Valleys and Terraces

Today we journeyed to the edge of Colca Canyon. We stopped at viewing points along the way to revel in views like the one you see above. The landscape is filled with remarkable Inca and pre-Inca terraced fields, that still support agriculture and human life.

Almost at our destination when we saw a couple of other tourist vans parked on the side of the road, so we stopped to see what the fuss was about. It turns out we were extremely lucky, and great many (about 9!) condors were soaring and circling above and below us. Damian captured a spectacular shot of one which you can view here.

After spending 20 minutes in awe at the size and grace of these gigantic birds, we continued our journey to the canyon. We arrived, and I have to admit, awe continued being the dominant feeling of the day. I have honestly never see anything like it in my life. In 2010 I visited the Grand Canyon while travelling North America, however it was winter and the Canyon was filled with fog and mist, and we couldn't see a fliipin' thing!

We went for a short walk along Colca Canyon's edge, and had the chance to sit, admire the view, and face my fear of heights when we reached the end. It was beautiful and breathtaking. Most definitely a highlight of the trip so far!

We the travelled back to Arequipa by bus, sleeping most of the way. We had a delicious dinner which unfortunately ended in me having gastro for the majority of the night! Stay tuned...