Hostal Ginza Arequipa

Kay and I arrived in Arequipa late and only had one day there before taking the overnight bus to Nazca and on to Lima. Mom and Christine went the Colca Canyon to see giant condors and we met for dinner the next day before our bus ride. Arequipa was a really nice city with alot to see. We saw Juanita, the frozen princess. She was a child sacrifice ...

... random hours of the night?<br><br>The next day we had decided to go white water rafting; Peru has some excellent rafting although right now is not quite the best time. We were back on the Urubamba river so it was good to get a different perpective to trekking the Sacred Valley, however the water was frigid: 8C... And I really hate wearing a wetsuit with a passion, they must be the least flattering attire ever invented and probably because i´m not ...

... But, there are still some 30 children that have been on the waiting list to enter into the program since 2007. There are many more that have not even made it to that point.<br><br>My parents decided that they wanted to become part of this program and sponsor a child. Last week, I began the process of selecting their aihado &#8211; a daunting task. Everyone has a tremendous need &#8211; how do you pick one and not another? First, I ...

... with dusty tomes dating from as early as 1517. That was the 3rd classic religous library I´ve seen on this trip - maybe I could set up a tour business with a speciality for travelling librarians who want to see dusty old tomes.... maybe not!! And the 2nd was the Monasterio Santa Catalina. I´m not one of these people who like to keep gems secret, and this is a gem. A sprawling citadel of a monastery with windy streets to reveal an ever more charming ...

... nos chamou mais atenção, foi a meticulosidade e organização desta família. Tudo em seu devido lugar, todas as informações impressas em papel ofício, inclusive como soletrar corretamente o espanhol.!! Se eles tivessem pelo menos mais um quarto na casa, daríamos a eles o título de &#8220;Melhor Hostal já visitados por nós&#8221;!! Bem, segundo Edgar os suíços são famosos pela meticulosidade, mas este senhor realmente surpreendeu-nos de todas as formas. Primeiro, depois de ...

... is so wonderful here. The night ended at 5am, it was a great first night.<br><br>Earlier in the evening of my first night I met a girl named Alison who was also from SF and in the exact same boat that I am in, regarding employment and traveling. She had mentioned that she was going sand boarding at 4pm the next day and we should go together. I spent the early part of the day laying around in the sun and then headed off for the sand boarding ...

... including beer! This leads me to the the next rather unfortunate part of our tale.<br>I had been ill with a runny bottom since Huacahina and by now was in my 8th day. I love my food, but found myself terrified of eating anything! There was no way I could continue like this so Shell found a clinic for travellers in the guidebook that was meant to be very good. We hopped in a cab and went to the specified address only to find that it was now somebody´s house! The people there ...

... it´s time to go home.<br> <br> When we got home, Max &amp; Lula were still awake, and were ready to give us our welcome drinks ! We all gathered in the kitchen, as Max showed us how to prepare Pisco Sour (a can of coke for Jilly). Over 2 servings of Pisco Sour, and about 2 hours of lively conversation, our topic had gone from Picolito (their dog), to Peruvian Food, to Filipino Food, to Peruvian Government, and a bit of history of some things. <br ...

... late lunch at the hotel, a wonderful small rustic place with incredible views overlooking the valley and the mountains. <br>Later in the afternoon, Alan &amp; Allison, Ron, Leslie &amp; I, headed out for a 2 hour hike in the surrounding hills, with Mirsha leading the way. Going up was a challenge - not difficult terrain, but difficulty breathing at this altitude. Great views ...

... they were heading for Arequipa too. But they had paid more for their tickets &#8211; and were leaving later. <br><br>I had booked a Cruz Del Sur economy bus trip. Economy meant there was going to be no bus stewardess, no DVDs on the bus, no blankets or leg space. Not that I minded...it&#8217;s just that I got a little spoilt from my Lima to Nazca trip...and was kind of hoping that this trip was going to be the same! As we got in the bus, which was already travelling from ...