August 20, 2006

August 20, 2006 Today we are up early to meet our guide for a tour of the Colca valley. There are ten of us from all over the world, a driver and a guide all packed into a van. The vehicle heads four hours up into the highlands. On the way we see herds of llamas, alpacas, and their wild cousin, the vicuna. The Llama is mostly used as a beast of burden as the wool is very coarse. The Alpaca is raised for its fine wool. We stop for coca tea to help with the altitude. Arequipa is in an area of intense geological activity. It has a couple volcanoes to the north and gets regular earthquakes. One of the volcanoes is a perfect cone shape. As we drive we get good views of these snow-capped mountains. Near the end of the four hours, we hit an elevation of 15,000 feet. It is cold and rocky. I think the Andes must be taller than the Rockies. Shortly past the summit we enter the Colca valley and descend toward the town of Chivay. We have lunch and a leisurely afternoon in the small town. Colca Canyon is supposed to be twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. I am skeptical but I must admit the canyon rim is starting out exceedingly high.