Arequipa

The night bus ride was pleasant, but it wasn't the best. Arequipa is much bigger than I thought, located at 2235 meters altitude and 1000 km south of Lima. This means the weather is much more pleasant, but the sun is more dangerous. I took a taxi to my Couchsurfing host Alberto. He lives in a small apartment in Miraflores, about a 25-minute walk from the city center. Very nice person and speaks perfect English, he used to live in the USA. After the bus ride I wanted to take a shower, but unfortunately the water stopped in Arequipa. It wasn't there again until after 6 p.m., so it smelled unpleasant all day. He had another guest, Jose from Lima, whose English was again difficult. But we managed it and in the afternoon we went through the city, to various viewpoints, went to a llama park and had a delicious meal. Arequipa is very beautiful, many colonial buildings, churches and monasteries in the city center and all decorated with white volcanic rock. It is also called the white city. The city is surrounded by volcanoes, with Misti being the highest at over 5,800 meters. Cash is a problem, you only get 100 Soles notes in the exchange offices and ATMs, but everyone here pays with an app and hardly has any change. Unfortunately, getting this app is not that easy. Alberto works in a bar and in the evening I visited him and drank Pisco Saur, which was actually delicious except for the raw egg. There is a lot of life in the city and there are many dance groups in the squares.

The next day with Alberto starts off relaxed. After breakfast I went to the biggest market in the city, it was a hustle and bustle and there was every kind of food available. I wouldn't buy fish or meat there. But coca tea and chicha were delicious. Afterwards I went to a museum about the Incas in the region. They sacrificed people on the volcano slopes, they were preserved by the frost and a frozen girl was on display there, Juanita. The tour was very interesting. A lot has been learned about the sacrificial offerings and rituals. Before she was killed, she was drugged with cocaine and alcohol. It is believed that the girl agreed to this voluntarily because that was how she was raised. But only nobles were considered for the gods. Afterwards I went on a city tour and then took the bus back for 1 soles. It wasn't that easy, but there are many helpful Peruvians. The panorama with the Andes and the volcanoes is impressive; at night you can see the lights of a huge mine on the outskirts of town. Another guest joins us, Julio. I played Uno with them, the best travel game even if you don't speak the same language.

After breakfast with the Peruvian shared apartment, I hiked with Jose along the city river Chili. Wonderful, green and pleasantly cool, fresh air and not this smog. It's Sunday and many families have been relaxing there. In the afternoon I did a few errands in the city. When Alberto came back from work we made Pisco Saur, they were strong. UNO was even funnier. The three Peruvians are nice, but enough for now.

Monday, Day 17. I had found a place through Workaway that sounded really good. I would describe it as a hippie project in the wilderness. With the minivan over mountains, valleys and desert I went to Lo Roya in the south, a small town with a bit of agriculture. Then take a taxi to the place. Very nice place located on mountain slopes. You grow fruits, vegetables and cannabis. 7 other travelers were there and it was a bit like a shared apartment. Very relaxed atmosphere. There will be a mescal and ayahuasca "ceremony" at the weekend that a few people want to take part in. But in the end it's about a drug trip.

There was literally no internet at all, contrary to the Workaway profile description, and everyone spoke Spanish. No, I can't last a week like that. So I called it quits and went all the way back to Arequipa. It's a shame about the 2 days, it happened. I also feel a bit sickly. The next 2 days I'm going on a tour through Colca Canyon. It rained for the first time in the evening, wonderful.