Day 7 – Colca Canyon

Our second day at Colca Canyon was all about the condors and a tour of the Canyon.

Our guide gave us the history of the cayon and explained that there were two tribes before inca, even as they joined the inca, however they kept their traditions.

These were: Cabanas – short heads -Over the Canyon and Collahuas – long heads – Over the valley.

Women have kept the tradition with hats, instead of changing shape of head, which was how you could tell the new tribes apart.

Their moto was: Don’t lie, don’t steal and don’t be lazy

They are still using 85% of original terraces
Broad beans, potatoes, corn, and quinoa.

Colca Canyon is now officially the deepest cayon in world, at 4160m deep (though not the longest). It is a Volcanic glazier Canyon and has a few micro climates that mean they can grow more and keeps the condors coming back!

Condors are the biggest and heaviest scavengers in world with a 3m wing span
The differences are that males have a crest on head and have yellow eyes and females have red eyes.
They can survive a month without food and in Colca Canyon they have the biggest population of condors, with approx 120 x Anders condors living here
Condors choose partner for life and in their lifetime only about 7-9 babies from female.

Colours:
Brown – Young
Black/white – adult