COLCA CANYON Chivay

Look at these fine cabs called mototaxis that take you for just S/ 1 anywhere in Chivay

The white hats worn by women at the east end of the canyon are usually woven from straw and embellished with lace, sequins and medallions.

At the west end the hats have rounded tops and are made of painstakely embroidered cotton -->

Visit of the local market. Peru has thousand varieties of potatoes and corn

These are not mushrooms but potatoes!

The Sabancaya volcano (5976m) is fuming all the time. Behind it, Ampato where "Juanita" was found (see Arequipa, page before)

Hiking at 3605 meters above sea level!

Our hiking trail

That's how people work their fields

On the left a lady of the Callagua with an Alpaca and a lady of the Cabana clan with a lama

What a crowd to see the condors!

Our lovely guide, River, showing us where he grew up in San Juan de Chuccho about 1200 m down the valley

Walking along a levada and through a narrow tunnel, which was not easy for Volker

We tried these 3 exotic fruits: sancayo, tuna and pepino

Showing us the terraces all over the canyon and saying goodbye to the Colca Canyon

A lost stroll through Chivay and its market and back to the hotel with a mototaxi for S/1 from the taxi stand at the Plaza Principal. We took the one on the left.

From Chivay to Puno in the Altiplano

Reserva Nacional Salinas Y Aguada Blanca

Andean Flamingo vs Chilean Flamingoes

Black Ibis

Guess what our guide is trying to show me? Of course, how to chew coca leaves! You can see it from my face,  it's really not my cup of tea!

Indian Geese

Picnic in high altitude

Bosque de Piedras (Stone Forest)

Wed 23/09/2015: Chivay - Elev 3.630m - sunny 18 ºC
Visit of the market in Chivay together with our guide. Lunch at the buffet restaurant Colca (not exciting, just the cebiche was good). Drive to Coporaque.  2,5h hike (6,5km) to pre-Inca ruins San Antonio and Uyo-Uyo. Crossing the Rio Colca on a red pedestrian bridge where we saw the tombs from above, we arrived in Yanque. From Yanque we went to the Hot Springs of La Calera. Back to our hotel we were so tired that we didn't do anything anymore.
 
Thu 24/09/2015: Chivay - Excursion to Cruz del Condor and Cabanaconde - Sunny 18 ºC
At 7am we drove to Maca where we visited the church which was destroyed. Then to Mirador del Cruz del Condor where we waited until 9:45 am to see 2 condors. Drive to 6 km before Cabanaconde where our guide, Rive, made a levada walk with us (2,5 km, 55 min.) showing us where he grew up at San Juan de Chuccho. He told us he had to walk up and down 1200 m  once a week to go to secondary school when he was aged 11 to 15. In Cabanaconde walk to the Mirador where we could see the oasis of Sangalle, also 1200 m down at 2130m. Lunch in Chivay at the tourist Restaurant Urinsaya, which was better than the day before. In the afternoon we walked into town, walked through the market, Volker ate some local doughnuts and we took a mototaxi back to our hotel for S/ 1.