Condor Cross

For what was supposed to be a highlight of my parents and my excursion to the outskirts of Arequipa, we woke up early Sunday morning (5:30 to be exact) for a three-hour bus ride to Condor Cross, a part of Colca Canyon where some of the largest condors in the world (with wingspans of up to three meters) reside.

The view upon arriving there was spectacular. The depth and width of the canyon put Grand Canyon to shame. We were 3,800 meters above sea level and 1,200 meters above the river...standing just feet away from the drop. But, to our collective disappointment, we only saw a handful of condors and, the ones we did see, were too far away to really get a good look.

Following an hour-long fruitless wait for the condors, a small group of us went on a fairly rigorous hike along the canyon before arriving at the bus for our journey back into Arequipa and ultimately, our flight back to Lima.

For more photos, click here.