Arequipa

I spent two days in the city of Arequipa in southern Peru. Most of the large colonial buildings are made of a distinctive white stone that is easily carved into complex designs. The cathedral stretches along one side of the main square. The building has been an exercise on perseverance. It has been gutted by a fire, toppled in one earthquake and one tower fell in another. The interior was very simple compared to other major cathedrals that I saw, no intricate murals or naves on every side.

Arequipa is in a very dry climate. The hills are brown and there are cacti everywhere, but there is a river through the city and they still grow crops there. 

I went into a small art school that I passed on the street. In the courtyard were straw figures of a man on a bike and two mermaids. Inside there was an exhibit of origami art.

There are three mountains overlooking the city, El Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu. There is a folk tale that says that El Misti loves Chachani and that she love him back. Pichu Pichu also loves Chachani,   and cries because she doesn't love him back. That is why there are two lakes on the side of Pichu Pichu. They are his pooled tears.

El Misti

Chachani

Pichu Pichu

I took a bus tour one afternoon. It was the most touristy thing I did while traveling. There were no other backpackers on board, there was an affluent older couple who had sailed down from California, a young couple from Lima visiting for the weekend, and two teenagers that seemed to have bought the ticket just to get away from their parents and make out in the back of the bus. 

One of the stops was an old water mill. We were able to see how the stream was diverted through the building to power the stone grinder. It was very interesting to the ingenuity of old technology.