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Pretty much the best decision I´ve made in a long time is to stay put in one place for awhile during my summer travels. I love traveling (obviously or I wouldn´t do it so much) but sometimes being on the move just really wears me out. Which is why staying here in Arequipa for over half my trip this year was a brilliant move.
So let´s talk about Arequipa. So far I love it. It´s the second biggest city in Peru and yet it just doesn´t feel that way. It´s kind of surprising how much more you can learn about a place in just one week as opposed to passing through for a couple of days--it also helps having people who have been here for longer to show me the ropes. And it´s amazing how at home I can feel in such a short period of time.
In a lot of ways Arequipa is very similar to what I have loved about other South American cities (especially in Ecuador and other parts of Peru) but is also unique in many ways. The city is beautiful, it is surrounded by volcanoes and mountains, most of them are brown and seem
dry but a few have snow-capped tips. They are all beautiful and add to the atmosphere of the whole city. A lot of the downtown buildings are interesting, made out of a light material (sillar) which makes them different and gets the city it´s apparent nickname of 'the white city' (that´s what my Lonely Planet says anyway.) And in contradiction to all my previous experience with rivers that run through cities, or even towns, the one here (the River Chili) is absolutely mesmerizing. I could watch it for hours, the water is green with white rapids and the plants on the banks are vibrant and full of life. I´ve yet to notice much trash at all.
I haven´t really found time to do the touristy museums and stuff yet so let´s just talk about the everyday things I´m enjoying while I´m here.
The Food:
This is really more about South America in general than it is about Arequipa, but since I´m here for longer I have a place to store stuff and more of a chance to find all my favorites than I normally do (outside of Quito at least.) It´s great being able to pick up my
Plaza de Armas
Look for the mountain in the background. It´s much more visible in real life. favorite fruits in the supermarket or at any little corner shop and have them permanently on hand. There´s the always fabulous cherimoya which, I always have, and always will love. Sometimes you can find them in the U.S. for like $6.00 a pound...and they weigh a ton! Here they´re less than $1.00 a pound so I can eat them to my heart´s content without feeling guilty. Also on my regular shopping list is the granadilla--it´s slimy and looks gross, but soooo yummy! At the San Camilo market I found the best olives, in between the animal intestines and pigs feet. This market made me more nauseous than most, but I suspect I´ll be going back again and again for the olives! There are some great vegetarian restaurants which are so cheap they make me wonder why I´ve been cooking so much in the apartment. And I get to eat avocados with basically every meal (though I suppose if I let myself I could do that at home as well.) Also, having a kitchen I can make my favorites from home like marinated tofu and instant oatmeal. Now, if I can just find an humita place things here will be PERFECT!
One of my old favs
It´s a granadilla--I think that´s a passion fruit. Having a Routine:
What can I say? I´m a creature of habit and I really do love having some structure in my life. The last week was great, having the mornings to myself to wander around (mostly in the wild goose chase of looking for a gym) and then having somewhere to be and something to do for the afternoons. In searching for gym after gym that no longer exist (and sometimes just meandering around hoping to run into one) I have managed to see way more of the city on foot than I probably would have otherwise done. I think I might have actually found what I´ve been looking for, but hopefully I´ll continue to head out on foot to see what´s out there. And maybe I´ll even start checking out the churches and museums. It´s been fun exploring and unexpectedly discovering things as I go. I have been working the afternoon shift at the orphanage which means I´m there from 2:00-6:00. After that I basically come home, eat dinner and then just hang out, sometimes on the computer or watching TV or DVDs and sometimes with other people who are around. Always trying to keep warm because
La Plaza de Armas
Downtown Arequipa as soon as the sun goes down I´m freezing-ass cold until the morning.
I also appreciate not having to figure out a new flipping South American shower every day. I have come to a pleasant understanding with the one in the house and that makes me unbelievably happy every single day.
The People:
It´s just really nice to have contact with the same people on a regular basis. We may not really be friends, and mostly we won't stay in contact after our time here in Arequipa. But it´s comforting all the same to see the familiar faces and have people know what´s going on with me. It´s nice to have someone I sort of know ring my bell and see if I want to go to dinner instead of just heading out on my own all the time. Plus, since we´re mostly working through the same organization, or at the same project we at least have that in common even when there´s nothing else.
That´s all for now, I´ll write more about the kids soon. Besos.
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Dad
non-member comment
Where are the pig feet
I get to comment first. I guess that's what happens when you sit around waiting to read your daughter's blog. The olives and fruit look good but you should have thrown in a picture of pigs feet for your mom and grandpa's benefit. Glad things are going well, take care. Love Dad