2019-05-30 Colca Lodge, Colca Canyon to Casa Andina Premium Hotel, Arequipa, Peru
Unfortunately we only had one night here at the delightful Colca Lodge which is located at 3250 meters above sea level. Having hot spring pools and beautiful tranquil surroundings makes it a wonderful place to spend several daysThe grounds of the lodge are well maintained with beautiful hedges and grassed areasWe check out of the Colca Lodge quite early as we plan to visit the valley where the condors fly ….. apparently the earlier one goes the more chance of seeing them Colca Lodge is built on the banks of the Colca River and is surrounded by hundreds of pre-Inca agricultural terraces which have been declared a Peruvian National HeritageThe Colca River flows peacefully through this lovely valleyLooking down to the Colca Lodge as we make our way towards the Cross of the Condor where we hope to see the condor birds The scenery of the area we are travelling in is truly extraordinary Nearby one of the active volcanoes of the area decides to let off a bit of steam!!!Cactus surprisingly grows well in this mountainous areaWe arrive at the spectacular site in the Colca Canyon where the majestic condor birds with their 3 metre wing span, rise up with the thermal currents
No shortage of paparazzi hereViewing the magnificent condors has become a very popular destination for tourists over the past few yearsChristina our guide has been fabulous over the past few days, not only being very knowledgeable about the history and geography of Peru but also her pleasant manner with her clients
We arrive in the small village of Maca and visit the local church, Iglesia Santa AnaThe interior of the community church is quite ornate with carvings all done in gold leaf
We arrive at the town of Chivay, another town in the popular Colca ValleyThe church of Chivay also had some structural damage during the 2016 earthquakeThe market at Chivay
After leaving Chivay in the Colca Valley we make one more stop at the wonderful lookout over the volcanoes and plateausThe journey to Arequipa where we will be spending a couple of nights will take several hoursAgain we pass through amazing sceneryApproaching Arequipa we see a large cement factory in the distanceIt is not long before we arrive in the city which has been built on the slopes of a large volcanoArequipa has now a population of well over a million inhabitants. Earthquakes have rocked the city over the centuries however in 2016 there was a large earthquake that did a lot of damage especially to the older buildingsOur hotel is situated in the centre of the white city, as Arequipa is know. It’s light coloured volcanic stone has been used in most of the old buildings in the cityCasa Adina was an 18th Century colonial mansion and now a very spacious and attractive hotelThe rooms are quite generous and comfortable
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