Arequipa - the White City on the edge of the Andes

'Are quepay!' - I'm staying here - is what the Inca Prince Mayta Cápac is said to have exclaimed when he came to the area around Arequipa, spoiled by the mild and sunny climate. Surrounded by three volcanoes, the Misti (Mountain without a name, 5,822m above sea level), the Chachani Massif (6,057m above sea level), and the Pichu Pichu (Mountain Mountain, 5,665m above sea level), the city today covers approximately 650 km². With just under 1 million inhabitants, it is the second largest city in Peru and the economic center of the south. As beautiful as the scenery may appear, it is also dangerous. It is assumed that the still active Misti will erupt again within the next 200 years. Such an eruption would have devastating consequences, as there is no evacuation plan similar to Naples.

Although one might think that the nickname 'Cuidad blanco', meaning white city, could be due to the color of the sillar stone from which most of the buildings, especially in the city center, are constructed, this name actually refers to the city's colonial past. The Spanish, who wanted to escape Lima's mosquito-friendly climate, chose Arequipa as their refuge. Therefore, the predominant skin color of most Arequipeñas was white.

The old town of Arequipa impresses with its beautifully designed Plaza Armas with its white cathedral, near where our hostel was located. During an earthquake in 2001, the left tower was destroyed, but it was completely rebuilt by 2004.

Fun fact: Although the interior of the cathedral is rather plain compared to South American standards, the elaborately decorated pulpit made of dark wood stands out. A French artist created a very seductive Satan here, probably the most beautiful devil in the world. As it is said to bring good luck to stroke his tail fin, the poor devil had to be fenced in. Only a pitiful stump of what was probably once a mighty fish tail remains...

Arequipa has a large market hall that was designed by Gustave Eiffel, and this is also evident in the steel beam structure of the roof. We particularly enjoyed the food mile here. After all, we got ceviche, sandwiches, and 'juices' (more like smoothies in Germany) at backpacker-friendly prices.

The selection at the market is incredibly diverse. There, you can get all imaginable everyday foods, such as fruits - familiar and unfamiliar to us -, vegetables of all kinds, breads, fish, meat, but also foods that are unusual in Germany, such as offal (including cow testicles), halved or quartered cow heads, and whole pig heads (all of course without refrigeration).

The small witch market is also fascinating, where you can find all sorts of herbs, tinctures, ointments, and teas, as well as dried llama fetuses. The latter are sacrificed to Pachamama (Mother Earth) before building a house and are said to bring luck and protect the house from collapse (in Cusco, we learned that the llama fetuses are stillborn and not cut alive from the womb, which reassured us!).

Arequipa is also the capital of alpaca wool. So there are many different stores here where you can buy alpaca products. Clothing made from baby alpaca wool, which comes from young animals up to two years old and is therefore particularly soft and comfortable to wear, is mainly offered.

Not far from Plaza de Armas is a small Jesuit church called 'La Compañia' to admire. It is decorated on the outside in the Arequipeña style with baroque-mestizo-indigenous motifs (one can discover pineapples, pumas, and monkeys as well as the coat of arms of the Habsburgs in the elaborate stonework around the main portal), but inside, the abundance of gold and dark wood almost overwhelms us. The special highlight here: a somewhat different Last Supper with typical Peruvian dishes such as corn, chili, potatoes, and of course Cuy, the roasted guinea pig instead of bread.

Arequipa is rich in churches and Spanish influences. This is especially evident in the Santa Katalina Convent, a city within the city. Traditionally, it was the home for the second-born daughters of the wealthy and powerful Spaniards. They did not fare poorly there.

On the way back to Arequipa, we stopped at a high plateau where we could observe vicuñas, llamas, and alpacas.