We arrived around 7am in Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru, and a lot drier that Cusco although still located at 2,300m of elevation (~7,500 feet). We walked to our hostel and were happy to find out that, though early, our room had been vacated already so they just had to do a quick cleaning and we were then able to relax for a bit before starting the day.
After dropping our bags off and having some coca tea, we opted to visit the city with a walking tour. The guide was a bit spazzy to say the least, but at least took us around the most famous parts of the city, and explained a lot of the beautiful architecture as we walked by. This is another “White City” due to the volcanic ash used to make most of the bricks that many of the old houses are made out of. The guide also explained a lot of the decorations, and how they were a blend of pre-incan, Incan, and Spanish culture all in one place.
After the walking tour, we were starving so went to one of the “Picanterias”, which are traditional eating places in Areqipa. Alejandro had Adobo, a criolle type soup, and Cassie had Chicharron. Just what we needed!
Now with satisfied bellies, we had to play some catch-up on life at our hostel, and relaxed a bit. Arequipa is also well known for their gastronomy so the search was on for a good restaurant! And we definitely found it and were able to make reservations for that same night. A delightful 7 course meal awaited us!
The meal walked through many Peruvian/Arequipan dishes with local/traditional ingredients, such as Rocotto Relleno, Cuy (guinea pig), and Cebiche. The dishes were all delicious and the presentations spectacular. We would eat there again any time!
Now, finally, it was time for bed.
Travel Fun With Cassie and Alejandro 