Back from Puno and Lake Titicaca, I took a day to readjust from my sea (lake) legs to the lower elevations and pavement of Arequipa. There were two things I was considering during my 6 day stay in the Arequipa area - the Colca Canyon and a possible attempt to climb El Misti, the 19,000’ volcano just a few kilometers outside of the city. 

Arranging for tours in Peru is quite easy. All you have to do is step out the front door of your hostal and into the place next door and chances are they can help you out. Out for a walk and some lunch, I came across Colca Trek, a company I’d read about in my Lonely Planet: Peru guidebook. Though the price seemed a bit high, I decided to just go for it as the comfort of the bus trip and the hotel I’d stay at would be a nice change of pace from my $10 hostal in Arequipa. I was to be picked up at around 8am the next day along with 15 or so others and we’d make our way (with many stops) towards the Colca Canyon. Climbing into the van, I was greeted by the French family of four that had been on my trip to Amantani a couple of days before. This has become more than common, running into the same people time and again on this trip. Its always nice to see a familiar face.

Stopping probably a dozen times on the 4 hour drive to Chivay, the gateway town to the Colca Canyon, we came across my first Vicunas of the trip and hundreds of Alpaca and Llama that seemed to be wild, but belonged to large farms throughout the area. Driving over a pass that peaked at over 16,000’, we stopped along the roadside to have some Coca and Chachacoma tea (very minty and good!) to help with the altitude gain. Chivay is set in the valley at the edge of the Canyon. I’d opted to stay in the smaller, less touristy town of Yanque, a 10 minute drive further, along with Alexandra an American working in Lima. After a huge buffet lunch in Chivay we made it to our hotel where I could surely take a nap and have a bit of a rest after the big meal. After 5 minutes, we were told to meet out by the hammocks where we’d depart on a walk up to the farming terraces and pre-inca ruins near Yanque. Struggling a bit, I soon found a rhythm and the walk turned out to be quite nice. It was nearing sunset and we came across a nice, quiet grouping of ruins set on the hillside known as Uyo-Uyo. When the Spanish settled in the area, they burned down the structures and rebuilt on the other side of the river. Continuing on, we walked through empty farmland that the locals were beginning to plant with beans, corn and other traditional crops. A call from one of the fields and we were summoned over for a cup of Chicha. As you’ve probably seen on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or any similar show, Chicha is a fermented corn drink made by the local women who begin the fermentation process by chewing corn (or other grains) and spitting them out then allowing them ferment for a week or two. The situation couldn’t have been better and I knew I’d probably never have a chance (or want to) try the drink again, so I gave it a shot. Emptying a small amount as an offering to the earth, I downed a large glass of the concoction before we were off again walking towards the much anticipated hot springs where we soaked away our high altitude hiking pains. A 30 minute walk back to the hotel and we enjoyed a wonderful meal before retiring early.

Another early start and we were on our way to Mirador de la Cruz del Condor, an area of the Colca Canyon known so well as the place to see Andean Condors. Arriving along with a dozen other tour buses, our guide pointed us to an area that was a little quieter and a good spot for seeing the birds. For 90 minutes we sat on the edge of our seats (well, rocks) in anticipation of the giant animals flying directly overhead or near the edge of the drop-off into the Canyon. Camera ready, I wasn’t fast enough to capture the first of many passes only a few meters away. The animals seemed to enjoy the crowd and showed off flying high overhead, then circling around from the opposite side, closer each time. In all, about 6-7 different condors of varying sizes wowed everyone during our short stay. A highlight of the trip to the canyon and of my time in Peru, it was an amazing experience not to be forgotten.

