Colca Canyon

Our first excursion is a five hour bus ride up into the mountains, including a 15.5k ft pass (higher than any mountain peak in the continental US).    This is after spending less than 48 hours at elevation (8k in Arequipa).  Perhaps you can guess why all the detail about elevations - In spite of taking Diamox, I got altitude sickness:  headache, nausea, and teeth-chattering chills.  I also experienced weakness, diarrhea, sore throat, and a cough at the same time, but that could have been from bad food, Chili River contamination, or some airborne contagion on the stuffy bus.  Yes, it was an unpleasant time  :-(

We saw an amazingly deep and scenic canyon, and watched Andean Condors soar the ridges with their prehistoric 10 foot wingspan.  We also went for a mountain bike ride through some very small towns along the canyon.  There are Inca terraces everywhere - as far as the eye can see sometimes.  It is inconceivable the they sculpted as much land as they did (and that it has lasted until now).   I wish I could say more but I really wasn't able to fully enjoy things for a few days.  Back in Arequipa a local doctor prescribed Cipro ($35 visit + $2 medicine), and I started to feel better (also lower altitude).

While recovering in Arequipa, we felt an earthquake.  Apparently not uncommon here, but this one triggered a landslide a Colca Canyon and a few people were killed.

One interesting side note about this excursion:  Buying bus tickets requires a visit to the bus station across town the day before travel.  Kind of inconvenient, and believe it or not the five hour bus was