Arequipa

I decided to jump off and write this post the same day I came back from Arequipa so that the memories and thoughts are still fresh on my mind.

Arequipa it's the second largest city in Peru, that stands about 2000 metres above sea level, which hits you really hard when you come from a city has almost no elevation at all. Nevertheless, we decided to take a weekend trip to discover "La Ciudad Blanca", the white city, and discover the Colca valley that is four hours away by car.

It reminded me quite a lot to Cuzco, as most towns in the Andes have the same cozy and welcoming feel. Yet what makes Arequipa different to the rest was how European it looked and the fact that a vast amount of its buildings are made of volcanic sillar rock, that makes the whole city look white.

The second day we went to the Colca Valley, to see condors, swim in hot springs, and visit some pretty adorable small towns. I have to be honest, I loved it till we took the route to go back. Our tour van stopped working right beside the cliff, while there was lightning, and fog, and no service to call for help. Almost five thousand meters above sea level. It was a life or death kind of situation, that was similar to the flight back to Lima today when a lightning storm decided to visit the airport right when we were getting ready to take off. But eh, I am alive, and at the end it made the trip a momentous one.

Best times to visit Arequipa (according to my plane seat companion) is from April-December, because it's sunny everyday. We were a tad late.

Eat: Rocoto Relleno
Listen: Mild Confusion-Tamaryn
           Procura - Chichi Peralta (latino oldie)