Peru's Best City
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2009
1
54
Trip End
Dec 11, 2009
Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew there were some nearby attractions to keep me busy for a few days. I was pleasantly surprised on my first day of walking around to find that Arequipa is AMAZING. The town centre is largely a World Heritage Site as the buildings are all beautiful and made of the same light grey volcanic stone and it's full of nice cafes and restaurants and bars and museums... lovely jubbly. Oh, and I must mention the weather... wow. Since leaving Samaipata the rains have been beginning and the weather has been cool and unpredictable. But in Arequipa it was clear and sunny and, being at a lower elevation than La Paz, much warmer. It was heaven to break out the shorts and flip-flops once again.
On my first day I walked to the centre to hit up one of the most famous museums. I have to say that Peru really does a spectacular job of showcasing the country's many archaeological attractions and this one, mostly about "Juanita", is no exception. Juanita is the preserved remains of a girl sacrificed on top of a massive mountain near Arequipa. Because of the cold her body and clothes and some of the offerings were all well-preserved. The museum is really interesting and includes a guided tour of the exhibits. Well worth a visit.
Later that day I continued my sight-seeing and visited the Santa Catalina Monastery. Well, nunnery anyway. It's an old 17th century walled complex in the middle of the city and has winding alleys and a labyrinth of rooms where the nuns lived, worked and cooked, etc. It was a really beautiful and serene place with classical music being pumped out throughout. I spent a nice hour or two wandering around before retiring to my hostel, which was quality.
I had planned to spend a few days visiting the nearby Colca Canyon (one of the deepest in the world) and climbing up one of the volcanoes that surround the city, El Misti (at 5,800m). But I was taken in by the city and I met some lovely people in the hostel and instead I spent my days reading in the hammocks on the roof terrace and visiting various cafes. I found a nice place that served cheapish falafel, decent coffee and had a courtyard out the back which was nice and peaceful away from the road. It was bliss.
I did manage one activity, however: rafting! It was so much fun when I tried it in Colombia that I thought I would give it another whirl. It was cheap, although not as high grade as before. My group was really nice and so was the guide so it was a really fun afternoon. We even got to jump off a cliff! A small one, though. I wasn't quite prepared for how cold the water would be - it was FREEZING! All in all, a jolly good day.
I really enjoyed my time in Arequipa and I think it's one of the few places that I've been to on this trip that I would consider living in. It's a great place and I'd love to go back! Unfortunately I had to leave eventually...
