Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
After leavinhg the girls in Santiago I went to the airport and of course I could not check in as there was no LAN flights scheduled to leave until 6am.My flight was at 8.30am.So I settled myself on a bench and tried to sleep but couldn't.Used my laptop for a while but then the battery went flat.Tried to sleep-couldn't.So I stayed up until Check-In opened and I checked in and hanged around departure lounge for awhile until I realised that I had no hostel booked for Arequipa, which was my next destination.I sms'd Peter and got him to organise a room for me which he did.I caught my flight to Lima and slept part way through although nothing decent enough to make me feel refreshed.I waited for 2-3hrs at Lima airport for my flight to Arequipa.
Again I slept on and off on the plane.I didn't get up lunch as I was so sleepy.I got to Arequipa at 4pm.As I walked out the airport, wondering about how to organise a taxi, I see a man holding a sign with my name on it!!I then realised that I had 2 hostels booked.
Before I left Adelaide I had sent an e-mail request for a single room reservation at The Point Hostel.I had not heard form them so assumed that they had not booked me a room.I decided to go with the Taxi driver from the Point hostel as it meant no hassles with figuring a taxi.I got there and got my own private room-woohoo.A good night's sleep!!!
Mind you I headed out straight away to check out the Plaza De Armas.Which again is very impressive. Beautiful buildings surrounding the square.It was 5ish by then and the Plaza was packed with people. And it is a busy place for traffic as well.All you see are these little yellow cars-taxis- everywhere.And they drive so crazy!!!I walked around a bit and tried to get a one day tour of the ColcaCanyon but it was not easy to find. The 2 day tour is more popular.I went to a travel agent and this girl was very helpful.She was going to book me for a one day tour on Friday for USD$30 but then said to me that I should do the 2day tour for USD$25 as it is better.I let her talk me into it.I had
wanted to visit the Santa Catalina Convent but I'm not really a museum person.I had already seen the Plaza De Armas and that's the main attraction in the city of Arequipa anyway.So I paid for my tour.I also booked a seat on a nice bus to Cusco on Friday night at AUD$45.I could have paid half that but decided to take the luxurious bus as the seat reclines into a bed and you have dinner and breakfast included and there is a waiter!! Plus it has a better toilet! SOLD!!
I headed to a restaurant I had passed by before and went inside for dinner.I decided to have a Cuy (fried guinea pig) for dinner and a Matte de Coca (coca tea).The cuy was not bad. Sort of like chicken but a bit fattier.They serve it to you with the head and its little feet. It still looks like an animal.That was a bit off-putting.But I finished it off.Had my coca tea and no I did not get high as some people suggested may happen.One thing I'm glad of though is that I have not had any feeling of altitude sickness.We go a bit further up the mountains in the next 2 days so I hope I still don't get sick. I hope I don't get sick in Cusco as it is even higher.But by coming to Arequipa I'm acclimatising as I am going further up at altitude slowly.
After dinner I came back to the hostel and had a long shower.Then I packed.I decided to download my photos onto my laptop and found out I have taken 620 photos in 5 days.It took a bloody long time to download as well.I had to go down to the office in the hostel to plug in my laptop as there is no power point in my room!!?! I also had to recharge my digital camera battery.It ran out while I was in Plaza De Armas so I didn't get a chance to take lots of photos. Let's hope it lasts 2 days.I brought my old camera with 2 rolls of films just in case!!
- comments