Condors take flight in Colca Canyon.
About mid-way into our tour of Peru, we had an opportunity to see the Peruvian Condors in flight……. and some other things, too, in Colca Canyon and Colca Valley.
The Condors were one of the most highly revered creatures of the ancient Incas and were a fundamental part of the culture. You see them depicted everywhere, particularly in artistry and craft work of the Peruvian people. The Condor is the strongest and biggest of all of the birds. The ancient Incas believed that they were messengers, carrying the spirits of the dead to heaven. Because they had such meaning to the Incas, a trip to Peru would not be complete without making an effort to view them. The Condors spend a lot of their time in the Colca Canyon, so that’s where we went to try to get a glimpse of these majestic creatures.
On the morning of our visit to see the Condors, we were up and on the bus at 6:00 am (or something like that). It seems that the Condors have a schedule, too. They are up and at ‘em early. If you aren’t up and at ‘em at the same time, you will miss them. Not that the Condors have anything really important to do in, mind you. As far as I can tell, their lives consist of soaring through the air with their still wings spread wide as they glide along with the thermal current in and out of the crevices of the canyon, foraging for food….and that’s about it….except for the messenger thing….if you believe that!
I will say that they are beautiful to watch and create a kind of calming influence that is relaxing and peaceful as they float through the air. It reminded me, in a way, of the fish living in the tanks we put in the Alzheimer’s units in the nursing homes in which I have worked. Those suffering the agitation, that is symptomatic of the disease, would become mesmerized by the consistent, slow and fluid movements of the fish, resulting in a peaceful feeling for the affected person. It would be easy to become mesmerized by the smooth flight of the Condor, as well. In Colca Canyon, we were lucky to see many graceful Condors as we stood at the side of the ridge of the canyon. This is their “mating” season. So, we saw some flying alone and some in pairs, as they readied themselves for their “mating” rituals.
Aside of flying and “mating”, Condors really have no other goal than to look for food. They are scavengers, like the vulture. They don’t have any talons on their feet, so they are always on the look out for “roadkill” left by other animals or just animals with prey that they can steal. The Condors are also smart in their own way and wait for foxes and other animals to start to eat their prey before taking it away. If the fox…or his conterpart….doesn’t die, then it’s OK for the Condor to eat the dead prey. Pretty smart fellas!
Colca Canyon and Valley were probably my favorite places in terms of diversity and beauty of scenery. The canyon, of course, is like our Grand Canyon….only deeper (We were not able to go to the deepest part. It would have taken us about 4 days to walk in. No time on this little adventure.).….and, the valley is lush with farming and full of the tiered terraces left behind by the Incas.
The views from just about everywhere are quite dramatic. Our hotel was actually a lodge, nestled up against the side of the mountain in the Colca Valley. The hotel had the most spectacular backdrop and view of all the places we stayed in our travels.
It also had some fine amenities that Jody and I both took advantage of. This is where we had one of the few free afternoons of the trip. We each treated ourselves to an excellent massage and later a delicious Pisco Mojito in the lounge…..my new favorite drink!
We visited some small towns in this area that I also liked very much and had a fantastic buffet lunch that began with an avocado salad that was made with very simple ingredients, but boasted very complex flavors. This is the chef. She was very happy to share her recipe for the salad!
It seems that the Peruvians never need an excuse for a market or a party. In the small towns that we passed along the way, here and in other locations, we saw market after market with vendors selling just about the same kinds of goods made of baby Alpaca or “maybe Alpaca”, as Arturo, our guide, would often say. Regardless, I think just about everyone in our group, including me, fell prey to these roadside markets and bought something. The prices were unbelievably reasonable, so many of us didn’t care if we were getting “maybe Alpaca” instead of the real thing.
We also saw many of the young women with Alpacas in tow, hoping to make a small bit of money by providing photo opportunities to tourists who were enchanted by the animals. I contributed to this cause twice along the way. I just loved these doe-eyed, friendly animals.
This Alpaca was taking a little break. As I walked by, I noticed that he was sleeping. I was very taken by the affection that the young woman next to him had for her charge. She was very carefully and lovingly petting him while he slept. These animals are very important for the livelihood of the people. I was happy to see that at least this one is well cared for.
We also saw a group of young people in the town square of Chivay, one of the small towns, demonstrating some native dances, skirts opening wide as they twirled and danced around the fountain in the square. They were also hoping for some tourist dollars to help in funding their prom. Teenagers are the same everywhere. I made a contribution here, too.
Peru has a lot of poverty and for some of these people, these strategies are their only means of support. I could afford 1 Sol (about 30 cents) every now and then to help them.
Our last big event in the Colca Valley came in the middle of the night. It was one of my better nights of sleep in the higher elevation areas. In the midde of the night, my peaceful slumber was interrupted with some fairly significant rumbling and a little bit of movement. We learned the next day that it was an earthquake. There had been one a few weeks before as well. They had to clear some rubble from the road before we could go on to our next destination.
I have lived in California for 8 years without an earthquake. I had to come to Peru to experience this. Go figure!
Soaring with the Condors and bopping with the bumping of an earthquake! Chalk up a few more experiences for this world traveler!
Travel With Betsy 
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