Condor Spotting and Alpaca Cuddles

Condors are south American vultures and have an average wingspan of 3.2m and can go as large as 4.2m. They can weigh up to 17kg so getting that lot into the air is no mean feat.

We were up at 5am for an early breakfast in order to try and catch these wonderful birds soaring on the early morning thermals in the Colca Valley.

We stayed a couple of nights in the small town of Chivay which is itself at 3658m, so carrying our bags up the stairs to the fourth floor took a little longer than usual!

Our guide was excellent and provided lots of information on history, culture and geography. You’ll see the terracing on the landscape pictures. Some of these were made by the Incas and some before that. About 10 % are still in use.

We were treated to a magnificent display by as many as seven Condors using the thermals and winds to climb. They eat dead animals and can go as long as two months between eating. In order to conserve energy they flap as little as possible, launching themselves from a high platform in order to be able to take off.

We’ve bought some presents for our homestay family in Raqchi, where we’ll spend the next night after a 9 hour drive tomorrow. Wonder what that will be like?