud tracks with a huge vertical drop on one side into the bottom of the valley. Dont worry though we did manage to make it back in one piece, although passed a lorry that hadnt been so lucky on the way and had fallen off the road,luckily at a point where there was a bank to prevent it falling to the bottom of the valley and so had just tipped on its side.
- comments