Made it to Arequipa / Ya estoy en Arequipa

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  Arequipa, Peru
Sunday, August 31, 2008

8.30am

En el bus, ya estamos en el departamento de Arequipa, pero todavia no en la ciudad. Para variar, fui lo suficientemente iluso como para creer que dormiria anoche... pero nunca tanto. Por fin en algun momento de la madrugada pude dormer un poco. Me parece que pude dormer de a pocos.

I'm on the bus, and we're already in the department of Arequipa, but not yet in the city. As usual, I was naïve enough to believe I'd be able to sleep last night... not so much. I was finally able to get some sleep sometime during the night. I think I slept on and off through dawn.

Ahora en la maniana estoy bastante cansado, pero creo que podre aguantar hasta la noche para dormer rico en el hostal. Me "desperte" mientras que girabamos desde la panamericana junto al mar hacia la sierra. Ahora hemos estado ondulando entre ceros marrones y valles de chacras verdes. Ya deberiamos llegar pronto a Arequipa.

Now it´s morning I'm really tired, but I'll think I'll be able to make it till tonight when I sleep really well at the hostal. I "woke up"as we were turning off the Panamerican Highway due South, turning towards the Andes. Now we've been undulating between brown hills and valleys with green farmlands. We should be arriving into Arequipa pretty soon.

6.30pm

So I'm sitting at a café right by the Plaza de Armas, in Arequipa. I should be updating my blog directly online, since it's a café that has wifi connection, and I've brought my laptop with me, but for whatever reason I'm unable to connect. Even though some other guy with his laptop with windows vista has no problem whatsoever. Oh well! I guess I'll have to wait to post my update till later on.

Bueno, me estoy sentando en un café justo por la Plaza de Armas, en Arequipa. Deberia estar actualizando mi blog directamente online, ya que estoy en un café que tiene conexion de internet inalambrica, y he traido mi laptop conmigo, pero por alguna razon no me deja conectarme. Hay un chico en el mismo café que no tiene ningun problema conectandose, pero ni modo. Supongo que tender que esperar a subir mi post a mas tarde.

Today was a really nice day, and holy smokes is it hot during the day. I got off the bus and immediately took off my huge coat my brother lent me for the trip, afraid I might be just carrying it around most of the time, if it's like this always.

Hoy fue muy simpaticon, y que bestia que calor que hace durante el dia. Apenas me baje del bus me saque el sacote que me presto mi hermano para el viaje, y temo que terminare cargandolo por todos lados, si el clima sigue asi siempre.

I visited several nice traditional touristy Arequipa spots today. My first stop was The Santa Catalina Convent, which I had visited with my mom and brother when I was *really* young (and therefore barely remembered it). It was really beautiful and, even though the 30 soles entry fee hurts, I think it was totally worth it, and I was taking pictures left and right. Beautiful narrow walkways that wind around the whole mini-citadel that is the convent. Everywhere you went you could see beautiful paintings dating back from colonial times, and artifacts that were used in the daily life of the Dominican nuns.

Hoy visite varios lugares tradicionales turisticos de Arequipa. Mi primera parade fue el Convento de Santa Catalina, la cual habia visitado con mi mama y hermano cuando era *muy* joven (y por lo tanto casi ni me acordaba). Era bellisimo y, aunque la entrada de 30 soles dolio bastante, creo que de hecho valia la pena, y estuve tomando fotos por todos lados. Hermosas callecitas que van por toda la mini ciudad que es el convent. Por todos lados se veian bonitos pinturas del virreinato, y artefactos que se usaban en la vida diaria de las monjas Dominicanas.

Afterwards I visited the museum that holds the "Juanita" mummy, which was found up near a volcano after it had erupted, and therefore some of the ice had melted, allowing the mummy to be discovered where the ice had melted. The entrance fee is 15 soles, but I was able to pay the student admission of 5 soles with my (very out of date, but without an expiration date on it) CU Denver ID.

Despues visite el museo que contiene la momia "Juanita", la cual fue encontrada cerca a la entrada de un volcan cerca a Arequipa tras haber echado ceniza, y por lo tanto algo del hielo se derritio, permitiendo que se descubriera la momia donde se derritio el hielo. La entrada era de 15 soles, pero logre pagar la entrada de estudiantes de 5 soles con mi (muy expirado, pero sin fecha de expiracion) carnet universitario de la Universidad de Colorado de Denver.

Then... I walked by a few of the other beautiful churches that are near the Plaza de Armas, walking by them, taking pictures of their beautiful facades as well as inside when possible. I'm just bummed I can't upload pics for now, but oh well. Maybe later or another day.

De ahi... Camine por las otras bellas Iglesias que estan alrededor de la Plaza de Armas, caminando delante de ellas, tomando fotos de sus fachadas y tambien los interiores cuando se podia. Solo me da pena no poder subir las fotos ahora, pero ni modo. Quizas despues o en otro dia.

Tomorrow I'm taking off on a 2 day / 1 night tour of the colca canyon which promises to be pretty fun. Oh, and thanks to my friend Kit who recommended the hostal, which is really nice and cheap, and the owner is super helpful and nice. I was able to score a 10 sol room all for myself. Pretty nice.

Maniana me voy en un tour que dura 2 dias / 1 noche en el canion del colca que parece ser bastante divertida. Ah, y gracias a mi amiga Kit que me recomendo el hostal, que es muy bueno y barato, y el duenio es muy amigable y ayuda bastante. Obtuve una habitacion de 10 soles solo para mi. Excelente.

Till' next time. Hasta la proxima.

Note: Travelpod is being really fussy

about me uploading pics to my travelpod account, so for those who

haven't seen them on facebook (like my mom, etc.), you can see the

pictures from my facebook account in the following link. (para los que no hayan podido ver mis fotos en facebook, por favor denle click abajito)

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS