Andean condor at Colca Canyon
Our trip to Colca Canyon was always going to be a bit of a gamble. While it was touted as being the place where we were most likely to see condors in flight, there was no guarantee.
Soon after we arrived at the canyon, our Peruvian guide, Matthew, said it was actually uncommon to see quite so many birds in the air. He’d even gone times when no birds showed up.
Sixteen of us from the truck took the gamble. It was a three-hour drive from Arequipa to Chivay, where we stayed the night (the hostel had one of the best mattresses I’ve ever slept on in any of my travels).
The next morning we headed to the canyon. That meant breakfast at 6, out the door at 6:30 and at the ‘Cruz del Condor’ viewing point by 8:40. On the way, we visited three villages (more about them in another post). Poor John asked Matthew why we didn’t drive straight to the canyon, and visit the villages on the way back. But Matthew explained that if the condors are going to be airborne near the viewing point, it will be between 8:30 and 9:30.
Colca Canyon
We, along with several hundred other people, enjoyed the privilege of seeing these powerful birds in action.
These condors, known as Andean condors, are found in Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentine and Brazil. They are scavengers and will travel up to 120 miles a day in search of carrion. They prefer large carcasses.
The condors, which are really a variety of vulture, have the largest wingspan (up to 10.5 feet) of any land bird and probably the longest lifespan (100 years).
At 13,650 feet, the Colca Canyon, where we were captivated by these condors, is the world’s deepest canyon (more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon). It certainly isn’t as dramatic looking as the Grand Canyon, but it was still thrilling to be there. It is Peru’s third most visited tourist destination.
Our round trip from Arequipa—including travel (with guide and driver), accommodation and breakfast—was US$60. It helped that we almost filled the van we went in.
Any regrets? Yes, one. I wish I still had a working telephoto lens.
Andean condor at Colca Canyon
In a few minutes we head to the gigantic Colca Canyon, about 100 miles northwest of Arequipa, Peru.
Colca is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the deepest canyon in the world. The views are supposed to be magnificent. It’s Peru’s their most popular travel destination, and I’d never heard of it. It’s also likely to be the best place in South America to catch close-up views of the mighty condors.
My camera batteries are charged, and I’ll be back soon to report. And I promise not to get too close to the edge. 🙂
Helen gets a send-off. Photo by Colin
Oh wow! We had the most fun zooming through the desert on dune buggies and sandboards.
Our adventure started in Huacachina, an oasis village built around a small natural lake in southwestern Peru. Our red and yellow ‘chariots’ were from Desert Knights and our drivers couldn’t wait to take to the slopes.
In my opinion, dune buggies and sandboards are the closest things to roller coasters (one of my favourite heart-stopping things). Jesus, our driver, was keen to scare the wits out of us, so we were off at top speed at about 4pm when the sand had cooled down a bit. Our airborne shots up and over the crests of steep dunes were interrupted every 20 minutes or so, so we could take turns hurtling down a slope that looked too steep to drive down! I’m guessing the slopes were 10 or 12 stories high and while they weren’t vertical, they seemed that way.
Alanna on her way. Photo by Colin
There are some strict rules about boarding. The main one is to keep your elbows tucked in—you MUST keep them on the board. This is not easy when the board is about nine inches wide and your chest is built like mine. The other rule is to spread out your legs so you can steer. Ha, you can’t steer! You just hang on and smile. Closing your eyes is optional, but not recommended.
In the end we had four sessions each of dune riding and boarding. On at least two of the boarding dunes, we couldn’t see the bottom from where we started at the top. One had a huge dip and ridge on the way down. Like a dune within a dune. We all survived. There were a few sand burns and a lifetime of sand in hair, teeth, clothes and shoes. But what an amazing experience.
Maeve and her board make it to the bottom together. Photo by Colin
I’m posting photos here, but these still photos don’t really give a good idea of the steepness of the dunes and speeds at which we were travelling. Fortunately, some of the others took videos, which they are happy for me to link to once they get them chosen and uploaded.
After the sandboards were packed away, we headed to a high dune to watch the sunset and then on to a desert camp, which was all set up by the time we got there. Our roll mats and sleeping bags had been delivered to our ‘door’ by a support vehicle.
