World Peru Arequipa Chivay

Parlow Family Travels Perusing Peru

Colca Canyon Jun 16, 2007

Our final day in Arequipa was dedicated to exploring the canyon areas north and west of Arequipa. Very high mountain passes, an ultra-deep canyon (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon), interesting wild life in a nature reserve, hot springs and traditional villages all make for interesting meandering. We left fairly early and were very quickly in high altitudes, stopping at 3300 m and then again at 4900m. The air is really thin up there and just walking around for a few minutes makes the heart race. The Salinas Y Aguada Blanca Reserve is home to the endangered vicuña, a member of the camel family who looks more like a small deer but with the feet and hind quarters of a camel.

We passed herds of llamas and alpacas being tended by high mountain people in their colourful costumes. Most people have an idea of what llamas look like (pronounced yama in Spanish) and alpacas look a lot the same except with a kind of squashed in face and less graceful body. They are both laden with wool, as alpaca wool is highly prized for its fine, soft fibres. Hopping amongst the rocks we spotted the alpine rabbits called biscachas which look just like a regular rabbit but with a long tail like a cat. They blend completely into the rocks and can be spotted only when they move.

At Chivay, one of the small towns, we wandered through the traditional market where a staggering number of different kinds of corn and maize is sold, rice, dried broad and lima beans, quinoa and other grains. In a small market building, dry goods and meat were on sale. Fruit and vegetable stalls had the usual root vegetables, peppers, and tomatoes, bananas, oranges, apples and grapes as well as a lot of other fruits that we don't recognize. Adrian has been in hot pursuit of a cherimoya for the entire trip and we scored two at this market.