Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon is a canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru. It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States at 4,160 m., and it is promoted as the "world's deepest canyon," although the canyon's walls are not as vertical as those of the Grand Canyon. We joined 6 other persons in Arequipa for our tour of the canyon.

Llamas and Alpacas alongside the road on our way from Arequipa to Colca Canyon

Vicuna alongside the road

6AM in the town before we head up to the Canyon

On the way to the Canyon with town behind

Roadside Vendors

Colca Canyon

Vans had to get a running start to make it up the hill

Farmlands on the way up to the canyon

Elaborate and ornate Church carvings and statues

Can you see the Condor?

Arequipa Peru

Arequipa is Peru's 2nd largest city. I had arranged a tour from the tour company that was headquartered at Maximo Nivel where my TEFL class was held. I was picked up at my apt and driven by taxi with another couple from Australia who would be with me for the duration of the trip. Aldo and Mary were the nicest, friendliest, warmest people and we spent the next 3 days pretty much attached except for our separate bedrooms! They were doing volunteer work with one of Maximo Nivel's programs and also had the weekend free. From Cusco,we took an 8 hour Cama(sleeper) bus. The trip started out with a movie(in Spanish, of course) with English subtitles but if you were not seated very close to the little screen, you could not read the words...In the front of the bus there is a digital screen with the internal temperature of the bus and the speed of the bus. I watched the temperature go from 60-80+ and there it stayed for the duration of the trip! It was blazing in there and you could not open a window! Early Saturday morning we arrived in Arequipa  not only tired from the lack of sleep, but feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. We went to our rooms, took showers and took naps! In the afternoon, Mary, Also and I walked to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. It was built in 1580 and enlarged in the 17th Century. The walls are vividly painted and the exterior bright colors are striking in contrast to the clean white walls. It is a cloistered convent consists of over 20,000 meters. The tradition of the time indicated that the 2nd son or daughter of the family would enter religious service and the convent accepted only women of high class Spanish families. Each nun would pay a dowry to enter the convent and it can be seen from the rooms(cells), that most of them were very wealthy. Most cells had huge kitchens attached with clay ovens.

Cloisered cells

Narrow streets

Novices cloiser

One of many kitchens with clay ovens

Confession area

Confessional rooms to left

Typical room

A very wealthy nun's room

Me in a bldg across street from Monastery

Plaza de Armas at night

Having coffee and water with Mary and Aldo at the Plaza