Revenge of the Cuy – 36 hours of pain

---

I arrived in Arequipa at 6.30am via an Olturso night bus from Cusco and immediately started to feel ill with sickness and stomach pains. Unfortunately this put paid to doing too much here and certainly put the idea of treking up to Colca Canyon to see the Condors (large birds) on hold. In 36 hours all I really managed to achieve was briefly wander around town to take in some of the colonial architecture, visit the Santa Catalina Monastery and find a nice hotel room to hole up in for 24 hours of watching subtitled American TV, movies and sleeping.



The Monastery was really impressive and is unsurprisingly referred to as a City within a City given its size and number of buildings. The bright red and blue walled complex features Squares, Streets, Orchards / Orange groves and various types of structures. It once hosted several hundred Nuns, however since opening to the public in the 70s this number has fallen to around 30. I took my time wandering around, pausing occassionally to clutch my stomach and let an expletive or two out. I think some of the others touring must have thought I was really moved by the paintings or architecture rather than sick..



I don't know what caused the illness, we had a farewell dinner in Cusco the night before I departed with fellow Amauta students (Sarah my classmate and her husband Adam and Tonje / Lisa from Norway). We opted to have Cuy Al Horno (smiling oven baked Guinea Pig – see photo). Whilst it could just have easily been a glass of juice there is a part of me that thinks it must have been the Hamster. How else is it possible to explain the sinister, beaming grin on the little critters face?! He knew he had one final trick up his sleeve.



Anyway, tonight I'm heading Nazca to see the sand dunes, pyramids, mummies and famous Nazca Lines. I'm feeling quite a bit better now and hoping the plane ride to see the lines won't be too bumpy.

---