'White city' Arequipa

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Today, I am flying to Arequipa at 10:30am. Woke up at 7:00am and went out to buy bottled water. Only found a tiny, rundown and smelly store nearby. Bought a bottle of water and although tightly sealed cap means new bottle(Sometimes empty water bottles are refilled with tap water and resold, which will make you sick right away), the store was kinda fishy. Took a sip of it and waited for a 30m. felt ok. Drank all!!

7:40am. Went in a restaurant next to the hostel. Very hungry and didn’t have time to translate food names on the menu with dictionary and just ordered the restaurant’s signature breakfast, which seemed to have the most food out of all breakfast menu.(Yesterday, had snack for lunch, and a small airplane dinner in the evening) I realized that was a big mistake when I saw a waitress put down one piece of chocolate cake, a cup of coffee, Coca tea and strawberry juice on my table. Sweeeeet and cold chocolate cake and three drinks!!! It’s just not right because first, I just drank a whole bottle of water and second, chocolate cake should belong to lunch or dinner, not breakfast!! Didn’t have time to complain and didn’t know how in Spanish either. Finished the cake, had a sip of each drink and left for an airport.

12:10pm. Oh.. Arequipa. People sometimes say ‘ When the moon separated from the earth, it forgot to take Arequipa’, referring to its grand colonial buildings built from a light colored volcanic rock. A small town with relaxing but live atmosphere.

4:10pm. Visited Monasterio Santa Catalina(Convent). Its own world of religious simplicity and beauty in a busy city. It has maze-like narrow streets, a small plaza with fountains and simple living quarters in it. Vivid pastel colors in harmony with trees and sky. Very attractive place except that there was a guinea pig farm in the convent. Nuns raise them for food !!

Reserved the two day Colca Canyon tour.

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