Peru Trip Written Report Hateful Solar Daytime 10: Puno-Chivay-Yanque; Hateful Solar Daytime 11: Colca Canyon, Mirador Del Condor

DAY 10, December 7, 2014: Puno-Chivay-Yanque

Next on our agenda was the Colca Canyon.

It's a detour on the means betwixt Puno in addition to Arequipa. Chivay, Yanque, Cabanaconde are the primary bases here. We decided to remain at Yanque. Most people come upwards to Colca canyon every bit twenty-four hr menses trip but nosotros felt that would last too hectic in addition to decided to remain for 2 nights at Yanque. Again most remain for simply 1 night.

Took the 4M Express bus from Puno to Chivay. Got picked upwards at hotel at vi am, seat on a van amongst 2 others. We got a considerable discount every bit nosotros had emailed them. This is the map of our bus route.

We reached our 1st stop, Lagunillas Lake, located inwards the subdivision of Puno at virtually 4174 masl.

This is a expert identify to appreciate to a greater extent than of the region's fauna, consisting of ajoyas, chocas in addition to particularly flamingos.

The lake Lagunillas amongst the Sillapaka mount attain inwards the background, Lagunillas is a high Andean lake or lagoon located inwards the Peruvian subdivision of Puno, at an height of 4,174 meters. Its dimensions are 18.6 kilometers long in addition to 5.8 kilometers broad in addition to a maximum surface area of 66 km² amongst a maximum depth of 47.6 meters. It has 4 small-scale islands.

Our van behind...

Then nosotros saw the Great Imata Stone Forest from a distance

Then nosotros went on our means to Pampa Cañahuas, which is component division of Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Park, a biological reserve for South American camelids such every bit the vicuña, which has been hunted almost to extinction due to its fine in addition to soft wool.

Flamingos inwards Lagunillas.

Mirador de los volcanes:

Going on amongst the journeying nosotros crossed over Chucura Volcano, where nosotros saw a number of small-scale volcanoes betwixt ichu-covered plains.

Patapampa:

At closed to 4800 meters higher upwards bounding main degree is located Patapampa, which is the highest request of our tour betwixt Colca Valley in addition to Puno. This height makes Patapampa a natural outlook request where travelers tin move come across volcanoes in addition to snow-covered mountains such every bit Sabancaya, Ampato, in addition to Mismi. In Patapampa, it is possible to notice stones that are piled on top of each other past times travelers in addition to locals. It is component division of a ritual related to residue in addition to forcefulness to croak on the trip. It is also believed to furnish protection, wellness in addition to permission to larn into somewhere new.

Entrance to Colca canyon region...

we receive got to purchase an integrated ticket (boleto integral) for lxx soles to all the hikes inwards the portion here.

Reached Chivay 3600 masl. , the final request on the bus trip. The primary foursquare was cordoned off. Susannah of 4M Express helped us larn a cab to Yanque for 20 soles.

Killawasi lodge, Yanque:

At Killawasi Lodge, our hotel inwards Yanque... checking inwards amongst Guillermo, the owner.

Our room had a lovely stance of the volcano in addition to a balcony amongst all circular views

There was a costless guided hike of the nearby ruins inwards the even out for all hotel guests...just 1 identify unit of measurement likewise us... here's the guide in addition to the Peruvian daughter from Lima. Her Dad was feeling the number of height sickness in addition to did non join

DAY 11: December 8, 2014: Colca Canyon, Mirador del Condor:

Had breakfast at the hotel.

Yanque hamlet foursquare .

local trip the low-cal fantastic inwards the morning

. Our hotel had arranged a tour... a van amongst a guide.

2 guys staying at the pricey Casa del inca... $350/night joined us on the tour.

The Colca Valley is extremely deep in addition to picturesque. It is formed past times the Colca River; surrounded past times huge mountains, small-scale villages, interesting marketplace position places, colonial churches, in addition to light-green agricultural terraces hugging the hillsides amongst herds of wandering llamas.

On the means to Mirador del condor... Colca canyon view. our guide Pablo.

the route tunneled through mountain.

The Colca Valley is 124 miles long in addition to 11,155 feet deep. It's Colca River is a pop "White Water" rafting spot amongst a populace broad reputation.

The portion takes its refer from the qolqas (colcas) that are constitute throughout the valley, mud in addition to rock granaries built into cliffs or caves where the dry, cool climate makes for an ideal "refrigerated" storage for crops or seeds. (These tin move last seen at diverse places throughout the valley, but most easily at the "Puente Sifon" inwards Yanque.)

