OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO
SOUTHERN PERU (AREQUIPA AND THE COLCA VALLEY)
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The Colca Valley, and particularly its narrow canyon near the town of Cabanconde, is one of the deepest scars on the surface of the earth. According to some sources, as measured from the depths of the canyon to the tops of the nearby mountain peaks, the Colca is the deepest canyon on earth. During Inca times, this region was a major breadbasket for the Inca empire, with a large population and extensive agricultural terraces. Early in the colonial period, the indigenous population was relocated into a series of towns on the north and south sides of the valley -- towns which remain today as the major centers in the Valley. But the colonial period also brought European diseases which decimated the native population, leading to the abandonment of many of the Inca fields. By the Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries, the Colca Valley had become a backwater area -- literally lost to the outside world. As recently as the 1970s it was almost impossible for outsiders to visit the valley, but the road improvements in the 1980s (a rough dirt track) and in recent years (a paved road) have opened up the valley to tourists. The traditional towns remain, with many residents still wearing native dress on a daily basis. Moreover, a visit to the valley offers wonderful opportunities to see herds of llamas and alpacas and (usually) vicunas. At the western end of the valley, where it deepens and narrows, condors can be seen close-up as they prepare to fly down to the coast to search for carrion. The beginning and end of our tour to the canyon is the city of Arequipa -- the largest city in southern Peru -- where we will visit a colonial convent and the museum that houses Inca mummies recently recovered from the tops of nearby peaks.
DAY FOURTEEN (Friday, June 1st): (breakfast included) We'll transfer to the Cuzco
airport along with group members who are heading home via Lima -- those heading to the Colca Canyon will catch a LAN flight at 2:35 PM to Arequipa. After a very short flight (45 minutes) we will arrive in Peru's second largest city. We should have time in the afternoon to visit an alpaca textile factory outlet store before we reach Sonesta Posada del Inca hotel, located right on Arequipa's main square
(view of Arequipa's cathedral taken from hotel balcony at left). We've stayed here many times over the years (and we have used it eight times for our tours) -- we’re sure that you will really enjoy your stay here while we are in Arequipa. There are some excellent shops for alpaca sweaters located about a block from the hotel, and a great Argentine steakhouse next door. (dinner on your own)
DAY FIFTEEN (Saturday, June 2nd): (breakfast included) In the morning, we’ll tour the Santa Catalina convent -- established in 1579 and opened to the public in 1970. In the Seventeenth Century, many of the nuns were the daughters of aristocratic Arequipa families; their quarters were
elaborately furnished and included space for servants. The convent covers an entire city block and was a city unto itself (and it's a wonderful spot for photos -- see view at left). Our next stop will be down the street to visit the new "Ice Mummies" museum -- which houses several of the mummies recently discovered by Johan Reinhard on mountains near Arequipa. After lunch (included) at a wonderful outdoor restaurant in one of the suburbs of Arequpa, we'll drive north across high grasslands towards the Colca Valley, one of the deepest canyons on the face of
the earth. Along the way we will probably see llamas and wild vicunas running free (photos on left) on the high puna grasslands. In the distance will be snowcapped
volcanic peaks. . For the next two nights our home will be the Colca Lodge, a rustic country inn, built on top of Inca terraces. We absolutely love the peace and quiet of this place; the thermal pools along the river are great, also, for a relaxing swim at the end of the day (see photo of our 2003 group at right). (dinner included)
DAY SIXTEEN (Sunday, June 3rd): (breakfast included) We will make an early
morning excursion to the
Condor Lookout to see condors
soaring on the day's first thermals (in past years we have seen as many as a
dozen or more condors flying at same time). From the lookout
point we can see the
Colca River, almost 4000 feet below. As we head back to our
hotel, we
will see remarkable Inca and pre-Inca terracing -- much of it still in use.
On the way, we
will visit the towns of Maca (where the church was
destroyed by an earthquake in 1991), Yanque, and Chivay, where lunch will be on your own at one of the small
restaurants. In
the afternoon you may want to join Jim
and Ananda on a hike
to the nearby archaeological site of Uyi Uyi, or you can choose to just relax and enjoy the spectacular views.
(dinner
included)
DAY SEVENTEEN (Monday, June 4th): (breakfast included)
We'll depart the Colca Lodge
after breakfast for the drive back to Arequipa,
with another chance to see lots of llamas, alpacas, and vicunas.
In the
early afternoon we will catch our LAN Peru Airlines flight to
Lima. Upon arrival in the capital, we'll stay at the airport for our
flight home.
DAY EIGHTEEN (Tuesday, June 5th): Arrive home.