Around the World III

Day 28 - Sun 29 Apr 07 - Colca Canyon, Peru

Phew, what a day - up for breakfast at 07:30 and then headed down to the bridge nearby to get some photos, then back to the hostel to pick up the bus for the Colca Canyon. The 'English Couple' are on board with seven other people. Almost as soon as we're out of the city there are great views of the mountains all around. As we climb and climb and climb we see lots of Vicunas. We have a pit stop and I get a woolly hat for myself. We top out at 4,900m, and then head into the Colca valley were Chivay is, a small town surrounded by terraced fields with amazing views down the valley.

We get dropped off at our hostel in Yanca and it becomes obvious that the 'English Couple' and I are sharing a room. Not quite what we were expecting, but we're cool with it as the place is beautiful. All the rooms are off a courtyard which is filled with flowers. Have a great meal in the courtyard - soup with cheese, fish and rice, an a pawpaw for desert. I then nipped out and had a quick look around the village. It's all dirt streets with a few corner shops selling most things you'd need.

Back to the hostel, and we're taken for a walk, up and across a gorge with a river flowing below, and loads of terraced fields. We saw some locals digging up potatoes. They had over a ton all bagged up and ready to go, all done by hand. We came across the posh hotel were the rest of our group are staying at. Very nice but not as good or as original as were we're staying. On the way back we came across a bunch of local kids bringing the sheep back home. So we tagged along with them and helped.

Supper at the hostel was good. Alpaca and rice. The rest of the evening was spent playing with the cats, and just talking in the atmosphere of the place. All in all a magical day. Tomorrow is the Canyon and the Condors, up at 05:30 to be picked up at 06:30.