Colca Canyon, Colca Canyon, Peru
Saturday, April 5, 2008
We decided to take a trip to Colca Canyon in Peru. Its apparently home to the worldīs deepest canyon. Personally I thought the Grand Canyon was better, but at the same time its a pretty nice place. We were torn between doing a 3 day hike or getting a bus tour, but ended up getting the bus tour when they told us weīd be getting up at 2am to do the hike on the last day, and also involved another overnight bus, no thanks! So off we went to Colca on the bus. Upon arriving in Colca we were sent off to get lunch. Like all good tour guides in South America, they dropped up off on the edge of town by a buffet restaurant charging twice as much as we should be paying (the guide of course getting a cut). All of us decided we were having none of it and headed off into town in search of cheaper fodder which we got. However we ended up being a half hour late and our guide gave out to us like school childen. Guess who didnīt get a tip! Of course he tried to apologize the next day but we were having none of it! Ferg and I decided to stay in Yanque and do some hiking while the rest of the possee on the bus staying in Chivay. Upon arriving in Yanque, we were pleasantly amused to be one of about 4 other tourists in the town and we were stared at alot. Apparently, they didnīt get that many tourists around there and Ferg was complimented on being "different" looking by some old men drinking in a shop (didnīt really seem to have pubs there). I said he was a gringo, but they took offence at this and called him something else I didnīt recognize! The next morning we got up early to see the Andean Condors. I was a bit dubious that we would see any, but in fact we saw a ton of them! Quite an elegant bird if I do say so myself.
