So yesterday we were woken up at 5am in the lodge to have a fresh organic buffet before heading off on the bus in the darkness for the colca canyon. We got there as it got light and just as we were pulling up we saw 2 huge condors circling jut above the canyon. This was really special as the guide told us it's not common to see a condor, and they rarely fly together. We quickly got of the bus armed with our cameras (and alpaca wear as it was freezing). As we started taking photos more and more condors appeared together, and soon enough there were 8 condors flying together. It was absolutely amazing to see the condors all together drifting just above our heads on the thermals rising from the canyon! The condors are huge too, they have an average wingspan of 3 metres, that is taller than me! The condors circled us for quite some time before we began our walk along the top of the canyon, it was amazing to see how deep the canyon was and it was interesting to hear about the history, such as the depth of the canyon which is rumoured to be the deepest in the world after recent research! After spending the morning in the canyon we headed back to Arequipa and arrived early evening, giving us time to prepare for our flight then go out for tea.
This morning we woke at 4am to catch our flight to Cuzco. We arrived at 8.30am and headed straight for the hotel which is yet another awesome and comfortable hotel!
We went for am amazing cooked breakfast at a pub called the real McCoy before heading for an orientation walk then spent the day shopping for ridiculous souvenirs such as wresting masks and more alpaca s***! Tonight we went back to the restaurant for a full roast dinner, beef, roast potatoes and all. I admit it's not very Peruvian but it was amazing to taste a full roast after so long!
Tomorrow is the beginning of something truelly amazing. After years of dreaming and planning, I eventually start the 4 day inca trail. It's going to be an intense and draining few days but I can't wait for it and when we reach the sun gate in time for sun rise, which is something have dreamt of for years!
I am going to make sure I keep a record of the trek day by day and will update you all at the end!