Arequipa, Peru

For the last three weeks we have been able to take a breath and relax. We based ourselves in Arequipa, Peru taking the opportunity to pause from traveling and learn a bit more Spanish. We've had a lovely experience, and stayed in a hotel called Casa de Avila with the most helpful, friendly staff. They have a quiet, peaceful garden that includes a resident tortoise. The city itself is the second largest in Peru, but staying in El Centro doesn't feel like it. The spanish influence is very apparent in the beautiful white buildings as you walk through the cobbled streets. Perhaps the most impressive building is the massive basilica in the Plaza de Armas. It stretches an entire city block with intricate carvings inside and out. From the right angle, the volcano Misti can be seen in the distance, between the two steeples.

The other impressive building in Arequipa is Santa Catalina Monastery, which is basically a city within a city. It has several colorful courtyards and streets. In each of the streets are little houses consisting of a simple bedroom, a living room, and the coolest little kitchens. I'll have to say that the kitchens were my favorite; each with stone shelves, grinding stones, hand pounded copper cookware, and big ovens built into the walls. The whole monastery was amazing. I could practically see the nuns walking the narrow streets, kneeling for worship in the church, and kneading dough in the kitchens. It took us a few hours to explore the whole place, but we'll worth the experience.

Although it has been a lot of time studying here, it hasn't been all work. We have explored the city, gone on a free walking tour, visited the market, gone trekking in the Colca Canyon, and we even took cooking lessons right in our hotel. When we get home, we now have some new international dishes to share with our friends and family. On the menu was rocoto relleno and pastel de papas. This city was beautiful and always worth a visit. This city is so beautiful. I will always recommend it to anyone visiting Peru. From here we go to Cusco for a week then on to Chile.

Lima, Peru
Hotels:
SM Hotel & Business: $59

Restaurants:
Punta Azul
Mama Olla Restaurant

Transportation:
Plane to Lima
On foot

Activities:
Museo Larco
Mira Flores: free
Igesia de San Francisco


Arequipa, Peru
Hotels:
Casa de Avila: $32/night with Spanish classes

Restaurants:
Chelawasi Public House
Zig Zag Restaurant
Crepisimo
Hatunpa
La Nueva Palomino
India Indian Cuisine

Transportation:
Plane to Arequipa
On foot

Activities:
Colca Canyon trek 3d/2n: $120/ea
Spanish classes, 1 month at Casa de Avila: 270/week ea
Monestario de Santa Catalina: 40 soles/ea
Plaza de Armas: free
Yanahuara: free
Cathedral of Arequipa
Museo Santuarios Andinos: 20 soles/ea
Cooking classes at Casa de Avila: 54 soles/ ea
Walking tour: free

Trekking the Colca Canyon

The best recommendation I could give for anyone interested in visiting Peru is to hike the Colca Canyon. It is strenuous, but provides some of the most breathtaking views of anywhere in Peru. Also, the price is definitely right at approximately $55 per person including: meals, lodging, and guide. The entire trek was roughly 20 kilometers aka 12.5 miles over 3 days. While the distance doesn't seem like much, the terrain and altitude are what make it so difficult. Basically, you go down into the deep canyon and back up, resulting in approximately 3600 ft of elevation loss/gain starting 11,000 feet above sea level. However, all of that hard work pays off as you get to see such a surreal part of the world.

We passed through several lovely, rustic villages along the way that appeared to be from another time. There were adobe huts scattered throughout steep, terraced fields and orchards. Occasionally, you could hear the distinct sound of a braying donkey. Also, passing us on the trail were women in colorful skirts and embroidered hats hauling loaded blankets on their backs. The first night was spent in a tiny town called San Juan de Chuqchu. They fed us delicious local food, gave us surprisingly comfortable huts to sleep in, and we even made a few animal friends.

The second day we hiked along the opposite side of the canyon where we crossed a rickety bridge, donned some war paint, and headed to a wonderfully green oasis, farther down the canyon. Sangalle had a great little hostel and the most refreshing cold pool. It was just what we needed to wash off two days of dust and rehydrate our desperately dry skin. The sky was clear, the weather warm, and overall it was pleasant. We were even able to see stars incredibly clear, unhindered by light pollution. Here, we got a good look at the final stretch as the trail wound it's way back to the top of the canyon. I admit it was quite intimidating, but I was determined.

The final day was definitely the hardest as we climbed from the bottom of the canyon to the top. It took us three hours to hike 3 miles and 3600 ft of elevation gain. The trail consisted of steep stone steps that switchback across the side of the canyon. Already tired and sore from the 9 miles of the past two days, it was probably the hardest 3 miles I've ever done. We started before sunrise to beat the heat, which was a great idea as it gets quite warm during the day. It also allowed us to watch the sun come up over the surrounding, gorgeous horizon. At the top, I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment as the rest of the tour group cheered us on. We were all sweaty from the endeavor and happy to have completed the trek, so it made for a wonderful group photo.

The great thing about this tour is that it wasn't solely limited to the trek. We also saw various other parts of the area. On our way to the trailhead, we stopped at Mirador Cruz del Condor where we saw as many as five enormous young condors playing in the thermals. When we finished the hike, we walked an additional 20 minutes to a town called Cabanaconde where we ate breakfast and were lucky enough to see a mini parade in the plaza. A brief stop at a nearby hot spring allowed us to soak away some of the weariness. We had lunch in the adorable little town of Chivay. We were driven to the highest point of the mountain pass where at an incredible 16,000 ft we built cairns and made a wish to the Inca gods. Finally, we stopped at a national park in the mountains to watch a herd of alpaca. This tour exceeded expectations,and was one of the best treks I've been on yet.