Arequipa

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Once again we find ourselves on a long bus ride. The trip from Puno travels back through the Andes in a series of switchbacks. The bus, like most was a two story bus and our driver believed he was driving a sports car. The bus was to leave at 10:00 a.m. but when we arrived the bus looked like a 'chicken bus' without a banos for the six hour trip and Sam was still recovering from food poisoning the day before. We opted for the next bus at 11:00 with a restroom.
We arrived to the Arequipa terminal around 5:00 p.m. and caught a cab to our hostel in the district south of town center. After checking in we quickly proceeded to the Plaza for food. (Seeing a pattern here?) Arequipa is referred to as the 'White City' which is evident in the massive stone buildings surrounding the square. The white volcanic stone called sillar comes from the three nearby active volcanoes and is used to create the main chapel that dominates the square as well as the many arches and facades encompassing the Plaza. The following morning we opted not to take the tour to Cola Canyon because it would be about four hours each way to see countryside we spent six hours traveling through the day before in hope of seeing a condor. Instead we spent the afternoon wandering the quaint streets looking for food Sam liked and trying to find some internet. In the mid afternoon sunshine the white stone buildings shone brightly as we sat on a patio balcony enjoying the day if not the food. After puhtsing the day away we returned to the hostel by 9:00 to grab our backpacks and head to the bus terminal for the eight hour overnight trip to Nazca.

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