A courtyard and the church in Santa Catalina

Arequipa, la Ciudad Blanca

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June 5th 2005
Hi everyone! After the disconcerting start of our visit to Peru (being watched over VERY carefully by the tourist office rep & security guard in Tacna), we arrived in Arequipa. Arequipa is a large city (pop. over 1 million) teeming with tourists. It is nick-named "La Ciudad Blanca" ("The White City") because of the many colonial buildings constructed out of sillar, a white volcanic rock. It ... read more

South America » Peru » Arequipa

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Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more