Monday 28 October 2024

Amazing canyon and watching the condors

We set off this morning and soon stopped at the little town of Yanque. Each morning the local people put on a dance display for any passing tourists.

Not only does this picture show one of the dancers in national dress, but also in the background a volcano is quietly erupting.

We also got into the tourist spirit, and got a photo with two tiny ladies and their llamas.

After that bit of excitement we started our drive along the Colca Canyon. The canyon has a beautiful river running along it's base, and then the most amazing tettaces on either bank.


It was so lovely that it didn't look real.

But then the terraces ended and we reached the National GeoParque, and had to pay to visit the Mirador de la Cruz del Cóndor.

Our guide says that it is where a large number of condors nest, and if we are lucky they will be soaring around in the morning before heading down to the Pacific to feed for the day.


Well, we were so lucky! There was up to about 20 birds all soaring up and down the canyon, sometimes right over our heads. They have a wingspan of about 3 metres and when they passed low overhead their shadow was quite a surprise.


They were also landing on a nearby rock, taking a few minutes break and then flying off again.


What an incredible experience and then all of a sudden, they were gone. 


We left too and stopped at the little town of Maca where we tried the local drink called Colca Sour, which I think is a spirit made from the local prickly pear cactus.


We drank ours while sitting on a bench next to a very friendly alpaca, and close to a large life like statue of a local worker.


Cheers!

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