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Published: November 9th 2004
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So, tuesday 9th we got to Arequipa at 5am and found a hostal then went to sleep for 2 hours. If you're ever tempted to get a night bus from Cusco to Arequipa, go via Juliaca - the road between the Cusco and Arequipa is the Worst Road In The World (Guinness book of records page 262).
So, we needed to sleep for a couple of hours so did so and then went for breakfast in the main square and had a bit of a look around. As you can see from the pictures, the main square is really beautiful - a fairly busy place but not too busy (like the pretty but horrible Plaza de Armas in Cusco).
Breakast was the best breakfast we'd had so far - for 12 Soles you get a really good feed at this place on the main square. It's pricey by Peruvian standards but for 2 quid you can't complain. We played chess in the afternoon in a little pedestrian street behind the cathedral which was relaxing.
At night I loved the taxis with the signs on top - Daewoo seriously made a killing in Peru; every taxi is one and
almost every car is a taxi. It's great to see about 15 of them all lined up at the lights, each with a little sign on top, lit up. I think you can see some on one of the photos.
Wednesday On wednesday we booked our Colca Canyon tour with an agency recommended to us by someone we met in Cusco. 80 dollars for a 3 day hike (40 dollars each) is good value in my book.
There was a demonstration by nurses (wanting better pay) in the main square - obviously it was peaceful but the riot police were there anyway, just in case. They well and truly messed up the traffic in the city, moving around the square and blocking different bit of it as the day went on, although something told me it wasn't that unusual as the drivers didn't seem that bothered at all - bearing in mind the temperament of south American drivers, patience is a rare comodity to be valued.
I also met the bunch of schoolchildren that day, on the steps outside the cathedral. You can see in the pictures that I was trying to converse with them, although having
a conversation with 20 people at a time is tricky, 20 excited schoolkids is even more difficult. And in Spanish.
But, they showed that they knew several bits of English - 'Good Morning' was their favourite, followed by 'Apple'. I tried to teach them a few more words but I have no idea if they remember them, as their teacher whisked them off before I could think to test them.
That afternoon we went to visit the Convent 'Monasterio de Santa Catalina' of which there should be some pictures. (strange, but the Spanish word for convent is the same as that for monastery).
Dating back several hundred years, and taking up a whole city block, it's very impressive to go around. The architecture is very advanced and you really get a feel for how the nuns lived going into the individual cells - they certainly did a lot of cooking judging by the amount of food preparation areas. I was constantly imagining these fat nuns wandering around discussing new recipes and ingredients. Seriously though, it was a priveledge to go around seeing as it was only opened to the public in the 70s.
A busy day this one,
but nearly finished (you will be tested later).
We visited the universtiy later on to see the 'Ice Queen' exhibit - a guided tour culminating in the perfectly preserved body of a sacrificed Inca girl (encased in a refrigerated glass unit kindly donated by the Japanese). She was given the name 'Juanita' by the archaeologists who discovered her and is one of several bodies discovered atop different mountains surrounded by burial items indicating they were part of a ritual sacrifice over 500 years ago.
Really fascinating, that the Incas believed the mountains were Gods and that by making sacrifices on the top of the mountains (sometimes volcanoes) they would appease the Gods. Anyway, you can see loads of interesting (original) artifacts they were buried with, including miniature gold, silver and bronze llamas, people and clothes pins. *Gold being the sun, Silver being the Moon and Bronze being the Earth.
That night we went for a meal overlooking the main square in a place that served 'Pre-Incan' food. Well, it was very pleasant apart from the food being the weirdest stuff I've ever had. No wonder this stuff isn't popular any more - I counted 6 things neither of
us had had before and it is making me feel strange just writing about it so I'm going to stop.
The next 3 days are contained in the Canyon de Colca entry...
Sunday On Sunday we were very fortunate with our timing because we were able to witness the Sunday parade in the main square (plaza). It was a military parade and you can see from the pictures some of the procedings - all very dignified and they did look really good.
While it was going on I had my boots 'shined' by one of the more expert shoeshine 'boys' in town. With my boots being suede and the shoeshine boy being about 30 the term shoeshine boy doesn't seem to fit too well.
Anyway, he did an amazing job and my boots looked back to new after the exertions of the Colca Canyon.
I aslo have to note that I saw a photographer at the parade (photographing protesting diabetics) called 'Flashito' which I thought was brilliant. 'Flash photography by Flashito' was his logo. Flashito, brilliant.
Monday So, on Monday we booked our bus to Puno on Lake Titicaca, did a bit of shopping and
posted some stuff home including my Panama hat from Ecuador and a painting I bought that day. Sarah is also now the proud owner of a 'Incas Vs Conquistadors' chess set which I'm carrying in my rucksack.
We also sampled the ice cream that night in one of the snazzy ice cream parlours off the plaza. Very nice it was too.
Tuesday So, we took the 8.15 bus and waved goodbye to Arequipa - a city we both liked very much.
It was a good road, and with Cruz del Sur we got 2 good films and Bus Bingo again - crossing the Altiplano (High Plain) at about 4000m altitude. At Puno we took a 2 hour 'Co-operativa' bus to the border town and I have to mention 'Bike guy' who took us on a pedal-powered 3-person rickshaw almost up the hill to the border crossing. Almost, meaning that at one point I was helping him push us up the hill - the both of us pushing at this point.
So, we carried out the border formalities at either side and thus, we were in Bolivia!
A quick money-change and a shared taxi later (for
6 Bolivianos - 40p) and we were in Copacabana, at the shores of Lake Titicaca (3800m).
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northernrich
More words please
Whilst the pictures are amazing, and a picture may well say more than a thousand words. I would like more words in your diary please. I'm not a child and picture books lost their appeal some time ago.