hello from cold peru!
well, we finished our 3 day trek to the bottom of the colca canyon yesterday. it´s a canyon just north of arequipa that is more than twice the depth of the grand canyon. what a cool trip!
we ended up going with a tour operator that i would highly recommend – they work really hard at minimizing the impact on the environment and communities that they visit (it´s called land adventures in arequipa if you´re planning any trips here soon!).
we trekked to the bottom of the canyon on the first day and spent our first night with a local family. it was really cool to see how they live and how each of the communities contribute to meeting the needs of their society.
day two we spent some time at the “oasis” at the bottom of the canyon, then had a thirsty trek back to the town at the top of the canyon.
the morning of day three was a nice surprise. robO and i are not bird-watchers by nature, but there is a viewing point for andean condors. we saw these massive condors gliding along canyon. at one point there were 7 flying at the same time. it was really amazing.
today we caught a bus to puno, a town on the edge of lake titicaca (the highest altitude lake in the world). we´re all set to tour the floating islands on the lake tomorrow.
we hear it´s spring at home, so you can laugh at us in south america wearing toques and mitts to stay warm! (damn altitude)
oh ya, i know this is hard to believe, but robO and i have turned into shopaholics here. we cannot pass by a handicraft shop without getting sucked in, and we have bought tons of souvineers already. the backpacks are growing…
take care,
love dawnO and robO
I really enjoy reading your blog, and was feeling the chill on this one. It’s very warm and sunny here in Kelowna. Keep up the good work.
MomO