Arequipa buying snow

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Arequipa buying snow

Peru: Arequipa August , We arrived in Arequipa around pm. We got an apathetic taxi driver who claimed to know where our hostel was, but had no clue. Once again, I, the tourist, had to take out my map and help the local taxi driver find the right street. Which was, actually, understandable. The traffic was horrendous, as was the pollution. Arequipa is a very dry city and is sparsely vegetated. There was only one decrepit palm tree poking above the city. We checked into our colorfully painted hostel and Maria showed us our room. I asked if we needed to come down and fill in our passport numbers, but she said something about resting. I thought she meant us, but it turns out she meant herself because for the remainder of the day, her teenage sons ran the hostel. It appeared a little of the Arcaro Travel Luck was returning, because our room had a large window with views of Mt. Misti, the snow-capped volcano that kept watch over Arequipa. Our bathroom also had a window, so it was possible to sit on the toilet and have a view of snow-capped mountains at the same time. Our room had other perks too, such as a shelf, a chair, a TV, an end table, and even an extra bed for our luggage to sleep on. Our rooms up to this point had been Spartan, solely containing beds, so all this extra furniture was a luxury. The room had its pitfalls though. In the course of our stay, the mirror fell off the wall and the handle fell off the toilet. We had to sleep with the bathroom door closed to drown out the metronome of toilet noises. We also asked him for some toilet paper, since the room had not come with any. Traffic in Arequipa. View of Mt. Misti from our window. We headed back out and found a late lunch in a little sandwich shop. I had chicken salad and Zac had a hamburger. Once fed, we walked through the city in the direction of the market. It was housed in a giant building, and the entire area around it was filled with small shops as well. The market was shutting down when we got there, but we still got a glimpse of its grandeur. It was nice to be in a market that was not in the least way oriented towards tourists. We were tired of being on the tourist treadmill and Arequipa was a great city to get off of it. It was big enough that we could escape the tourist district and still have stuff to do, yet it was small enough that we could walk around. In fact, one of the most vibrant places in the city was a big empty spot on the Lonely Planet map. Probably for this reason we seemed to be the only tourists there. We just enjoyed wandering around, feeling like we were having authentic experiences rather than ones fabricated for us. Picture a corn dog, but instead of the corn casing, put a waffle. Then squirt some mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard on top. They were very popular amongst the locals though. We finally settled on a rotisserie chicken restaurant for supper located on a street filled with chicken restaurants. These restaurants could be considered the traditional fast food of Peru. There are set menus to choose from, the equivalent of our fast food combo meals where you get a sandwich, fries and a drink. Irrational, I know. So we each got a fourth of a rotisseried chicken, fries, salad and Cokes. It has real sugar instead of corn syrup. After supper we wandered around some more, and on our way back to our hostel I used the map to make sure we took a different route each time we stumbled upon a grocery store—only the second of our trip. True to form, we walked around inside for a long time, looking at everything. We bought a lot of snacks, and when we got back to our room I lined up everything on our shelf and felt like I had my own shop, except everything was now free. We awoke the next morning to the call and response of roosters and car alarms above the low hum of traffic. Getting up at seven still felt like sleeping in after so many early risings. We were going to stay in Arequipa for two full days and take a night bus to Pisco. So we actually had time to relax—no bus to catch, no tour to rush off to. But seeing dozens of tourist agencies hawking the same tours repulsed us. So we decided to just hang out in Arequipa for two days and be our own tour guides. El Molina de Sabandia. Our goal Tuesday morning was to go to El Molina de Sabandia, a restored mill on the outskirts of Arequipa, in a suburb called Paucarpata. We could have just taken a cab there, but the Lonely Planet gave some directions on how to get there via a combi, the big vans that ply set routes and charge a fraction of what taxi fare would be. Since we had plenty