Arequipa is known as the white city of Peru, and one of the prettiest cities in the country. I didn’t get to explore the city as much as I probably should have, but I still enjoyed my short stay in Arequipa a lot.
Exploring Arequipa
I arrived in the early morning after a fairly comfortable bus ride with a decent amount of sleep. We weren’t allowed to check into our rooms at the time, and headed straight out for a guided tour of the city. Turns out it really is as beautiful as people make it out to be. The white buildings alone were enough to make me like it, but the main pedestrian street was also really nice. After the guided tour we were taken up to a viewpoint where we got a good sight of the volcanoes surrounding Arequipa. Such an amazing view! For lunch most of the group tried the local delicacy that is guinea pig. I felt bad for the little creatures and stuck to salad.
After a much needed power nap we went out to explore further. I went with some of the girls to check out the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, where you can see an actual Inca mummy. We first watched a short documentary that provided some background information, and then moved on to the actual exhibition. For some reason we ended up with our own private guide, but it was really nice as we got a lot of information we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. The mummy itself was kind of creepy and very well conserved despite its age. In the evening we met up with most of the group at a rooftop terrace, where we had pizza and shared a bottle of wine.
Colca Canyon excursion
The morning after we went off on a three-day excursion to Chivay and Colca Canyon. We made lots of stops at various photogenic places, the best one being one with a huge pack of llamas and alpacas. Upon arrival in Chivay we napped, before heading out on yet another introductory tour of a town. Chivay turned out to be a pretty cute town with a nice town square with lots of cafes and restaurants. We found a café that served hot chocolate, and relaxed there for a while before meeting up with the group for dinner.
Condor spotting in Colca Canyon
The morning after we got in a bus and headed for Colca Canyon, known as the deepest canyon in the world. The main goal of the day was spotting some condors, as they are known to frequent in the area. The day featured lots and lots of amazing views, a beautiful short hike and of course some waiting around for the condors to appear. We almost lost hope at one point, so it was really exciting when two huge birds suddenly appeared and we got to watch them up close.
Relaxation in the hot springs
After lunch back in Chivay we were picked up and taken to the hot springs nearby for some relaxation. There were several pools with different temperatures, and with beers in hand we had a really lovely afternoon.
For our last dinner in Chivay we went to a place that provided local entertainment in the form of dancing. Just watching the dancing was entertaining enough, but it got even better when they started pulling up people from the audience to join them. A few of my friends got to participate, while I was happy enjoying it from the comfort of my chair. We finished the evening with some drinks in an Irish pub.
Returning to Arequipa
The following morning we made our return to Arequipa. We had almost a full day back before getting on our night bus to Cusco, and mostly spent it wandering around. We had lunch in a cute Italian restaurant that was covered in umbrellas, bought ice cream and enjoyed the vibe of the city. I could easily have spent a few more days getting acquainted with Arequipa.
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