el condor passa
here it comes
then there is action, could it be the birds?
an excellent spot to sell your goods
it is getting crowded
and then the condor is just a dot in the sky
circling higher and higher
but finally the show starts, the first condor pops up
On sunny mornings you
can watch these giant birds slowly rise from the depths of the 1200 meters deep canyon.
The sun slowly warms the canyon slopes
and the resulting thermals help lift the heavy condors that for some reason prefer to stay the night down below.
Normally
the birds show up between 9 and 10 AM and within an hour it's all over.
That leaves plenty of time to explore the other
gems of Colca Canyon.
The Cruz del Condor is one of Peru's most popular tourist destinations so you have to be there early
if you prefer first row. But beware, the canyon is deep, the precipice is steep and there is no fence.
On a sunny morning in
September 2010 we joined the crowd and saw the condors perform their amazing act. A very special sight indeed.
the scenery at the Mirador, the Colca River flows more than 1200 meters below
more tourists arrive
it's a bird alright, but not the one we are waiting for
gaining height
the business continues, hopefully fot them tomorrow condors and tourists will show up again
the wingspan can exceed 3 meters
