Colca Canyon

At 8am I was picked up in a small bus and wisked out of Arequipa to enjoy a couple of days in the Colca Canyon, the world´s deepest canyon.  Onboard was an eclectic group made up of an American-Columbian doctor and his Peruvian wife, 3 Dutchmen, a German couple, a Swedish-Columbian and an Argentinian. 

The scenery was superb as we drove westward leaving behind the snow-capped Chachani and Yura mountains.  Along the way we saw quite a few picunas in the Pampa Canahuas national reserve, as well as a large number of Alpacas and Llamas in Tocra, that somehow survive in what appears to be a rather unforgiving landscape. 

As our vehicle climbed the various passes, we were treated to wonderful views of various peaks on the horizon, including Patapampa (4800m), Ampato, Sabancaya, Walca Walca etc. 

After several hours in the bus, most of us enjoyed a relazing dip in the thermal baths in Chivay.  I think all the calcium, zinc, iron and salt in the water was quite therapeutic for my knee.