Colca Valley

After last night's awful sleep and 5am wake-up full of fatigue and almost debilatating headaches we were both in a bit of a fog for today's sightseeing activities.  As a result, you will get a quick rundown but the details are momentarily lost in our fuzzy brains.  Hopefully the photos will jog our memories and prove as accurate documentation of the many towns we visited.  As a side note, I took some sinus/headache/nighttime meds when I woke up, and while this cured my altitude sickness it had the unfortunate yet not unexpected side-effect of completely knocking me out.  So while Mom was nonfunctional due to the altitude and fatigue, I was loopy on drugs.  We still got to see almost everything we were supposed to today, only missing out on one hike that clearly neither of us were up for.  The towns we visited are as follows:

Yanque - cute town with many locals dressed in their native, colorful garb, including decorated llams, children dancing, and women holding Andean eagles (on their arms, without gloves!)  You could take photos if you paid, so sadly I have no pics of this.  I could have paid, but felt kind of awkward about it, and prefer the more candid stuff anyway.  In hindsight, if we come across something like that again I will fork over the cash so as to share the experience with everyone else :)

Achoma - saw the largest hummingbird ever here, I swear it was the size of a gerbil

Condor Cross - an overlook located in Pinchollo (meaning "small penis) where we had the good luck of seeing one of Peru's fifty last remaining condors in flight.  12,461ft above sea level

Maca and Coporaque - two very similar small towns... common elements of each town is a fountain, a church, and a village square

Stopped for lunch back in Chivay where we had an extensive buffet - items included alpaca pesto, boiled guinea pig, fried trout, quinoa with cheese and milk, some sort of peruvian mango that looked like a cross between an apricot and whatever that small orange fruit from Israel was, and a delicious drink called chicha morada made of black corn, pineapple rind, lemon, cinnamon, and sugar.

Did more scenic driving and then back to hotel around 2pm for a much needed nap.

About 7pm now - left on the agenda is re-packing our mess of suitcases, dinner, shower, and maybe some 24.  Need to be up early again tomorrow for trip back to Arequipa.  My symptoms of altitude sickness are thankfully gone, wish Mom luck :)  Personally, I am looking forward to more chicken soup and coca tea for dinner ;)

woot woot