Arequipa, Canyons unvisited
Trip Start
Jan 19, 2008
1
29
30
Trip End
May 01, 2008
Arequipa, Peru
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Arequipa, in the winter, has a pretty spectacular setting, overlooked as it is by mountains and volcanos towering almost 4000m further above it's 2300m elevation. Of course, they're still there in the summer, but damned if we could see them as they were permanently shrouded in cloud... It's also a good base from which to explore the deepest canyons in the world - but as Kat isnt too well we decided to just take a couple of lazy days and enjoy the temptations of the town itself and also the excellent DVD selection of our hostelīs TV lounge :)
We found a fantastic creperia which served up some tasty meals to us (Matt was particularly taken with the "Apple Pie" crepe of apple, cinnamon and icecream). They also had a good selection of games in the cafe - so Matt taught Kat to play Backgammon, only to forget half the rules and yet still be beaten in their first game together...
We really like the emphasis and effort the South American countries put on and into their Plazas. Arequipa is no exception and the material from which most of the buildings are constructed (sillar) is white and volcanic in origin and glistens in the sunlight.
The first night we spent in Arequipa the central square was home to what Matt reckons was a big pre Easter week mass. What particularly impressed him though was the clarity of the tannoy system. The singing of the choir filled the square and sent shivers down his spine - which is quite an achievement for the sound delivery system considering Matt's status as a devout Athiest.
In the afternoon on the second day we took a cheesy bus tour of Arequipa and the surrounding area. It was predictably rubbish, although both Kat and I were thrilled with our free bright yellow baseball caps. One highlight (ok then, the only highlight) was a visit to an Alpaca zoo and associated shop which allowed Kat to confirm that Matt had got her a bargain in the blanket he haggled for in Chinchero.
That night we jumped on another night bus bound for Nasca and a date with their famous lines in the desert.
