Big birds with large gorges and holy habbits

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Arequipa is just over 1000 km from Lima but watching the locals it seems worlds apart. While adjusting to the altitude the town square is a great place to sit and people watch. Women have long plaits trailing down their backs and are wrapped with bright coloured cloth, wearing squat hats and dragging a llama or two behind them.

You dont need a history lesson to tell you that the Spanish colonialised this part of Peru as their influence is stamped on the buildings which are made from a volcanic rock that gives the city a milky white hue. The man made beauty is heightened by the natural grandeur of the surrounding snowcapped mountains and the citys guardian volcano - Misti.

Churches and monestries seem to take centre stage. The most remarkable being Santa Catalina Convent - which at its height was home to 450 nuns. Imagine a miniture town - without the plague of graffeti or rubbish - beautifully styled cobbled streets, leading onto plazas, with water fountains and all manner of plants. The walls are painted in bright colours and narrow paths lead to the cells of nuns - although in this case the term "cell" does not fit the reality. At night the Convent is light by candles and wood fires making it easy to forget which century we are in.

The city is the gateway to the world´s deepest canyon, Colca. With no roads the only way down is on a mule or your own 2 feet. The Canyon is protected by its inaccessibility which has meant that the villages which are scattered along the winding paths have retained their traditional characteristics while wildlife such as the Condor with wingspans of 3 metres plus have been conserved. Even though you can feel every step of the walk, Colca has definately made it onto my list of favourite escapes.

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Photos

prickley time of it
Tom accidently attacked me with this cactus - they really hurt and are very difficult to get out!