of time and were intent on having more authentic experiences, we set out walking figuring we could get there one way or another. Not far from our hostel, we stopped at a pastry shop for breakfast. I had a coconut custardish thing, and Zac had some chocolate cake ball that was too rich even for him. Duly sugared up, we had to walk pretty far to get to the area where we were supposed to be able to find the combis. I needed a bathroom at some point along the way, having drank a lot of juice from my shop back at the hostel. Sometimes I feel like all my traveling can be summed up as a an eternal quest for a bathroom. Luckily, Zac and I hit upon a clever idea. We could pay a small fee to use the internet at one of the ubiquitous internet cafes, and use the bathroom there. Ironically, it was actually cheaper to do this than to pay the public restroom entrance fee. We eventually made it to a part of town where we started to see combis, so we figured we were on the right track. I started asking people where I could find the combi to El Molina de Sabandia. This time, it was with far more success. We finally hit upon a man who indicated that we were on the right street. He even waited with us until the correct combi appeared. We got on and rode merrily through Arequipa, feeling very proud of ourselves. He pointed down a dusty road. We got out and walked down that dusty road. Sure enough, we arrived at the mill. It was almost disappointingly easy. From what I can translate from the Spanish on the back of my ticket, the mill was built in and rescued from ruins in Zac even found some corn laying around and tossed it under the rotating grindstone. The grounds were very pretty—there was grass and the stream was lined with willow trees. There was no tour, and we were free to wander around as we pleased. This really bothered Zac. Plaza de Armas in Arequipa. After the mill, we walked toward what we guessed was the center of Paucarpata, thinking it would be nice to have lunch there. We started to get off, but some other passengers wildly protested. We decided to stay on the bus until they told us to get off. Sure enough, it took us right to the Plaza de Armas. This little journey demonstrated the heartening side of travel. For every tout that sells you a crappy tour, for every taxi driver that increases the fare because you are a tourist, there are ordinary people on the street who help you get the ride combi, and people who advise you to not get off at the market they deem too dangerous for tourists. So there are the exploiters and the protectors, the devils and the angels. Sera snacks on popcorn bought from a street vendor. Juanita, the ice princess. According to our tour guide, she lived as a maiden in the Incan empire, where she would have been raised to be a sacrifice for the gods. At about age 12, she was taken to the top of the mountain, given alcohol, then had her head bashed in. She laid frozen in the fetal position for about years on top of that mountain until Johan came along and found her. The part that impressed me the most was that these crazy Incan people were out climbing on top of 21, foot snow-capped mountains without crampons or thermal sleeping bags. After the museum, we continued our Arequipan wanderings, then took a taxi to the bus station to purchase our ticket to Pisco. On our way back up to the center of town, we had a friendly taxi driver. Using our cave-man Spanish, we chatted about travel and cars. We supped at a rooftop tourist restaurant near the Plaza de Armas where we ordered off the cheaper set menu. Our meal was preceded by a delicious asparagus soup. Breakfast brawl. The next morning, we packed up our belongings and checked out of our room. We found a little restaurant offering breakfast just around the corner from our hostel. After an old man left, we were the only people there. We were served bread, coffee Nescafe , jam, real butter a first! But the real highlight, even better than the real butter, was the two year old restaurant kid. But then she asked our names, and I asked hers something that sounded like Jane. Then she brought out a little advertisement magazine and began ripping out pages. It all went downhill from there, as she and Zac proceeded to have a very animated paper fight. She crawled around on the floor, hid behind tables and chairs, and giggled and babbled incessantly. When Zac went to the restroom, I took over the paper-ball fight duties. She was subdued, but when her mom went back in the kitchen, she cautiously, rebelliously, threw a few balls of paper at me. It was the most delightful way to start the day—a wonderful little non-fabricated experience. Our goal for the day was to walk to the suburb