Our drivers cooked dinner—chicken, kebabs and sausages—over a raging bonfire, and produced plenty of salads and way too many pitches of pisco sours.
Nobody is sure how late we all stayed up, but there was an early rise with the sun—and everyone covered in dew and sand.
As an aside, the whole adventure was $50 a person. Can I go again please?
Still not acting my age, but dressing for success!
Photo by Colin
Some of you may remember my birthday extravaganza last year in China. I wasn’t acting my age then—not much has changed except that I’ve had another birthday.
This one was celebrated in the extreme at the beach in Punta del Sol, Peru.
My birthday was the second one since starting this overland trip last month, so these occasions are still cause for an event. In this case it was Truck Olympics.
First details of the meal
Jong, Poor John and I were the cook group that night (bad planning, but not a bad outcome because I got out of doing dishes). The market in nearby Mancora, where we shopped the day before, was so plentiful and diverse that I decided to make a feast of salads.
Poor John snags a fish. Photo by Colin
To get a head start, I did a couple of time-consuming processes the day before—roasting capsicums (bell peppers), stringing a kilo of green beans, hard boiling eggs and boiling potatoes.
An impromptu fishing trip was organised on the morning of my birthday, and our crew of ‘hunter/gatherers’ came home with enough fish to augment the repertoire of salads. Big bonus was that the fellow who took them out fishing also cleaned and filleted all the fish.
Some of the salad recipes were old standards that I make—including carrot and orange salad, Spanish green bean salad, cucumber salad and capsicum, feta and olive salad. Also did a potato salad and coleslaw. I had ingredients for a mango chilli salad, but completely forgot to make it. I’ll have to make it soon because a few people were counting on it.
Now details of the silliness
Colin and Sammy, our driver and tour leader, arranged the Truck Olympics. As expected, the events were designed for laughs and spills. We started with egg and spoon sprints, sack races (Poor John fell over), and pass the balloon between your knees.
Jane shoots to the lead in the spoon and egg race. Photo by Colin
Then two water challenges with a twist—fill a basin and bob for apples.
The basin was placed about 10 metres from the shore and the idea was to dress in a goofy costume, run to the shore, fill a cup with water and then race it back to the basin., slopping water all the way.
Bobbing for apples was embellished with part 2—bobbing for lollies/sweets in a basin of flour. We all ended up looking like Bozo the Clown.
It’s hard to say which team won. We all cheated, and my team may have cheated more. But we won in the laughs department.
And the finale
It was a great day and imagine my surprise when a cake appeared. Thanks so much to all my travelling companions for making it such a memorable birthday. Still no plans to count it as a year on my age, and definitely no plans to grow up.
Busy lunchtime at the Caribe
We’ve seen plenty of fast-food outlets across Columbia, Ecuador and Peru, but Poor John and I have a policy to avoid them. Every now and then we end up at a food court—when the truck stops at a shopping mall—but even then we avoid the big names.
Our favourites are the little holes-in-the-wall or the restaurants that look like they have been there forever. We also try to find a place that’s a few streets away from the main tourist crush. As Poor John says, tourist traps only need to get your custom once, but the best places need to have their hometown customers keep coming back for more. Plus we think it’s good to support small small businesses.
We found a real gem on a busy corner in downtown Quito. The Caribe Heladeria and Café has been going since 1950 and I bet the decor hasn’t been changed since they opened for business.
Baked chicken empanada
The place was packed with locals rather than tourists—we had to scout for a table. The narrow upstairs looked promising, so we climbed the wrought iron spiral staircase and waited at the top until a group of lingering customers decided it was time to surrender their booth.
Before we went upstairs, we ordered a couple of baked chicken empanadas (every other choice was already sold out) that were delivered to our table shortly after they’d been reheated. They were delicious, but I wished there’d been a dipping sauce to go with it. Guess I need to remember to order ‘salsa’ in future.
Blackberry, orange, rum and raisin, and chocolate
Given that we’d walked all over town that morning, Poor John and I figured our waistlines could also afford to take advantage of the Caribe’s heladeria (ice creamery). Two cones with four different flavours of ice cream cost less than $3. Poor John picked the two best flaovurs—blackberry and orange. He shared—but only just!
