Dec. 14th Colca Canyon, Southern Peru

Dec. 14^{th Friday} Colca Canyon, Peru- New Heights and Depths

On anyone’s list of places to see in southern Peru is Colca Canyon. Why? well, it is twice as deep at the Grand Canyon for starters and as you can see from my GPS reading we crossed a snowy pass to get here at 16,030, the highest yet I’ve been on my motorcycle. Needless to say, ‘el zorro plateado’ (the silver fox) was sputtering a bit. Could have been the altitude. I was sputtering also. Just getting on and off the motorcycle at that elevation was work though it was balanced by the excitement of being in snow on Dec. 14^th and seeing lots of Alpaca, Vicuña, Sheep and Goats being hurded by young 10 year old boys and girls. Their rosy and wind beaten cheeks belayed a life already set. Far from any school they are sure to grow up living at 12,000-14,000’ in a house made of stone yet open to the elements. Tending their flocks ,drinking their milk and finally eating their flesh. We accept what we’ve grown into as children and as adults. The old indigenous ways live on- no water, electricity or bathing facilities, especially at these heights.

The sign says "Do not pass"

Snow abounds. What a suprise! Fortunately I had my long johns on.

Eikeko, the Incan god of prosperity sits at 16,000'. A pile of rocks with an old jacket, and hardhat he accepts gifts of food and drink and well wishes.

Terraced lands still in use from Incan times. The whole canyon is terraced. This is extensive ground management.

Moving into Colca Canyon one is immediately struck by what appears to be terracing across every workable piece of land for miles and miles up and down the canyon. Yes, it is still being worked and has been since the Incas and Pre Incas started the long and arduous task of building rock walls and elevating ground into terraces. It is visually stunning and remarkable that many different crops were able to be raised simultaneously just because of the 5-6,000 feet elevation of workable land within the canyon. Imagine crops that to us would be grown in opposite seasons being grown at the same time just because they had the elevation and temperature changes to make it all happen.