After taking the bus to Lima the previous night, I arrived in Paracas around noon. I’d originally intended to stay in Pisco, but the bus company I was on went directly to the more convenient town of Paracas. Located on the coast and adjacent to the Isla Ballestas and Reserva Nacional de Paracas, it was the ideal place to stay for a couple of days. I went against my judgment and followed a tour guide from outside the bus station to his ‘recommended’ hostal, the Brisas de la Bahia, just a block or two from the center of Paracas. After looking at a room and negotiating a decent price (though a little more than I’d wanted to pay), I decided it would be fine for a couple of nights. Paracas is a very small village that was devastated, though not as much as nearby Pisco, two years ago by an earthquake along the coast of Peru. They’ve managed to get back on track and the building boom was on. Besides many small hostals and hotels, larger luxury hotels are being built along the beach. The center of Paracas consists of half a dozen or so restaurants with seating along a wide paved beachfront walkway and the main dock from where boats to the islands leave. After the morning rush of people coming from and returning to Lima, Paracas becomes quite a nice, relaxing beach town.

The Isla Ballestas are known as the ‘poor man’s Galapagos’ and a highlight for anyone visiting Peru that’s interested in wildlife. I’d booked a seat on one of the boats the previous day which would leave around 8am. Waiting at the dock for 10-15 minutes, I boarded the small powerboat along with 20 or so people. There must have been 6-7 boats leaving around the same time, so was lucky to be on the 2nd boat of the morning. I managed a seat near the back of the boat, just out of ear shot of our English guide, but could pick up the key phrases. Cruising out towards the islands at a pretty good speed, our first stop was near the cliffs below the Candelabra, a carving in a sandstone hill in the Reserva Nacional de Paracas. This would be a preview of the Nasca Lines which I’d be seeing later in the week, though they are of no relation.

Just after leaving the Candelabra, I could start to make out the islands and lines moving across the sky. I had no idea what we were about to encounter. Millions of birds flew from island to island creating what looked like giant dark clouds. As we moved closer and wound around and even through arched openings within the islands we were able to see penguins, Peruvian boobies, cormorants, pelicans and sea lions in huge numbers. Sea lions draped over rocks seemed to pose for everyone in the boat as we passed by. Birds of all sorts flew overhead as we all quickly donned the hats we were encouraged to bring in case of falling gifts from the birds. The smell of guano was intense throughout the hour or so we cruised the islands. Every seven years, locals harvest the guano to be used for fertilizer. High above on the rocks, small makeshift buildings are used for 3-4 months during that time by workers. 

Having decided against going to the Galapagos Islands during this trip in order to spend more quality time in Peru, I was really happy with the experience of the Islas Ballestas. Towards the end of the tour, we came across a beach full of sea lions, all female except for one large male. Two dozen or so animals that were swimming along the shore began to swim closer to us to see what we were all about. On the way back to port, the sun came out making the trip that much more enjoyable. There’s just something about being out on a boat soaking up the sun. A few hundred yards from the dock our boat came to an abrupt stop and turned back towards open sea. Our captain had spotted 3 dolphins surfacing around some of the fishing boats anchored in the bay. They followed us back towards the dock a bit before spotting another boat behind us to show off to. A great ending to our 2 hour tour.

Following lunch, I waited near some of the restaurants for the second half of the day, a tour out to the Reserva Nacional de Paracas. While I had some idea of what to expect at the islands, I’d not seen photos or read anything about the reserve. Some of the great surprises while traveling happen this way. A group of 10 of us drove 10 km to the entrance to the park where we spotted flamingos from several hundred meters away. The landscape was not as I’d expected it, being mostly sandstone and blowing sand with a constant breeze off the Pacific Ocean to keep things cool. On the ride out I’d met a couple on our van that had just finished a weeklong mission trip in Peru and had a few days to travel before their flight home. Turned out that Marc and Carol Dyke were from Calhoun, Georgia and we had several friends or acquaintances in common. They are both nurses and had worked in Hinsdale, IL for a time at a hospital my mom had worked for a bit as well. Small world, isn’t it? We continued driving out to a few viewpoints which were breathtakingly beautiful, high above on cliffs overlooking the coastline and the islands to the Northwest. We climbed to the top of the highest dune in the area for a panoramic view of the entire reserve and North to Paracas before descending to a small grouping of buildings surrounding a lagoon for lunch. The reserve was quite a surprise and an intriguingly beautiful landscape that I didn’t know existed in Peru. The small pleasures of traveling.