Peru, Colca Canyon

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From Arequipa we caught a local bus for 6 hours (during which we were forced to listen to cheesy 90's disco at 11 volume) to start a 3 day trek into Colca Canyon. It's one of the world largest canyons and is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US, but its walls aren't as vertical so it doesn't look as clean cut. It was a great trek, we hiked with a cool group of people and seemed to easily beat the guides recommend trekking times, I think they just grossly over estimate. Highlights include: relaxing in hot springs under the amazingly clear night sky; sleeping in mud huts; playing football with the locals in an oasis at the bottom of the Canyon with a llama and donkey as linesmen; getting up at 3 am to trek the last 3 hours climb in the dark - a pain but well worth it to catch the Andean Condor's flying around at the top. [Tom]