In the belatedly 14th century, the Inca arrived, taking the Colca valley into their empire through intermarriage. They helped to perfect the structure of irrigation channels in addition to terraces, in addition to their influence is visible, too, inwards the stonework of some of the archeological sites.

With the Castilian conquest inwards the 16th century came the "Toledan reductions," inwards which the local governor demanded that the population last concentrated inwards a few major towns throughout the valley, instead of dispersed inwards their small-scale settlements. This was the source of most of the towns that are constitute today. The churches inwards each town were to a greater extent than oftentimes than non built betwixt the 16th in addition to 19th centuries.

"Cruz del Condor" scout point:

Located betwixt Maca in addition to Cabanaconde, where the winds are stronger, is the "Cruz del Condor" scout point. It is the most pop viewing request from which to come across the Colca Valley in addition to it is also a expert identify to come across the giant condors soaring on their incredible wingspans higher upwards the depths of the canyon below.

Because the valley is rattling deep, the rising winds are rigid in addition to the condors inwards the area, receive got payoff of these winds to soar gracefully into the sky.

Colca river winding its means inwards the canyon

Mirador del condor:

Eagle inwards flying at colca canyon.

Then the condors started to rise...

2 condors soaring inwards the sky...it was actually expert inwards someone in addition to they swopped correct past times our heads... AWESOME

This is some crop...

this ass cub is simply 2 weeks old, said our guide!!

MACA:

The hamlet church building of Santa Ana inwards Maca.

Maca is a small-scale hamlet betwixt the Cruz del Condor in addition to Chivay. Situated at the base of operations of Sabancaya volcano on a error line, it has suffered numerous earthquakes in addition to ashfalls since the volcano resumed activeness inwards 1986 later a 2 hundred twelvemonth hiatus.

This is bad practice... patronising people who exploit these creatures... nosotros weren't thinking on those lines then... simply thought nosotros were helping out hamlet folk...

Tuna fruits inwards the tray... bought 3.

Also known every bit prickly pear, tuna is similar to tumbo every bit they're both cactus fruits. It's brilliant pinkish or light-green amongst prickles on the exterior in addition to brilliant pinkish amongst dark edible seeds on the inside. The within is similar the tumbo. Available Jan to March in addition to at iii tunas for 1 sol. It tastes similar watermelon, raspberries, in addition to kiwi all rolled into one.

We returned to the hotel later the tour, Tipped our overnice guide...

Had some nutrient in addition to the tuna fruit... pretty good!

Usually people exit the hamlet later the tour. But nosotros were staying that nighttime to explore the neighborhood. We asked the hotel possessor for a cab to drive upwards to Cabanaconde in addition to do a fleck of hike into the canyon. He quoted a total which was high. We walked over to the hamlet square, talked to the drivers therein our broken Castilian in addition to fixed a render trip for a much lower sum.

So hither nosotros are ... later the drive on the same route nosotros had come upwards inwards the morn nosotros went farther ahead upwards to the final hamlet on the route in addition to hiked a fleck into the canyon. There's a 3 twenty-four hr menses hike into the canyon having nighttime halts inwards villages... nosotros simply wanted a small-scale sample.

Village visible every bit light-green patch...

Great views in addition to it was surreal having the whole identify to ourselves...

CABANACONDE:

Then nosotros asked the driver to drive us back... nosotros stopped at the hamlet pump at Cabanaconde.

These are plaques for each hamlet amongst specific icons carved out on each...Chivay here...

Yanque here...

The circular drum is the component division building. We climbed upwards in addition to had groovy views.

All hamlet plazas receive got a statue... condor here...

We walked through the hamlet in addition to saw their fields

Then nosotros drove back... passing the miradors on the way. Now hence deserted every bit opposed to the crowd inwards the morning...

Condor on the ground...

We paid the driver when nosotros returned.

Had a repast at our room

Day 12 MORNING, December 9, 2014:

Yanque , Chivay:

We walked downwards to Yanque plaza in 1 trial to a greater extent than in addition to visited the church

Yanque hamlet plaza

Bird topiary...

At our hotel entrance...

Explored the hotel

, had our tuna fruit in addition to waited closed to for our van which was scheduled at noon

Called a taxi for 20 soles to receive got us to Chivay for our trip to Arequipa our final finish on this trip.

CHIVAY:

Met upwards amongst Susanna who had been our guide on the 4MExpress trip from Puno to Chivay. Kept our bags amongst her in addition to explored Chivay for a few minutes till our van took off. There was a religious parade...