Got a wake up knock at 5.30, and we drove to the canyon. When I say canyon, it's not a big gap in the platform as in the Grand Canyon (even though this one is supposed to be deeper).

Rather, it's a slope down the mountain, with terraces and agriculture, and in the depths, the river Colca. I admit I was a little disappointed. There is nothing wrong with it, it is very pretty, but I guess I was expecting something a bit more grand.

We made a few photostops and bought some souvenirs, as the people do really lovely embroidery work around here. We stopped at Cruz del Condor for some condor-spotting, but even the condors weren't cooperating and didn't show. I felt a bit smug as I'd seen so many in Chile already: 'Yeah, they're really cool, we saw them soaring overhead, real close'. I didn't make myself popular with that one.

We had lunch at Chivay again and started the drive back to Arequipa. I guess after so many highlights, I've become really spoilt and a 'simple' lovely valley-slash-canyon does not impress me anymore...

I was so pleased to see my lovely warm hotel room and finished off half the packet of Pringles I had left there... I checked the bus times for Tacna tomorrow and will be saying my goodbyes to Arequipa and Peru tonight. Although I'm so tired my lights will be out soon enough.