Background of the city by two majestic mountain, Mount misty
and Mount Pichu Pichu the landscape is spectacular with
the inner city lined with intricate old colonial building, museums of high
standards, plenty of craft especially baby alpaca clothing, this town was no Machu
Pichu but it was alluring by itself anyway.
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| Arequipa |
Tourist town or no tourist town each will have a way to
charm and keep travellers occupied especially in Peru where they guard tourist
more carefully than their own kid. Hence there was the activities of tour bus
which give one a glimpse of greater Arequipa not just downtown and then there
is the river rafting for 80 Sols and of course trekking in Colca Canyon the
deepest canyon in the world where one can even see Condors fly. (I’ll post a
separate Post on Colca Canyon)
Breakfast in Peru & New Company
Ah back to where breakfast is served on the table instead of
waking up and wondering if I would be bothered to make something or dress up to
go out to get something. If I have a hostel of my own in future this would be
the way to go. Put one or two table and force everyone at the hostel to eat at
the same table. Force socializing the best way to meet people and if they
somehow hook up and make a life together I will have a pin board of
accomplishment. If I one day have a hostel ….
So that’s how I meet friends which was breakfast where I met
Illiot from Australia. He had a crazy story for just travelling 6 weeks and
getting food poisoning in Nazca for eating a bad Cerviche (Raw fish marinated
in lime and spice) and had to be hospitalized for a day and now his passport
was held hostage by the clinic till he pay up or the insurance cleared. So I
tag along in the morning to the clinic since it was way too early at 8 am …. I
was still in Chile time hence the body thought it was 10am. Fixed his problem
after many pestering and phone calls and constant refresh of the internet page,
finally the insurance company gave the green light and he got his passport back
for 205 Sols … the excess
It was Christmas Eve and nothing better to do but just
wonder around the city killing time before the big Christmas dinner back in the
hostel where the family organized for all the backpackers for 30 sols. Christmas
dinner was on Peruvian time so even thou the owner said 730pm we did not start
till 830 which was then a huge feast of food too much for everyone one of us to
finish. Force dinner and everyone make friends on the dinner table but since
the table was so long only the immediate right left and forward got most of the
attention.
That’s when we meet Atin from South Africa. Shit South
Africa …. You clean of Ebola? Yeah its overrated he said. Salute more drinks and
a new friend. It was a good night but an early one for me since I was way too
tired from all the traveling
Christmas Day &
White Water Rafting
Atin now tag along me and Illiot walking around the city.
The idea was to visit the monastery museum but of course it was close. They did
not believe me till they were at the front door with disbelieve on their faces.
Walking around town by some miracle the tour agency is still open and we
checked and within less than a minute they were booked into a tour for white
water rafting. I was dragged along for 80 Sols.
The river that runs from the mountains cuts straight across
Arequipa and we hurried back to the hostel chuck our stuff, change and off we
were in the van driving upstream to the starting point.
Here you go wet suits, jacket, helmet …. Huh ???? The river
water was apparently freezing cold although it was burning hot in the
afternoon.
A good two hours later we reach the end of the rafting …
class 3 and class 4 … pretty easy really but good fun and apparently cheap as
well according to South Africa and Australia standards. I keep remembering it
was much much cheaper in Bali …. But oh well …
So Atin decided to join us instead of leave on his own for
Colca Canyon. The three amigos were born with such a weird combination. South
East Asia, South Africa, Australia.
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