Great city, greater people

So I arrived at the Arequipa bus station, and the Lonely Planet warned about how corrupted the taxi drivers in this city are. I knew I had to be careful. The area around the station was a mess. Dirty, noisy, run-down. Regrettably, I hailed a cab (I always like to walk) to the city center, Plaza del Armas. And helllooooo Peru! The town center (aka tourist hub) was absolutely gorgeous! Large, white colonial buildings surround the plaza, and it's rightfully called the White City. I also booked a hostel near the bar district, right by the center called Wild Rover. I would recommend this hostel for anybody going to Arequipa, Cuzco, or La Paz.




I met some peeps in my room and at the bar in the hostel. As a huge tourist country full of backpackers, it was rather easy to meet people here. Actually, it really reminded me of Thailand. Many people in both countries fly in and out without venturing farther because of either time constraints or that country is just THAT awesome. But they're both countries steeped in rich, interesting history, great parties, and cheap! Compared to Argentina and Chile, I thought that the travelers in Peru are crazier and more about having fun.

After 2 nights of going out, it was time for Colca Canyon! Oh wait, backtrack. With some people I met from th nights before, we had a nice lazy sunday afternoon. I really need to recommend the Ice Princess, Juanita, museum. The Incas used to sacrifice virgins on top of 6000m mountains to appease the mountain gods. One of the most well preserved virgins is on display at this museum with all of the offerings around her in the sacrificial cave. A well spent 20 S./

But this really makes me think about the ethics of archeology. Of course, I appreciate the information, and it is very interesting to go to a museum full of artifacts and mummified bodies. But who are we to dig up these sacrifices to the gods - it clearly was not their purpose. Is it right for us exploit these centuries old culture for our sake?

Well, anyways, after a looong coffee break and a stroll around town, we went for a cerviche, a classic Peruvian dish. Raw fish, seafoods, mollusks, yam, maize, drizzled with lime and onions. Kind of like sour sashimi.



Ok, so th 2 day, 1 night Colca Canyon trek. It's the deepest canyon in the world at 3191m deep, twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The only question I have is - what is the distinction between canyons, valleys, gorges, etc? Because this one seemed more like a valley. But in any case, it was beautiful, saw a lot of Andean condors, the biggest birds in the world, met some nice people, with whom I went clubbing after the trek.







By the time I finished the trek, I had already been in Arequipa for 5 days, and as nice as the place is, it was time for me to get a move on. Next stop: Puno.

- Ryoji