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  Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru
Saturday, April 26, 2008

After taking all we could of sandboarding, mountain biking and over inflated tourist prices in Northern Chile, we boarded an overnight bus headed to the border of Peru.  We arrived in Arica, Chile at 7 AM and tried our best to shake off our groggy disposition and put on our best game faces - as border towns are generally not friendly places.  After a quick bit of investigation we realized our only option to venture into Peru was to hop into collectivo (communal taxi) and drive the 2 hours to the border.  I´ve often wondered where all the 1982 Cutlass Supreme Classics have ended up.  My friends, these gas guzzling boats are alive and well (open to interpretation) in the Southern Hemisphere and currently shuttle people back and forth between Chile and Peru.  One can imagine our hesitation when a stocky Chilean insistently tried to corral us into his beat up ¨chariot¨ with promises of delivering us safe and sound in Peru in time for our next connection.  Instincts be damned, we went along with him and thank god he kept his word.

We finally arrived in the colonial city of Arequipa and relished our first taste of Peruvian culture.  After spending months in developed, easy going countries like Argentina and Chile, Peru was a stark contrast in terms of lifestyle and rhythm.  The further north you go, the more indigenous the population becomes and, unfortunately, the greater the disparity between the rich and poor.  However, Arequipa proved to be a beautiful city with many colonial-era Spanish buildings built with pearly white volcanic rock.  The city is home to 800,000 (although it seems to be double that) and sits at 7,770 feet above sea level.  From every direction, you are surrounded by the massive peaks of the Andes - most notably that of the volcano El Misti.  

Over the last few decades, Arequipa has developed into a rather important archaeological site with the discovery of the Juanita Mummy in the '90s.  As it turns out, the Incas were fond of appeasing the mountain gods by sacrificing children of nobility.  The child was chosen at a young age to ¨take one for the team¨ and between the ages of 12 - 16, he or she was brought up to the mountain peaks, given alcohol and coca leaves to reduce the trauma of being sacrificed, then whacked on the head.  A number of these sacrificed children were found incredibly well preserved along with all the artifacts that accompanied their sacrifice.  Naturally, the mummies are on display at the University Museum and we were able to gawk at a 500 year old child, preserved well enough to make out the wrinkles in her hand and comment on her full head of hair.  Eerie is the best word to describe the scene.  

Arequipa is also the jump off point to explore the Colca Canyon - the second deepest canyon in the world and twice as deep as the grand canyon.  Being the self proclaimed adventure-types, we booked a three day tour.  We set out in late afternoon to decent the 1,000 meters to our first camp.  The sights were amazing as we peered down upon small villages carved into the mountainside amidst huge cacti and brilliantly colored rock faces. Our guide, Ruth, measured about 4´ and was full of information and cooking skills.  We were well taken care of.  We bedded down in a fantastic little bungalow and awoke to massive pancake breakfast and a leisurely hike to the next pueblo.  We trekked with a bro and sis pair from England that made the trip exceptionally entertaining and enjoyable, especially when Patience and Rosie got to dance around in traditional Peruvian clothing before breakfast one morning.  The next day, Kyle awoke at 2 AM to start the ascent out of the canyon, while Patience slept another hour to be taken up via mule under the stars.  As these things happen to ill-equipped gringo digestive systems, poor P was struggling with a touch (to put it lightly) of altitude sickness and food related issues.  Our tour ended at a Condor viewing point where we gazed at the largest flying birds in the world putz around on thermal updrafts from the canyon.  Amazing.

We will soon arrive in Cusco to prep for the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. 

Kyle and Patience.   

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