To Colca Canyon

The point of going to Chivay and Coporaque was to see Colca Canyon, the world's deepest (it is said), about twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in most places. Colca is some miles distant from Chivay, and to see it properly, without clouds, mist, rain, etc., one must get there early. So the alarm goes off at 4:15, the van leaves at 5:00, and we are earnestly hoping there will be no clouds, mist, rain, etc.

Dawn is relatively clear, and we can see the nearby volcano;
our guide says it is the most worrisome in Peru just now;
Sabancayo is its name, nearly 20,0000 feet; to its left is the
dormant Ampato

The Colca river has cut the canyon; here we are still near
Chivay, miles from the start of Colca Canyon

The stepped terraces all along the river are pre-Incan

Occasional landslide on road

In a town along the way; nice juxtaposition of Sabancayo and
the cracked church tower; the town has been rebuilt many
times since the Conquest

A long unimproved tunnel

"We're marching for freedom today! Yay! Turn on your head-
lights, sound your horn, if people get in the way..."

Ruins below

Another day, another church, and another

Main square in Maca: local woman saving
Spider Man, cleverly disguised as a Peruvian
soldier

Very nicely landscaped

And now we are back in Chivay, having taken a day off,
awaiting our bus to Puno

Another day, another extravaganza, although much smaller,
possibly just for the tourists