Arequipa, located in southern Peru, is that nation's second largest city. It is also the capital of the Arequipa Province, and is 633.8 miles from Lima. The city lies in the highlands at the foot of the snow-capped volcano El Misti. El Misti is currently inactive, but erupted strongly between 1438 and 1471. Several smaller eruptions have occurred since then, most recently in 1784. Arequipa has over 80 volcanoes which can be found in the Valley of Volcanoes.
Arequipa has many fine colonial-era Spanish buildings built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic rock used extensively in the city, and from which it gets its nickname La Ciudad Blanca ('the white city'). The historic centre of Arequipa was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2000, in recognition of its architecture and historic integrity. The city is located at an altitude of 2,380 meters (7740 feet) above sea level. El Misti is located beside a bigger volcano Chachani 'the Beloved' and the peak Picchu Picchu 'Top Top' - both named in the Quechua language of the ancient Inca Empire.
The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is a cloistered convent located in Arequipa, Peru. It was built in 1580 and was enlarged in the 17th century. The over 20,000-square-meter monastery is predominantly of the Mudejar style, and is characterised by the vividly painted walls. There are approximately 20 nuns currently living in the northern corner of the complex; the rest of the monastery is open to the public.
Built with sillar, the white volcanic rock that gives Arequipa the name of the White City, and ashlar, petrified volcanic ash from Volcan Chachani overlooking the city, the monastery was closed off to the city, but much of it is open to the intensely blue sky over the southern Peruvian desert.
In 1970, when the civic authorities insisted the monastery install electricity and running water, the now poor community of nuns elected to open the greater portion of the monastery to the public in order to pay for the work. The few remaining nuns retreated to a corner of their community and the remainder became one ofthe prime tourist attractions in Arequipa
A drive south along Lake Titicaca to ancient and mysterious monuments. On the way, visit the poetic pueblos of Chucuito, Juli and Pomata, whose churches are jewels of colonial architecture. Chucuito was occupied by the Pukaras, Lupakas and Incas, who left constructions ranging from rustic to extremely fine. It is rich in archaeological remains, such as the phallic temple 'Inka Uyo', devoted to the cult of fertility. A sundial suggests use as a solar and astronomical observatory.
According to the guide 'Then she would sit on top,' pointing to a 1.5-meter high,mushroom-shaped object that many say looks too much like a phallus to be anything else. Incan priests would pour chicha, or corn beer, on the woman trying to conceive and determine the future child's sex by which side of the monolith the libation ran down.
I just wish there was "I Survived Bolivia" T-Shirt, as it would be apt.
Why, you say, Well, for a start we did get into the country with the illegal, unfinished, uninsured truck (thanks for the almost adventure of a border crossing, Kumuka!!), only because we did the dodge run to the south, which is hardly frequented by non-Andeans, and did it first thing in the morning. This was so not on the cards the day before, as not only was the truck a red tape nightmare on wheels, but the main driver had a broken ankle that had blown out and resembled a crocqet mallet, and of course Jose our little offsider driver couldn't reach the pedals (again, great work on the driver application process, Kumuka!!!) Alas the day was almost saved by Kumuka's replacement Peruvian driver who was flown in, well, almost. The morning began with our guides frantically calling replacement Peruvian driver, who was nowhere to be found, at the arranged uber early meeting time, which was necessary to negate boarder crossing issues. Finally, upon reaching said driver by phone, we were told he had somehow got lost and instead of driving the few blocks from the truck park to us waiting nervously in the picanini daylight at the hotel, ended up driving almost back to Cuzco.
Oh yeah, we were really in great spirits by the time he smashed his way back to where he was meant to be. So when he offered a hand for each of the ladies to clamber into the unfinished but not-as-bad-as-we-were-expecting truck, you can imagine the response.
This was just the beginning of what was to come. Sitting in the front of the truck's cargo area, we were in a precarious position above the cabin, giving my two new Kiwi girlfriends, Adrian and I front seat tickets to "YAY, THERE IS A MADMAN AT THE WHEEL". Believe me, I've been in with some crazy drivers (my dad for one), but this guy was something else. After amost decapitating a a line of donkeys and mowing down several dogs.may I remind you of our front seat status,a certain Kiwi lady, who felt one such canine's demise under the several sets of truck tyres, had had enough. The dunny bell was rung, the truck came to a "thank God I'm alive" halt, and Peruvian replacement driver was grinning with outstretched hand, ready to help said Kiwi lady down for her requested dunny stop.
It was on, I thought South American screaming match was something to behold- oh no- said Kiwi lady made it clear to non-English speaking Peruvian replacement driver that she was #??#$#%& &/%&%&%$%;)(/&$?!%; $#$%&&%&//((/()/ %$#?/))=$$#$#&%%$#$%%&%?.
or something similar, you know how the Kiwi accent is hard to pick up sometimes.
At a decidedly more sedate pace, we trundled to the border. Let's just say truck, no dramas, all other passengers, no dramas, David, well, let's just say Hitler would have an easier time getting into to Israel then I did getting into Bolivia.
Luckily, our sedately driver had pulled up a little on the gung ho attitude, as the bridge which formed an almost East/West Berlin frontier was oddly packed with traditionally dressed Andean women with their wares spread out for sale... I didn't really concentrate too much on the traffic jam, as my mind, as juvenile as it is, just kept trying to see what nation's currency they were using.
