Colca Canyon
:) Well had an ice night in Arequipa... hotel is pretty good. Have had triple share (with Carmela and Ruth) due to 2 other gap tours at the hotel. Lots of the hotels seem to have nice little courtyards in the middle - very spanish.
Left at 6am (2.5hr earlier than normal) to go to the Colca Canyon due to a strike being held at the edge of town. The our guide was great and very information, unfortunately everyone wsa pretty tired so a lot of us fell asleep during his talk on the way out there. We stopped after 3 hrs to hav an early lunch, and then kept going to our little village near Chivay. The hotel was beautiful - had a pet (not very freindly) alpacca. We all went for a dip in the thermal baths (complete with pina coladas) in the evening.
Got up early to have the 2hr drive to the canyon´s rim. Apparently it is the 2nd deepest canyon in the world. The other is also in the Andes and they think that there could be a deeper, undiscovered canyon... Saw heaps of condors - was lovely to watch them coar above us - soem of them got really close (less than 5m)... and we saw a flock of about 11! We were pretty lucky. Then thre was the long bus ride back to Arequipa. Have been taking it pretty easy. Have an 8hr nigt bus to Nazca tonight - and get to see the nazca lines tomorrow - v. exciting. Then onto Pisco the next day (visit the Ballesteras Islands) and then Lima the following day, and then the end of the tour!
Have booked to go to Otavalo when i get to Quito (on friday) to go to the weekend markets... - not sure how i am going to handle that - have a pretty full backpack waiting to get somewhere with a cheaper postal system! Another bag might need to be purchased :) (cant pass up bargains!)
Hope all is well for everyone...
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