Arequipa, Perú

From our San Pedro house in Cusco, my friend and I said bittersweet goodbyes to our fellow volunteers before taking a cab to the main bus station then embarking on an overnight ride to Arequipa. Two girls riding on a night bus in South America seemed to be a scare for most mothers and yes, some things have happened to our fellow volunteers (losing passports and getting stuck in Bolivia), but being smart about choosing where to buy tickets and smart about travel choices saved us headaches.

La Ciudad Blanca, or “The White City” as the others call it. Most people who have traveled to Peru have heard of this beautiful city, although not a lot of them make it there. A contrast from the touristy Incan town of Cuzco, Arequipa doesn’t have Incan artifacts or ruins. Instead, it is known as the white city because of the the many buildings built of sillar, a white volcano stone. This city is surrounded by not one but 3 volcanoes, Chanti, Misty and Pichu Pichu.

We arrived in the city early am and had a chance to look around. After taking a nice shower and nap, we ventured out to see Convento de Santa Catalina, a monastery built in the 16th century during the Spanish era. It was called a city within a city, and is said to be one of the most fascinating religious buildings in Peru, characterized by its vividly painted high walls.

After our 2 day Colca Canyon hike (the 2nd deepest canyon in the world – twice as deep as the Grand Canyon), we came back to Arequipa and this time we got to see one of the most fascinating sites I have ever seen. We visited Museo Santuarios Andinos and saw mummy Juanita, discovered in 1995 but still all preserved in it’s ice cage after being buried in the snow for 550 years.

After a few days in Arequipa, we then head out to fly to Lima where I was off to see more from this beautiful country.