Arequipa & Colca Canyon

local girls dressed up in a town in the Chivay region.
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I arrived in Arequipa at 8pm after a 6 hour bus ride from Puno.  This bus ride was different from the bus ride to Puno.  The ride to Puno only had a few passengers while this ride was packed full.  I sat downstairs although my seat number on my ticket indicated that I should have been upstairs.  Downstairs was fine with me because it looked like first class - the seats were wider.  Upon arrival in Arequipa, the "organized chaos"  began.  To get your luggage, you and the rest of the travellers rush to the baggage compartments, push your way to the front, and yell to the porter which luggage is yours.  That's how you get your luggage.

llamas/alpacas
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The next couple of days I went to Chivay & Colca Canyon.  On my tour group were a couple from Israeil, Rosie & Roland from Crud England, Mark & Allen from Florida & Ben & Kim from New Zealand.  We stopped several times in the morning to view the vicunas, llamas, and alpacas.  I was told the difference between llamas & alpacas but I don't remember now.  After stopping around mid-morning for coca tea, we arrived in Chivay by lunch.  This is a regular stop for all the tours.  We found the little boy and his pet llama quite entertaining.  The llama had his ear pierced with a pom-pon.  The little boy was running him on a leash around the garden.  At one point, the llama had enough and stopped which jerked the little boy.  Those llama necks must  be strong.  In Chivay there are hot springs which some of the group went to; I didn't.  In the evening I went to the dinner with folklore dancing.  You would have thought I'd take pictures but I didn't.

Awesome condors & exquisite convent

Volcano Ampato in the distance.
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The next day we traveled to the Cruz de Condor view point in Colca Canyon.  The canyon is supposed to be twice the size of the Grand Canyon but you couldn't tell it from any of the viewpoints on our route.  The road was long & windy & dusty.  How some of the bigger buses made it, I'm not sure.  Finally, we arrived at the point to see the condors.  Nothing.  Then, one flew by.  By the time we left around 10 am, they were all flying around.  One flew right over my head.  These birds don't make a noise but I heard buzzing when they flew overhead.  The buzzing was the wind in their feathers.  Awesome!  Lesson learned:  check to see how the zoom works on the camera before the trip.  Yes, I took pictures but the condors either flew away before my pictures were taken or else they are a mere dot.

offering to the mountain gods
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Back to Arequipa: I arrived back from the Chivay tour around 4pm.  The next morning, I had a short tour of the city center.  Fortunately, my hotel was only a few blocks away from all the sites.  The tour  took me to the Cathedral at Plaza de Armas.  Did you know the the roman numeral for 4pm on the Cathedral clock is IIII?  Small error.  La Iglesia Compania is a baroque style church.  The sacristy room was unbelievably beautiful because it is painted as a jungle scene.  The Jesuit cloisters are next door but they are now upscale boutiques.  I also went to the Santa Catalina Monastery & Convent.  It is a city by itself.  It was started in the 1500's where women's families paid 100 soles to enter as novices and 500 soles when they take they vows.  There are 6 streets in the convent - all named after Spanish cities.  Today there are still some cloistered nuns living in a newer area of the convent which is closed to the public.

me sitting on a glacier
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Arequipa has no Inca relics or ruins; the city was built by the Spaniards.  Why they built it so close to a volcano, I don't know why.  Volcano Misti is only 17 miles away and there are frequent earthquakes in this region of Peru.  The city is known as the White City because many of the buildings are built of sillar which is the while volcano stone.

While I was wondering around the city, I noticed that riot police were out.  Apparently, there will be a strike in Arequipa the day after I leave and the organizers are getting their people prepared with meetings in town.  There were no problems though when I was in town.  I was told the strike has to do  with the high price of gasolene which is $4-$5 per gallon.  It's more than what we pay in the US and based on their cost of living,  it's a huge percentage of the Peruvian salaries.