Arequipa - The White City and Pearl of Peru

At around eight o'clock in the morning, our tour bus arrived at the Arequipa terminal. We were all exhausted from the long overnight journey, and we could only check in after eleven o'clock. After a local breakfast and a short power nap, we started our sightseeing tour of the "White City" located at the foot of the volcanoes Misti (5822m), Chachani (6075m), and Pichu Pichu (5425m). The city is located 1000 km south of Lima at an altitude of 2350m. Arequipa's well-preserved old town makes it one of the most beautiful cities in Peru. It definitely reminds me of Lisbon. It is called "The White City" because it was built with white volcanic stone. It is located near the Río Chili, where fruits and vegetables have always thrived, bringing prosperity to the city. We visited the Plaza de Armas with its huge cathedral. In the background, you could see the Chachani volcano, providing a magnificent view. Just a few steps away, there is a true colonial gem, the Iglesia la Compañia. The facade is richly decorated with flowers, leaves, shells, and cacti. What is particularly remarkable about the sacristy is that the walls and ceilings are completely adorned with colorful frescoes. I have never seen anything like it before. Of course, there are many more beautiful churches that I will not list here. To this day, there is a large monastery in the city called Santa Catalina, which we did not have time to visit. In the late afternoon, we spontaneously decided to go on a trek in the Colca Canyon, and we didn't have much time to prepare.