Getting up before sunrise is always difficult to do but once the hard part is done the experience is usually rewarded – even if that is simply to relieve your bladder and slip back into a pre-warmed bed. Even more so when you catch a rickety local bus in the pre dawn darkness along the roads at the edge of the canyon walls to witness one of the most magical sights I’ve had the opportunity to experience.
As with all ‘popular’ advertised activities I was a little sceptical of the chance to see an Andean condor in free flight but thought I’d go check it out anyway – what’s to lose right!? Needless to say a few dozen tour buses coming from Arequipa had already arrived and disgorged their snap-happy hordes onto the viewing platforms built out over the canyon edge. Trying to outwit and escape them all I ventured as far away as possible and set up camp with my ipod and camera ready.
Watching the canyon walls change colour as the sun progressively rode higher, gaining in strength with every minute, was beautiful enough. Then came a collective gasp & applause (why do people applaud natural events/animals?? They don’t understand the gesture you idiots!!) as the first of the birds slowly rose out of the deep valley and passed us in search of a morning meal.
Given the rarity of these animals I didn’t expect too much more but within minutes I could make out more and more of them slowly rising out of the canyon, circling higher and higher on the dawn winds. Soon enough there were more than a dozen of them weaving and swooping around us, gaining more height with each pass. The giants have a wingspan of 3 meters across (!!) and so it was absolutely amazing to see them glide past just a few metres away. I hate to admit but I may have shed a tear or two at the beauty of it all.. a little soft – but totally worth getting out of bed for!!
