Hola! I've been traveling for 4 weeks now, only 1 week to go :( I just got back from Colca Canyon. The canyon was spectacular to look at from the edge, with several villages on the opposite canyon wall laid out before our eyes on what seemed like a vertical map, but we then spent two days descending into it and climbing out again which gave no great new views, so I feel the three days weren't too well spent.

Especially since on the way to the canyon we drove through the Colca valley (from Chivay to Cabanaconde) which has the most beautiful agricultural landscape I've ever seen (terraces everywhere and a hundred shades of green), but we didn't even stop there (since we were on a public bus). On the way back this morning I made sure I sat on the right side of the bus and could at least let my eyes feast on the landscape and make a hundred drive-by pictures.

The condors didn't feel like flying much this morning because it was cloudy and cold (so bad thermics to fly) but I still got to see some which was a cool sight through my binoculars. All-in-all a pleasant three days but not a highlight of this trip.

The most challenging part was of course climbing out of the canyon, a climb of exactly 1000m which normally takes about 3 hours. Our guide said he'd done it in 1h20 once when a tourist had challenged him for a race, so I set out really fast to beat that time but halfway I was exhausted already and stumbled the rest of the way, arriving after almost 1h40 with Leo (French guy in my group) just three minutes behind although he wasn't feeling well. We were rewarded for our vertical rush with a hot shower though, while the rest of the group which came an hour behind had no more hot water by the time they were in the hotel :)

Tomorrow I'll visit the museum of Juanita the famous Inca mummie. I'm not really interested since you have to follow a guide and aren't allowed to make pictures, but I'm here anyway and it's a highlight of Arequipa. In the evening I finally leave Arequipa on a night bus to Nazca to see the famous Nazca lines.