http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Derry Diva/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Derry Diva en-us Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:18:57 BST Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:18:57 BST For the past 2 months I have been planning my wedding here in Arequipa with my wonderful fiance Wayra. It all finally came together on Monday 24th March when at about 2pm we were announced husband and wifeThe day started with breakfast on the balcony with my parents and friend Fiona and her daughter Shannon who had all travelled to Peru to be with us on our special day. Unfortunately it was a ru http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-265190.html New Year was like being at home without the alcohol and Daddys famous punchEvery year Wayra goes to the beach with his friends at New Year its a common thing for Peruanos to do as December til February is Summer here. But this year as we had spent the whole of Christmas in the highlands with his family and completely out of contact with my family we decided to stay in Arequipa for a special http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-250354.html Well what can I say about Christmas in Ayapata. As you know we collected money in Ireland with massive help from my family and friends with which we bought toys and tshirts for the children in Ayapata.We got up early on Christmas morning to start preprations. Friends of Wayras family stayed overnight so they could help out in the morning. They got up at 5am and started preparing the hot choco http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-236197.html Well when you arrive in Ayapata or Kana which is the name of the village where Wayras home is you need to climatise and that means doing as little as possible Saying that Im never allowed to do anything when I am there Wayras mama and sister do everything and if they see me lift a brush or attempt to help in any way they reprimand meSo we had arrived at 3am Friday morning so most of Fri http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-234147.html Finalising Preps... Well the time I had... We left Arequipa on Wed 19th Dec at 5am and arrived in Juliaca safe in the hotel at 10.30am. Due to the notsonice nature of Juliaca we decided that I would stay in the hotel resting while Wayra met up with his aunt and went shopping Its possible to be caught and buy bamba goods in Juliaca and many other places in Peru so they needed to be s http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-234146.html On 19th December we will travel to Ayapata to play Mr Mrs Claus for the children who live in the moutains around Ayapata. These children will not be expecting Santa nevermind Christmas of any kind so they will be very surprised to be invited for a Christmas party We will buy cake for families cars for boys and dolls for girls and we are hoping if the money stretches that we can get tshirts p http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-228571.html I did a search on google for volunteering with kids in Arequipa and I found a great organisation founded in the last year by an English girl Jay and her Peruvian boyfriend Luis. They set up the organisation getting volunteers to help out with children in a school but now thats being fazed out and they work with children in an orphanage that Luis helped to setup a couple of years ago. They recei http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-228570.html Well went to Chile on Monday to cross the frontier from Peru to renew my visa for another 90 days. I have to say this experience was less exciting than crossing the border at Bolivia but nonetheless I had a good time. We left Arequipa at 7am and arrived in Tacna a more southernly city in Peru where we managed to get a taxi directly over the border to Arica Chile within minutes. It costs but http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-228568.html Well as many of you know I raised some money before I left for Peru. This money was intended to go to poor children in Arequipa and Ayapata and anywhere it was needed basically. Of course I need to make many judgement calls about this money and so far I think Ive decided ok Today I purchased some toys to the value of 50quid to go to children in the area where the earthquake happened back in Au http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Arequipa/Arequipa/blog-228535.html