Colca Canyon Trek

We spent the last 3 days and 2 nights trekking through the Colca Canyon. It´s wider and deeper than the Grand Canyon, actually one of the deepest in the world. We hiked down on the first day, passing through ancient Incan villages, then stayed in a tiny hostel near the bottom. On the second day we hiked further down, to the Oasis at the bottom. From the top of the canyon looking down, it really is an oasis. It´s lush and green with waterfalls, pools, and palm trees. We hung out by the pool and drank cerveza until the sun went behind the mountain (at 3pm!). We stayed the second night in a little tiki hut at the oasis and got up at 3am this morning to make the long, steep climb to the top with flashlights. We have amazing photos from the canyon, will post later when we have time. On either side of the canyon, there were terraces and tiny farms. Every so often on the trail we passed locals with pack mules, bringing supplies down to the villages or oasis at the bottom. They still live such a simple, traditional life, with little technology (though we were informed that they just got cellular service last week!). Will write more later, off to catch an overnight bus from Arequipa to Puno. Planning to see Lake Titicaca tomorrow!