Colca Canyon

Let me start by saying this: the distinction between flat and up/downhill in the Peruvian Andes is very different from that in the U.S. For example, the first day of our three-day hike in the Colca Canyon when we decended over 4,000 feet it was considered downhill. However, the second part of that first day on the other side of the canyon we climbed over 1,000 feet just under half an hour, and that was considered "flat!"

The Colca Canyon was definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far and we are both very glad that we not only decided against the bus tour, but that we did the three-day hiking tour instead of the two-day tour. As I said, the first day was a lot of walking down. Not down hill mind you, this is no U.S. federal park. We were walking, climbing, and crawling down the canyon where it's "one wrong sneeze and it's oversville." I'm so thankful to have recently aquired a mysteriously annoying and severe fear of heights. It was exhilirating to say the least. At the bottom, we went across the first of three Indiana Jones-ish foot bridges and started up the other side to our first night's lodging. I know we've all heard this before, but that night it was as though I was looking at all the stars I've ever seen in every night sky I've ever looked upon all on one black canvas sky.