of Yanahuara. There were directions in the Lonely Planet , and after our success from the day before, we felt confident. Plus, in Arequipa the air and traffic are very bad, so an excursion to a quiet suburb sounded nice. On the walk there, we had to cross a bridge that should have been heavily trafficked, but we noticed police had closed it off and were diverting traffic else where. Of course, we had no idea why, but we looked around and all the pedestrians were walking across it like normal, so we did too. A little further on, we began to understand why traffic was being diverted. There appeared to be a large construction worker protest going on in front of the police station. We stopped at a safe distance and watched for a while, but not much appeared to be happening. The police that were redirecting traffic seemed calm. We deemed it safe to continue walking, as all the other pedestrians were, and we continued on the sidewalk, right behind the protest. There were a lot of police and a lot of people with big sticks, some with nails stuck into them. I was terrified, but kept walking calmly. After we passed through unscathed, Zac and I both breathed huge sighs of relief. Our route then turned up into a peaceful neighborhood, eventually culminating in a beautiful palm-filled plaza with excellent views of Mt. Misti and the surrounding ranges. We wandered over to the stone arches that so perfectly framed the mountains, and then wandered over to the really old church and had a look at it. We used an internet bathroom that actually had a toilet seat, which was exciting. Having exhausted all there was to do alas, the suburbs are perhaps a little too peaceful we headed back down a different street. Where it met the main road, we found an nice little enclosed market selling a lot of toys and some food. The set menu came with a generous bowl of soup, a main dish Zac: chicken and rice; Sera: beans and rice , juice, and a banana. We also ordered an Inka Cola to share. This was our cheapest meal so far. After lunch, we walked back to the market and went up to the second level so we could have a good view of the whole place. We ended up spending several minutes overlooking a smoothie stand. Outside of the market, we bought some queso helado from a vendor. It was delicious homemade-tasting ice cream. To kill some time, we went up to one of the balcony restaurants overlooking the Plaza de Armas. Zac had coffee, I had tea, and we split a lemon pie. Location, location, location. We loitered up there for at least an hour, watching tour busses unload, probably back from Colca Canyon. We ate supper in a candle lit restaurant, not far from our hostel, that had no other customers. I had chicken noodle soup and spaghetti; Zac had avocado salad and chicken. It was finally time to take a taxi to the bus station. Throughout the whole trip, our hostel hosts tried to warn us that taxi drivers were not to be trusted and we should always get the number off the side of their door. I felt bad for the taxi drivers, being treated like criminals this way, and we always felt perfectly safe with them. But this ride to the bus station was scary. We had all our stuff with us, and I was beginning to suspect he was going to take us to some friends of his who would rob us. Our suspicions, fueled by cautionary hostel owners, were completely unfounded. This guy just knew how to avoid traffic jams, and safely deposited us outside the bus station in record time. I checked in at our bus station desk, and the lady said that our bus had changed. We would now be leaving at which in reality became pm. We had nothing to do but sit at the bus station and read for three hours until our bus came. Traffic in Arequipa window in our hostel room View of Mt. Misti from our window bedroom at our hostel View of mountains from our window balcony at our hostel faucet We headed back out and found a late lunch in a little sandwich shop. So rare in Arequipa Cacti collection at the mill Virgin protector Paucarpata After the mill, we walked toward what we guessed was the center of Paucarpata, thinking it would be nice to have lunch there. Breakfast brawl The next morning, we packed up our belongings and checked out of our room. Yanahuara Our goal for the day was to walk to the suburb of Yanahuara. Arequipa We arrived in Arequipa around pm. View of mountains from our window. So rare in Arequipa. Cacti collection at the mill. Virgin protector. Paucarpata After the mill, we walked toward what we guessed was the center of Paucarpata, thinking it would be nice to have lunch there. Sera buys fried dough from a street vendor in Arequipa. Nearly all the lights in Peru were the new energy efficient kind.

