Arequipa - The White City

After four nights in Lima, I felt the need for more tranquility and therefore headed to the Andes. There are two ways to escape Lima.

Option 1: Take a domestic flight. It's better to book in advance as the cheap seats sell out quickly.

Option 2: The bus. Mom chose this option to get to Arequipa. I recommend, as I was also recommended before, choosing Cruz del Sur as the provider. And here we are definitely not stingy and choose a regular seat for about 25 bucks, but for just 10 more euros the 'Suite' option. I'm telling you, business class seats!!! They are much needed for a 16-hour journey. Nevertheless, my butt still got sore from sitting too long.

If you don't have much time to spare, it's a good idea to travel overnight. The bus rocks you to sleep nicely.

Arriving at the bus terminal in the industrial area of Arequipa, you can only take a taxi to the hostel from there. Be careful: Don't let them rip you off. A ride costs around 10 n/S. and the price is fixed before the trip. My instinct didn't let me down and my heavily breathing, I think heart-insufficient driver took me safely to the hostel. Thank goodness his pump held up in traffic.

At first glance, Arequipa is also a loud city. After touching up my makeup, I headed to Plaza de Armas and it became very quiet. The square and some streets around it are not accessible to cars. Although I had to realize that the pollution from cars and buses is probably just as high as in Lima. In the afternoon, my sunscreen turned black and peeled off my face. Lovely!!! By the way, you can pay homage to it on almost every corner there. No, I won't show any pictures from the interior of countless churches. You know, as soon as I step through the portal of an ultra-Catholic church, all hell breaks loose. However, I made a small exception, but more on that later.

Now let's talk about what you can experience in Arequipa.

El mercado de San Camilo

A market hall designed by Gustav Eiffel, offering all kinds of delicacies. My dear fruit and vegetable lovers, that's the place to be!!! Eldorado sends its regards!

Plaza de Armas

Historic city center with the Church of San Agustín. Definitely take a stroll through the many side streets around the square.

Mirador de Yanahuara

It offers a wonderful view of the city and the mountains. So put on your long-distance high heels and off you go.

At this point, Mom's insider tip: El Mirador de Yanahuara is not the final stop for you. Away from the smaller crowds of tourists who are there and further uphill via quiet stairs and dreamy paths. The view of the mountains gets even better.

El Monestario Santa Catalina

As announced, I went briefly ultra-Catholic. As an old prayer sister, I paid a visit to Mother Superior. It's definitely worth it!!! A whole village opens up with many small streets and nooks. A meditative atmosphere spreads while walking through this little town within the city.

You can spend a maximum of two days in Arequipa.

Most people usually travel to Cusco first. This is not recommended because Cusco is at 3300m. And you'll get knocked out by the thin air. Especially if you arrive by plane. So take a stopover in Arequipa (2300m) to acclimatize and drink a nice hot coca tea from time to time. In case of emergency, if you have a headache, ibuprofen and a nap will help ;-)

In this sense, "Take a breath"

Have Fun & Be Proud!

Your Jan/Mom