P.S. We’re pleased to report that our travelling companions on this truck aren’t all that interested in fast food either.
Ceiling at Company of Jesus Church
No I’m not taking any sleezy pictures—these are from the gold church in Quito.
The Company of Jesus Church or La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, as it is known in Spanish, is probably Quito’s most famous church.
La Compañía looks quite ordinary from the outside, but then you go in. Everywhere you look there is gold leaf, gilded plaster and intricate wood carvings. Poor John and I were absolutely gobsmacked and dazzled when we first walked in. We were so impressed that we went back to visit a second time.
That’s when I whipped out the iPhone. There are signs everywhere that warn you not to take photos in the church. I have no idea why—is it considered sacrilegious, will it damage the gold?
But after I saw two little boys playing in the confessional, without an admonishment from their mother, and three little girls eating drippy ice creams as they strolled through the church, I figured cameras had to be OKAY.
I put the iPhone on my lap and snapped a few pics of the ceiling and then tilted it to capture other parts of the church. I’m only half-certain which way I pointed the camera, but at least there is some evidence of the gold overload.
The church has a long history. It was started in 1605 and not completed until 1765. It is considered one of the most significant works of Spanish Baroque architecture in South America.
I’ll be back soon with photographic evidence that we survived being bounced up and down the sand dunes of Peru. The closest thing to a roller coaster! Had some hair-raising slides down huge dunes, and plenty of ‘you want me to do what’ moments!
Loved every minute. Camped on the dunes, under the stars and saw lots of shooting ones. Had a fantastic barbecue, drank plenty of pisco-colas! Woke up in a sand and dew-covered sleeping bag. Poor John says he has no regrets—and his knuckles aren’t white. 🙂
Our main shop in the Mancora markets
Markets are a must-see tourist stop for me—they’re full of colour, noise, the routine, the exotic, the faces.
The market at Mancora Peru has been one of my favourites so far on this trip. It’s only a single long, covered laneway (with a few offshoots), but it’s packed with variety and interest.
Jong, our Korean travelling companion, pointed out that Korean music was being played by one of the CD ‘shops’. They couldn’t have known his nationality, so it was one of those random happenings.
We bought a lot of our supplies at one shop. As we bargained/shopped, a young boy entered (probably the owner’s son). The shop girl gave him a loving clip on the back of the head. He retaliated almost immediately by squirting her repeatedly with the fruit mist-er. It all ended in laughter and smiles.
The innocent mist-er/mister?
I like to share my custom around, so we bought 30 caramel cornets (for about $5) at the bakery, a watermelon ($1) from another stall, and various other bits and pieces from random shops. Our entire food budget for dinner and breakfast for 16 people was about $50 and I spent less than two-thirds of that. And I over-catered—BIG TIME.
We got back to camp and I started cooking. My birthday was the next day, and we had to cook that day, so I wanted to have a head start. I’ll post soon on my birthday celebrations.
Forever?
I love the goofy things you see on foreign billboards and other surfaces. These two really touched my funny bone.
The blue one on the left was on the inside of a toilet door at the Teleferico (cable car) in Ecuador, Quito. The promise of true love ‘forever’ and he doesn’t even know her last name!
The other is a billboard near Turjillo, Peru. These two corn-fed gals (the one on the left is holding a giant ear of corn) are advertising hybrid seed. Interesting that pretty girls and a cut-out dress are an important part of getting the message through?
Mind you I have seen quite a few scantily clad poster girls on calendars hanging in the garages of South America.
Peruvian billboard
P.S. I’m sitting in a pub in Huacachina, Peru, waiting for the dune buggy adventure to start. We’ll finish the day with downhill sandboarding, pisco sours and sleeping under the stars.
I’ll be missing for a couple of days. Tonight we’re camping in a Peruvian national park. Then I’m dragging Poor John into a dune buggy for a bouncy, hair-raising ride across the Peruvian desert—I hope. Then camping. Back soon. And that’s just one of the reasons he gets called Poor John
Where to next? 