Trujillo vs Arequipa

Arequipa buying snow

Arequipa is one of my favorite cities in South America. The beauty of the colonial center is rivaled only by the surrounding nature, highlighted by the three volcanoes that tower over the city. While quickly becoming more and more popular among travelers, Arequipa is still a bit of a hidden gem. Backpackers quickly find themselves falling in love with this city. Arequipa is beautiful, affordable, and has a treasure trove of adrenaline-inducing adventures just outside of the city. Within the city limits, Arequipa also has a lot of culturally and historically significant sites. Throw in a vibrant nightlife scene that lasts well into the morning and you have everything a backpacker could dream of. And hey, if this post helps you out, show some love and support for the blog and help keep my adventures going by buying me a beer! My adventures are entirely self-funded, so any show of support is greatly appreciated. It allows me to keep providing free travel guides and creating travel content to help you all travel the world. This post contains affiliate links. That means that I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Arequipa is a big city, making it an important hub for both travelers and local Peruvians alike. Because of this, transportation to and from Arequipa is very reliable and very frequent. Local bus is the cheapest way to get to Arequipa. All of these places offer direct buses to Arequipa. Unfortunately, Arequipa is quite far from these cities. Most trips will require a night bus, or a lengthy day bus. For those looking for a more convenient, hassle-free approach to traveling within Peru, Peru Hop is the best option. You will get picked up from your accommodation along the Peru Hop route and dropped off right at your accommodation in Arequipa. It was so nice rolling into the city at around 6 AM and not having to worry about how to get to my hostel. Arequipa does have an airport, being the second largest city in Peru and all. Flights within Peru are quite cheap, depending on the airport you are flying from. I highly recommend bus travel in Peru, instead. Each bus feels like a first-class flight and it is much cheaper than a flight. Arequipa is fantastic for backpackers, and one of the cheaper cities in Peru to visit. Mercaderes Backpackers MB Hostel. Their rooftop is quite the vibe for sunset views and beers. It is also surprisingly cheap, considering its central location, free breakfast, and awesome rooftop. The beds are nothing to write home about but they are good enough. Book MB Hostel on Hostelworld. Wild Rover Hostel. This place is absolutely nuts. I stayed here for a few nights my first time in Arequipa and absolutely loved it. I opted for quieter hostels my second time around but eventually, the call of the party was too strong. Wild Rover is the ideal place to pregame before a night out, but as a hostel, it stands pretty strong on its own as well. The beds are nice, the Wi-Fi is decent, and they even have a pool. Arequipay Backpackers. Free is the name of the game at Arequipay Backpackers. Free breakfast, ree yoga, free bicycle rentals, free everything besides the room, basically. This hostel sets the gold standard in Arequipa. They even have a fitness room, common kitchen, and each bed comes with curtains, plugs, and a reading light. Book Arequipay Backpackers on Hostelworld. Selina Arequipa. If you have stayed at a Selina before, you know their dedication to creating an amazing and aesthetic home base for travelers. Selina Arequipa is one of their best, boasting a pool along with all of the other amenities you would find at a Selina. Selina has it all. Book Selina Arequipa on Hostelworld. Where does one even begin with Arequipa? This city seems to have it all, whether you prefer chilling or nonstop adventures. There are plenty of options for hikers looking to summit behemoths, thrill seekers looking for the adrenaline rush of white water rafting or downhill mountain biking, and those that would prefer to sit in the gardens of a monastery. Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Many people come to Arequipa just to do Colca Canyon before falling in love with the city and staying much longer. I somehow missed out on Colca Canyon my first time in Arequipa but made sure to check it off the list when I returned a few years later. The Colca Canyon trek can be done in two or three days , although I highly recommend just knocking it out in two days. It takes you through the canyon itself, where you can see incredible scenery and wildlife, all while surrounded by the towering walls of the canyon itself. You spend the night in an oasis at the bottom of the canyon where you can truly grasp the immense size and depth of Colca. It is unbelievable. The next morning requires an early morning wake up call and a difficult climb all the way up to the top of the canyon. However, you can get a horse, making Colca Canyon pretty accessible for everyone. This started popping up on my Instagram feed and I knew I had to go. It looks like a wannabe Petra, but carved into volcanic stone, hence its off-white color. The tour also included a few other stops, including through a cool, little canyon and a mirador filled with figures sculpted from volcanic stone. Looking at you, Huaraz. And I did. A lot. I came here one time while nursing a bad hangover a few years ago. I stayed for hours and hours. It was so peaceful, beautiful, and empty that I literally just napped on top of a church while taking in some incredible