PERU
Country Overview:
"Arequipa, the white city of Peru and the gateway to the Colca Canyon, offers travelers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty."
Located in the heart of southern Peru, Arequipa is a city that showcases the best of what the country has to offer. From its stunning colonial architecture and rich cultural heritage, to its beautiful natural surroundings and delicious cuisine, Arequipa has something for everyone. Arequipa is a hidden gem — it's a place where you can experience the very best of Peruvian culture and history, all while enjoying the beauty of the Andes mountains and the Colca Canyon. Whether you're looking to explore the city's historic center, sample its delicious cuisine, or simply relax in its peaceful surroundings, Arequipa should definitely be on your travel list.
I lived in Arequipa, Peru from September 2011 to November 2012. I taught English, practiced Muay Thai, and got really into learning Peruvian slang. I also visited Lima, Cuzco, Colca Canyon, and Playa Mollendo.
Camana, Peru
These are some fotos taken in Camaná, Peru. It’s always nice to get out of Arequipa, if only for the weekend. I’ve got less than a week left in AQP until I am off to Cuzco and then the States. It’s been an incredible 13 months and I am absolutely going to miss Peru.
3rd times a charm...
Bought my bus tickets for Chile today and because I’m not a fan of Chile, I’m shooting for a round trip visit on Sunday. 12 hours in a bus, 2 hours in a taxi, and a little extra, because after all, it’s South America. This will be my 3rd and final border run and I couldn’t be happier.
Oh look, a gringo!
Got invited to a birthday party last night and I accepted, thinking it would be at most 20 people. Nope. There was a dj, lights, fog machine, full free bar, couch areas in the backyard and more food than was necessary. Of course, I was the only ‘gringo’ which means that everyone and their mom wanted to speak their broken English with me. So I politely put up with 5 minute stories that could have been explained in a sentence, then courteously asked if we could continue the conversation in Spanish.
This happens quite frequently and the worst offenders are the taxi drivers. This is how most of my taxi rides go.
“Where you from gringo?”
“States dude”
“Oh you speak Inglish?”
“Ah, once in awhile”
“Oh me too, mira: One, too, tree, foooor, five!!” Then they start laughing
“Wow, impressive” And then I just start babbling in English until they look confused enough to stop talking. Never fails.
On the road again..
At first I didn’t think anything of it, but yesterday I realized that there are a LOT of atv’s zipping around Arequipa. I also haven’t seen 1 speed limit sign. I suppose due to the amount of taxis and combis a.k.a. traffic congestion, that there really doesn’t reach a point of going faster than 30mph anyway.
MOVING today and couldn’t be more excited. Minus the “Ya it’ll be between 7-10 to install your internet” delay. What’s the deal? Internet on backorder or something?
Some old nun was handing out flyers outside of my school yesterday proclaiming that Halloween was a sin and if we participated, we were all going to hell. I suppose that’s what you get when 90% of the population are rigorous Catholics.
Traffic’s just a bit backed up due to construction. Taxi’s were charging outrageous rates due to the time spent idling in the pile up. The optimistic me thinks that it will all be over soon, but the experienced and pragmatic me knows better.
