Again, I do appreciate everyone's input & ideas!
JohnnyColombia -- so, if I understand you, you're saying eat the bread before drinking the chicha, right?
Villavic, this is not an organized tour -- this is my DIY itinerary, based on (a) where I could find 2 award seats in J using my AA miles, for the times we will be free this summer, and (b) as much research as I could squeeze in to the 4+ days when these tix were on hold with AA.
I will have to pass on the alpaca & guy -- we eat "pesca-tarian" (fish, but no shellfish, and vegetarian (w/lacto-ovo) only).
Re going condor spotting: it's 200km from Arequipa to the Mirador Cruz del Condor. Is that more than a 3-hour drive? My thinking initially was to hire someone to pick us up at 4am, arrive at Cabanaconde around 7:30 (Google Maps says it's a 3h15m drive via the PanAmerica Sur/1SE), and see the condors that morning. In doing more websurfing, I've seen the comment that the roads there are not safe at night (as roads - not for any other reason).
FrogProf - the "Aguas Calientes" debate has been among the more even split arguments of those who've been to Peru...given the low cost of lodging in A.C., if we decide to overnight there, we'll probably just take a daypack of stuff (rather than move our larger duffel from the Tambo).