views of the city and the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, that was back in I returned to Arequipa in to find out that the once-chill monastery had now upped their entrance fees and had become packed with tourists. The Plaza de Armas of Arequipa is arguably the most beautiful in all of Peru. The white buildings built from sillar are as beautiful as it gets. It gets even more stunning when the setting sun basks them in gold. The park in the center is covered in beautiful greenery and is one of the best hangout spots in town. It definitely helps that people are always coming around selling queso helado which is one of my favorite things in the world. Arequipa is arguably the best place in Peru for food-lovers. It is hard to steal that crown from Lima and its thousands and thousands of diverse restaurants, but for its size, it is hard to find anywhere better than Arequipa. The local food scene in Arequipa is incredible, and there are tons of local dishes and delicacies that you need to try. Aside from local food, Arequipa also excels at pretty much every other type of food out there. I gorged myself on vegan sushi and vegan pizzas. This Plaza sits at about a minute walk from the main hub of Arequipa. However, it is worth it to come here for the sunset. You get as clear of a view of Misti as you can get from within the city. The plaza is always bustling and full of life and allows you to see a different, more local side of the city outside of the touristic center. After cycling down Death Road in Bolivia, I was itching for that same taste of adrenaline. Arequipa truly has it all. Although I prefer keeping myself dry, I noticed that quite a few tour agencies offered white water rafting adventures. Thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies have yet another reason to love this city. At its altitude of 5, meters, it is not for the faint of heart. Even the most hardened trekkers will find that it is quite the challenge. The trek up to Misti requires two days, with the second being a brutal midnight start to reach the summit before the sun rises and starts melting the snow. I have yet to bring myself to do this, but have heard it is one of the most rewarding challenges one can take on. Chachani stands at an imposing altitude 6, meters. However, it is actually an easier hike than the slightly lower Volcan Misti. Most trekking agencies that take you up Chachani start at a much higher altitude. While still difficult and rewarding, Chachani is not anywhere near as difficult as Misti. For travelers and trekkers looking to summit their first 6, meter monster, then Chachani might be the volcano for you. The nightlife in Arequipa is what surprised me the most my first time in this city. I showed up at my hostel at around 9 PM and the party was pumping. We went nightclub hopping and ended up having a fantastic time to kick off my few days in Arequipa. Like I mentioned earlier, Wild Rover Hostel is an unbeatable spot to pregame. As a backpacker, it is where you can meet dozens and dozens of fellow travelers looking to have fun. They always have affordable drinks, and at happy hour, it gets even cheaper. These usually start filling up around 1 AM or so. Some good streets to check out would be Calle San Francisco and Ugarte. Most of the bars and nightclubs are within a few blocks of the Plaza de Armas. I could gush on and on about just how perfect of a destination Arequipa is. Arequipa is arguably the most beautiful city in Peru. The gastronomy scene is among the most fire in the country, which is saying something. And of course, the wide range of adrenaline-inducing adventures for thrill-seekers is a big plus. Mountain biking down volcanoes, summiting 6, meter behemoths at sunrise, white water rafting down crazy rivers are just a few of the options. If this post helped you out, show some love and support for the blog and help keep my adventures going by buying me a beer! My adventures are entirely self-funded, so any show of support is greatly appreciated, and allows me to keep writing helpful travel guides and creating travel content to help you all travel the world on a budget. Definitely think by air is the best way to go. It has been a while since I have been in Peru, now I need to plan a trip and visit this destination, looks amazing. I have definitely not spent enough time in Arequipa. I did enjoy the Colca Canyon though, it is such a special place, especially where the condors fly above your heads. My backpacking days are long behind me, but my traveling days are not! Peru is high on my list of countries to see, and Arequipa looks awesome! Great info on this town- I was unfamiliar. Do you find the PeruHop worth it financially if you have kids? Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive. Type your email…. Continue reading. Skip to content. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading It has been a while since I have been in Peru, now I need to plan a trip and visit this destination, looks amazing Loading What a great post sharing all the information required while visiting Peru. Thanks for sharing! What gorgeous photos. I dont know that I can sit on an airplane that long. What a beautiful place! I love the volcano backdrops and would love to visit Ruta del Sillar! Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Discover more from The Partying Traveler Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive. Type your email… Subscribe. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website.

Arequipa buying snow