El Cóndor

The condor is the national symbol of Peru and I think of a few other countries as well. It's said to be the largest bird in the world, at least it has the longest wing span of any bird. It doesn't hunt or kill as it's just not cut out for such nastiness due to poor design maybe. It feeds on carrion which it can see from way up in the Andean skies, at about 5000 metres up. It has a very strong sense of smell and a very strong beak which enables it to tear apart the carcasses it feeds on, such as cattle or deer.

The male bird (el cóndor macho) is said to be more beautiful than the female (el cóndor hembra). They are monogamous and once they've chosen a partner, if it dies the condor will remain faithful as long as it lives, and not take another partner. It spends most of it's time gliding way up high where it can keep an eye on things, and only comes to rest to feed or sleep. It can fly hundreds of miles a day.

Thats all I know for sure about the condor, but I've been told lots of stories about condors and sometimes it's hard to separate fact from myth. My friend Daniel claims that the male condor, when it reaches old age, knows that it's time to go, so commits suicide by diving full speed into a mountain and ending it all. I like this story and can just imagine the old condor flying around and saying goodbye to family and friends before he heads off to what he probably thinks is a new life on the other side. However my pal and teacher Eric is not quite so keen on this story, probably an Incan myth/legend, and he reckons that the old bird thinks he is still a young thing and can fly as fast as he could in the days of his youth, but of course he can't, loses control of his dive and crashes to his death. Eric reckons the condor is unable to reflect on life, like us humans and so could not decide to finish it all. But if not how can he think he wants to fly like a young thing. I think overall I prefer Daniel's myth, and who knows anyway what that fine bird thinks?

Daniel also reckons that the condors do a special little dance when they find carrion to feed on, as a kind of celebration, and then the chief bird has to eat first before the rest can pile in. Eric reckons the condor is a lonesome soul and doesn't like group activity, and has never heard about the dance.

The Incas of old venerated the condor, especially as it kept the earth clean of rotting carcasses and the earth was worshipped too, pachamama, and still is in some places. This is why you might see older Andean folk, when they drink chicha, will pour a little out on the earth first to feed pachamama. So I'm told anyway.

The reason for all this about the condor is that I'm off to Pisac, in the Sacred Valley tomorrow to visit the market there and also to go to the zoo where I will be able to see some condors. Apparently held there to recover from injuries and then released when they are fit. So they say but I'm a bit sceptical. These will be my first condors.

If you're from Peru and you're reading this and it's a load of crap please let me know so I can educate myself. I would hate to be misleading folk around the world.