July 2: Cruz del Condor/Colca Canyon

We left the Colca Lodge about 6:30 am in order to make the long drive on dirt roads to the Cruz del Condor – the lookout point from which you can view the Andean condors, the largest flying bird on earth. On the way to the lookout we stopped in Yanque to see the Spanish colonial church and its impressive façade. The morning was cold and clear. We were bundled in our sweaters, new baby alpaca scarves, hats and windbreakers. We stopped a couple of more times, once to view the Inca tombs in the cliff face and another time to take in an impressive view from one of the lookouts.

When we arrived at the Cruz del Condor, there were already a number of people there. I’d say that in all about 100 people showed up that morning to see the condors. The birds live in caves in the cliff below the lookout and they’re so large they cannot initiate flight on their own – they need the help of the morning thermals. The thermals are the layers of warm air that the birds use to ascend to the top of the canyon and beyond in their daily scavenging. As the morning warms up, the birds are able to glide higher and higher.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this site, but once there at the edge of the canyon (which in itself is worth the journey), watching these birds with their 10 and 11 foot wingspan sail right past me, I was awestruck. It was one of the most impressive encounters with the natural world that I’ve ever had. The rest of the crowd must have felt the same way, because a wonderful hush and silence fell over the crowd as the giant birds glided past us.

We saw maybe twenty or so condors. Then we took a 45-minute to 1-hour hike along the edge of the canyon up to a point where the trail met the road and we met up with the van and driver. On our return trip to the Colca Lodge we stopped in the little town of Maca to see its very pretty colonial church and to visit a small outdoor market in the center of town. The government of Spain is paying for the renovation of many of these colonial churches, which up until recently had been in disrepair. We were able to see only the outside of the church, as the interior is undergoing restoration.

We returned to the lodge, had a late lunch on the patio, took a short hike, and then visited the hot springs by the river. We chatted for a time with a couple from Barcelona who were also enjoying the pools. Jim did a pretty good job of following the conversation in Spanish, and was able to chime in now and then in English. Jim says my Spanish is easy to understand and that was how he was able to follow the thread of the conversation.

The colonial church in Maca.