Arequipa

In a semi-cama overnight coach we journeyed further into the heart of Peru until we arrived at Arequipa, otherwise known as La Cuidad Blanca (the White City). This second largest city in the country is vastly composed of colonial-era Spanish buildings built from sillar, a pearly white volcanic rock, while on the outskirts of town three wise volcanoes stay watch from amongst the Andes mountains: El Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu. 


We stayed in a brand new hostel, actually still under construction and so the price for a private room including private bathroom and TV was ridiculously cheap. One block forward and the road opened up into a beautiful plaza de armas, with the cathedral as its crown and government buildings at its side. 

We had intended on travelling to the south of Bolivia to visit the salt flats but faced blockades of protestors so instead we ventured off to Arequipa. We arrived there on a day of protest, followed by a night of religious marching by candlelight. 

With only a couple of days to explore we took a double-decker tourist bus around the city and saw the key highlights. The city was filled with churches, fronted by green crosses, a combination of both Christ and the indigenous' worship of Mother Nature. We tried queso helado (cheese ice cream), a local ice cream recipe that looks like cheese but tastes of cinnamon delight. 

We ate a superb meal of ceviche accompanied by true Peruvian Pisco Sour. It was by far the best meal of the entire trip, not too spicy but fresh, melting heaven in the mouth. We saw llamas and alpacas, guanacos and vicuñas, and also rode horses for a measly 5 minutes to see the panoramic view of the city with those giant volcanoes in the background.

The following morning we awoke before dawn to travel 2 hours to Colca Canyon; a canyon so large it's twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and is promoted as the world's deepest canyon. Stopping at tiny villages along the dirt road, we took pictures with the local girls dressed in their tradition costume and hanging tight to the rope around baby llamas. Their ropa was intricately stitched into beautiful colours and patterns, and even the detail transferred onto their unique embroidered hats.

At the lookout, we rested half an hour and waited for a condor to show itself. When he did finally fly out, this giant bird became the focus of everyone’s camera. The condor’s wings spread out to 3 metres in length as it soared through the canyon. It seemed little to the distant eye but dear me this vulture sure was big, a true idol to be worshipped as the local indigenous once did.

Before lunch we visited thermal springs. In the midday sun, the 32 degree water proved to be too much and we lasted maybe 10 minutes within its heat, not to mention the smell of the leaking, nature sodium was a bit off-putting. Once at the restaurant, the temperature only rose when I accidentally ate a rocoto relleno, a stuffed chilli that can easily be mistaken for a stuffed tomato. 

Back in Arequipa, we envisaged our lives in amongst the historically romantic stone walls, with the help of some more Pisco Sour. So far, it was the only place we could envisage ourselves ever living in.