Show me the way to Arequipa

Trip Start Nov 01, 2006
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Trip End Mar 26, 2007


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Flag of Peru  ,
Monday, November 13, 2006

After enough of rain, cloud and cold it was time to get a bit of sun and Arequipa has definitely delivered on that front. Bosco had though he had booked two tickets but when we got to the airport we discovered he had only booked one. I was all ready for the Michael O´Leary fist at that point but amazingly enough I was able to buy a ticket there and then for the same price of 88 dollars and two hours later was on the plane. The shithole hostel we had booked while still drunk that morning quicky dampened our spirits. I think they had turned an old storeroom into a bedroom with the two worst beds in history in it all for 30 dollars a night. They did apologise the next day and upgraded us to two separate rooms. The cable there included a porn channel (it hasn´t before or since) so maybe they thought this was some sort of recompense.

Arequipa is the seconod city of Peru and a busy place with a lovely old colonial centre which is called the cuidad blanca because its all built of a white volcanic stone called sillar About time we saw a church
About time we saw a church
 . We had a look around the Santa Catalina monastery which takes up a whole city block and it well worth the couple of hours it takes to stroll round.

After the previous nights exertions we reckned on a few quite Arequipeñas (tasted suspicioulsy similar to Cusco´s Cusqueña beer) but after hitting our third bar got chatting to this group of very drunk locals. Twenty minutes later we were in a taxi heading to Giana and Rico´s place along with family and friends. A bottle of Pisco (the local liqour) did the rounds. Their 11 month old son Lucian was paraded around the room. Our biggest mistake was not bring the camera to get photos. While I had to explain the norhtern situation in my bad spanish Bosco was having a conversation in english along the lines of ´You likeNirvana? Yes. Bon Jovi? Yes. Metallica? Yes Nine Inch Nails? Not so much´. The Peruvians were actually good at the slagging aswell and the lads were taking the piss out of each other for looking like Chewbacca, Ringo star and for wearing old mans shoes respectively. I was still trying to explain the national question (its hard enough in english) when Bosco tapped me on the shoulder and said he reckoned it was time to go. I could see the bottle coming around again but acceeded and after many hugs and handshakes we were in a taxi. At that point he told me that Giana had been crying and telling him that her husband didn´t touch her anymore when he had suggested leaving. Just another night out in Peru........
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