#21842 Tripping Over Loose Canyon Stones in Cabanaconde, Peru

Deep within the Peruvian Andes, at the edge of Cabanaconde, through the local crop fields and down into the depths of Colca Canyon, is the way to Sangalle. The drop is harsh. Loose rocks cover the narrow trail acting as ball bearings. To one side is a cliff spotted with cacti and jagged rocks. The other, a stone wall. Andean condors with twelve-foot wingspans soar above waiting for a meal. On the many occasions you stop for a breath, the view steals it back; endless green slides down the massive slopes with a cloud moving at eye level like a slow train. The sun is unrelenting. Dots below start to render shapes as hours pass. The shapes soon materialize into mud huts and a crude pool surrounded by trees offering shade. The tiny oasis lacks electricity and has only bamboo beds, but offers a place to nurse wounds and smile about accomplishments.