Trekking the Colca Canyon of Peru

My alarm goes off at 2:55 AM. I gather my back pack, and find my way to the designated pick-up spot, waiting for the tour van to pick me up at 3:30 AM. At 3:50 I wonder whether they've forgotten about me as I sit on the sidewalk, shivering in the darkness. The pick-up was a special arrangement made by my AirBnb host and her friend who owns the travel company, enabling me to save time by not having to travel downtown Arequipa even earlier.

5 minutes later the van finally appears. I climb in, fifteen others packed inside, one seat available. We drive 3 hours arriving at the Colca Canyon, the world's second deepest, close to 7 in the morning. 

Stopping at a look-out, several eagle-eyed adventurers spot Andean condors circling high in the sky, describing them as tiny black dots. They point in their direction, but alas, they're too distant for me to distinguish. I turn my attention back to the depths below. 

Scrolling down you'll find a few videos, followed by photos of the Colca Canyon experience. In my next post, I'll describe the "Drama in Malata" (the tiny, tiny town inside the canyon) where we lost our guide for the afternoon and entire night.

Enjoy the visuals.

Colca Canyon from above, a few different angles

waterfalls near the bottom of the Colca Canyon

first view of the canyon

a river at the bottom of the gorge

Colca Canyon

a cactus patch

in the distance

the gorge below

a dog from a local village keeps us company

it's been a dry year

cactus at the bottom

flowers grown at a village at the canyon's bottom

scenery always looks better with a little green

still pretty awesome

one of my favorite shots

pretty cool shot if I say so meself

annual fiesta dancing in the tiny town of Malata

the church in Malata

fiesta time

the Colca Canyon near the bottom

This is about 5:50 AM, notice the lighting difference as the sun rises

again, part of the mountains are still shaded at this early hour

a cactus flower near the top

agriculture- steps with water

maize (corn) a Peruvian staple with the high Andean peaks in the background

love the colors here

looking up the canyon in the morning 

the final lookout as we leave the Colca