Day 172: Flights of the Condors

Chivay – Yanque – Maca – Pinchollo – Colca Canyon – Chivay – Arequipa, Peru

Bright and early, the tour group headed out again in the bus going towards Colca Canyon for the Cruz de Condors trip.

Same deal like yesterday, we made many viewpoint stops in small towns and by the cliffs. All the females of this area basically live of tourism. Young girls in traditional attires dancing their local dances in the main square; the moms posed with their llamas and eagles for money; and old ladies selling souvenirs.

I got myself a llama or alpaca wool sweater since I was underdressed. The sweater was a good bargain; 25 soles ($9.50).

The landscape was unbelievable. The lush green terraces against the yellow rocks and the blue sky made a marvelous scene.

We spent an hour and a half at Cruz de Condors touristy stop. It was nice to chill at the cliff watching condors gliding by. Andean condors are about 1.5 meters in height and with their wings spread open, they’re about 3 meters in width. This makes them the largest flying bird.

For lunch, I skipped the tour buffet meal and opted for a cheaper meal. I went off with two other tour members to get the menu of the day in a small restaurant for 5 soles

When the tour ended back in Arequipa, I parted ways with my travel partner, Richard. An Argentinian girl, Magui, whom I met and clicked with during the tour mentioned about her hostel. I decided to stay there instead since we planned to hang out at night, grab ourselves some crepes from a cafe suggested by a local.

My take on the Colca Canyon 2 days 1 night bus trip: a bit too touristy for my liking. Would have preferred the 3 days 2 nights trekking trip. But I paid 65 soles ($24.15) as opposed 300 soles ($111.50)