Southern Peru-Bolivia Day 6

Day 06 - Friday, October 31, 2014 - Explore the Colca Canyon; View & Study the Andean Condor; Hike to the Cruz de Cura; Traditional Clothing Workshop

We were up before the sun today. Our wake up call came at 5:00 AM and we were on the bus by 6:00. It was cool; the temperature was 44 degrees and the humidity was 61%.

Pedro began our day by telling us about this agricultural region. The hillsides are all terraced and green with new spring growth. The farmers grow fava beans, corn, squash, and many varieties of potatoes.

As we explored the Colca Canyon, we could see blossoms on the chona cactus. This flower will become the sancayo, eaten as a sweet fruit.

Our first photo stop was at Peña Blanca Overlook. The floor of the canyon was carpeted with green pastures in various shades of development and growth. Pedro told us of the work the farmers have to do to prepare the irrigation ditches, as water is so precious.

At the Control Station to the Condor Overlook, we had to register and pay a fee. While Pedro and Pepé paid the bill, we used the restrooms – never miss an opportunity.

As we got closer to the natural habitat of the condors, Pedro explained about the huge birds we would see. The wingspan is over 10 feet and the adult birds can weigh up to 26 pounds.

When we reached the Cruz del Condor Overlook, there were already hundreds of people ready to see the magnificent birds. It was still cold and the canyon was very dark. We waited and waited for about an hour.

While waiting we marveled at the depth of the Colca Canyon. There is a 13,600-foot drop-off from the rim to the rocky Colca River. We saw mountain caracara, a type of hawk, soaring in the canyon but no condors.

Finally after about an hour when most of the school children had given up and many tourists had left, we saw the first adult Andean Condor riding the thermals and exploring the canyon.

Incredible to watch, these huge vultures are so graceful in the sky. They mate after about 7 years old and mate for life; the female lays one egg every year or two. No wonder they are so rare.

With no natural predators, the only thing they fear is man who brings pesticides, and invades their habitat. Because they are so heavy, they cannot take off on their own but must have a flying start from a perch high in the rocks. Once airborne, they seem to fly effortlessly.

After watching these birds for another hour, we counted as many as 7 in the sky at one time. We left Cruz del Condor and began a trek of about 90 minutes along the canyon rim at about 12,330 feet altitude.

Looking down we could see the Colca River below, tiny houses, and many trails or footpaths used by the Incas and now by the local people of the valley. On our hike we saw several birds, the Giant Hummingbird, the largest in the world but not very colorful, Sierra Morning Finches, and an American Kestrel. We also saw more condors – they were following us!

Our panorama of the Chila Range of the Andes was spectacular. We had a great vista of Bomboya Mountain and the Glacier of the same name. We could see the gray ash from the volcanic tubes as they pushed through the solid rock in the volcanoes.

Our hike finished at 11:45 and Lino was waiting for us at the bus parking area. It seemed like it must be close to 3:00 because our day began so early. One thing about Overseas Adventure Travel, they keep you busy from before dawn to after dusk!

We made one more photo stop to look over the Cola Valley before going to lunch back in the village of Yanque. We had lunch at the Alpaca Chef, another light buffet for soup and salad. At 1:15 we visited a women’s embroidery workshop, El Arte de Bordar en el Colca, where we were treated to a demonstration of their fine needlework.

The workshop of twelve women does all of the work right there in the Colca Valley. We had a chance to learn about the embroideries, watch the ladies do the sewing on machines now, but without formal patterns. Several of our group tried on the outfits and were gorgeous models for lots of photos.

Of course, there was a store, where we could purchase their handicrafts and see more of their fine work. Back on the bus, we came back to the hotel and thanked Pedro for being our local guide for the past two days.

We had the choice of going on another hike or the remainder of the afternoon on our own. Vic chose the hike and Gennie stayed back in the room relishing the opportunity to organize all of her notes from the day.

Without Internet in our room and the only connection, as slow as it was in the office, it helped to have at least the narrative of the day completed. Once again, the difficult part will be looking at and choosing the 5 photos to share with our friends and family.

As there is no place else to eat in Yanque, we had dinner at the hotel at 6:30. We are always given a menu to choose from, and Pepé collects our selections the day before. Luckily, he keeps the sheets so we can remember what we wanted!

After dinner we posted the journal in the office and came back to the room to pack for our travel day tomorrow.

Accommodations: Eco Inn Valle Colca --- Meals: B, L, & D

To receive $50 per person off your first reservation with OAT, mention the following information when reserving your Overseas Adventure Travel Trip: Mr. Victor Garcia Customer #673062

Your journals in explaining are so wonderful. Feel like, right beside you riding and viewing along.

WOW!!! I can't imagine a bird that big. How large were the big hummingbirds? What is the "primary" food grown there? That sunrise pic looks like an artist painted it!! I took a couple of days off (thought I had a heart attack), but I'm running with the best of 'em now. Look forward to today's experiences!

Incredible sunrise shot :)

I loved the photo of the seamstress with her machine!

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