Arequipa Belly & Altitude Sickness

A pretty street in central Arequipa
see all photos »

So we arrived in Arequipa full of excitment and energy, and after Linda chose an ´unauthorised´ taxi we made it to our unique hostel.  We set our bags down, locked the door, and immediately set to exploring.

Arequipa is a mixture between Miraflores and Lima, with it´s own flavour mixed in.  We headed for the main square Plaza de Armas and was again amazed by the beauty of it.  With beautiful architechture, gardens, and fountain, we felt right at home.  We spent the afternoon wandering the streets and getting our bearings, and finished off with a banana milkshake and a massive beer in a balcony restaurant overlooking the plaza.  We thought....¨it doesn´t get much better than this¨.  We sat there planning our moves for the next three days while the sun slowly set.

The monastary is not so much a church, but more like a small city with its own weaving meandering streets, endless rooms and courtyards

Chillin in a balcony restaurant
see all photos »

Well....all those wonderfully thought out plans went to shit....literally.  Linda and I spent the next three days travelling from our bed to the toilet and back again.....and again....and again (well you get the picture).  Not only did we both get a case of gastro, but altitude sickness decided to join in too.  While we could cope with the toilet trips, it was the absolute lack of energy which was the real drain.  Even walking up the steps took a mammoth effort.

The view from our hostel room
see all photos »

We discovered on our third day however that a combination of coca tea, energy drinks, water, slow walking and our trusty altitude pills were just what the doctor ordered.  After speaking to some of our fellow backpackers, we actually had it rather easy.  An Irish guy had to be rushed to hospital and put on a drip, while an English girl fainted and smacked her head on a table requiring stitches.  So in the end, we were quite thankful to just feel lethargic.  We´re really going to miss the coca tea when we head over the border to Ecuador where it is illegal.

Our hostel room in Arequipa
see all photos »

Linda had been talking of visiting the Santa Catalina Monastary in Arequipa for about a week leading up to our arrival, however when the day came she could hardly lift her head off the pillow, so I had to shoulder the burden and go it alone.  We also had to cancel our Colca Canyon tour for the follwing two days.  In the end however, the sun came out again and so did happy and well Linda, and we ended up making a special trip to the Monastary today so Linda could experience the stunning beauty and history for herself.  The monastary is not so much a church, but more like a small city with its own weaving meandering streets, endless rooms and courtyards.  It really was hard to take a bad picture.

Mount Misti
see all photos »

Tomorrow we head to Puno and Lake Titicaca, which is even higher again.  So the next blog could be very similar to this one.  Wish us luck....