Peru Day 5 & 6 - White City Arequipa

Arequipa 7,314 feet above sea level.

I was asleep in most part of the Cruz del Sur overnight bus ride from Nazca to Arequipa City. In fact, I fell asleep as soon as we left Nazca around midnight. I woke up twice when the bus was going through zigzag road up in the mountains and when Tina woke me up to look at the beautiful coastline. 

Arequipa is the colonial-era capital of Peru’s Arequipa Region. Framed by 3 volcanoes, it's filled with baroque buildings constructed from sillar, a white volcanic stone. Its historic center is anchored by the Plaza de Armas, a stately main square flanked on its north by the 17th-century neoclassical Basilica Cathedral, which houses a museum displaying religious objects and artwork. It is Peru's second-biggest city after Lima with over 861,000 inhabitants.

The road leading to Arequipa is beautiful and I was able to glimpse parts of it going through narrows in between high rocks and tunnels. As we near Arequipa in the bright morning, two of the three distinct majestic volcanoes are dominating the city skyline making it unique from any city I know. Arequipa's prominent volcanoes are called Misty, Chachani, and the extinct volcanic groups Pichu Pichu. 

Arequipa

We arrived on September 23rd at 11 am later than we expected. Coming to the city is congested with traffic jam and we passed by a busy market. From the bus station, we took a taxi for 10 soles ($3) to our hotel near Plaza de Armas for about 30 minutes drive through traffic. We stayed at Las Torres de Ugarte and paid cad  $58 per night.

After we checked in and freshened, we asked the Front Desk for directions to Plaza de Armas where we could grab breakfast/lunch. We also inquire about the massage service which is conveniently located two doors down from the hotel. 

Plaza de Armas and its surrounding area are beautiful with cobbled stones and white colonial buildings. Tina and I had a short walk to the historical center and went to the second floor of one of the colonial buildings that formed around the square. We sat on the veranda overlooking the plaza.

The verandas are all dominated by restaurants that surround the square plaza. Food is cheap and delicious. We ordered the cusquena beer and pisco sours to complete our dining experience. We paid 90 soles about $27 including drinks. It was around this time when I started feeling light-headed as if I am feeling high. I am guessing it is the effect of the higher altitude.

After lunch, we went back to our hotel and napped. In the evening we went out again to look for the popular restaurant which I forgot the name. Unfortunately, it was fully booked and they require a reservation. This is my friend Tina's forte to look for those popular restaurants that's why I don't remember the name (that's my alibi... and I am sticking to it...:) ). At one point we were tempted to eat street foods where the vendors set up tables and chairs in the plaza, but we are still being careful before our big trek. So no street food for now. 

Dimas Restaurant

Then we stumbled on a hidden restaurant called Dimas. The restaurant is empty when we walked in but the ambiance is classy and romantic. We checked the menu thinking it is a high-end restaurant and upon seeing the reasonable price, we were sold.

The food was delicious and had a great presentation. We also met a businessman with whom we chatted for a little bit. He too found this restaurant accidentally. Apparently, it is newly opened. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and took turns for a massage. The massage parlor is small so I had to wait in our room before my turn.

On day two, Tina and I went back to the plaza and tried to book a flight to Cuzco the next day. Unfortunately, all flights were sold out so we are taking the overnight bus to Cuzco arriving there tomorrow early morning.

Then we signed up for a city tour on a double-decker bus. Our first stop is Yanahuara District, a suburb within the city of Arequipa. The Plaza Yanahuara has a mirador with a great view of the Misty volcano and a park with huge palm trees. While walking around the plaza and taking photos of the palm trees, I spotted a sun halo and this is around noon time. At first, I thought it was a rainbow but when I look at the picture in my camera, it's actually round then everyone was looking up after I pointed it out. It's my first time to see a sun halo.

Then we drove to the area of Añashuayco, a place where the famous volcanic stone “Sillar” is extracted. Sillar is the white volcanic stone that is used in the construction of colonial buildings in the city of Arequipa. Then we drove to the village of Huasacache and visited the 17th-century mansion which was once owned by Arequipa's founder Garcí Manuel de Carbajal. The last part of the tour is horseback riding which Tina and I did not participate. Instead, we checked the restaurant across the farm but ended up trying a vendor food. After the tour, we rested in our hotel before our evening ride.

Tidbits:
When Tina and I sat in the back of the hotel hoping to get coffee while waiting for our room on day one, I sat beside a turtle ornament, so I thought until it moved. I freaked out and jumped out of my chair. I realized I'm scared of any creatures that move or creatures I've never met before. This is the first time I have encounter a real turtle, I think.

Dimas Restaurant, a great find

  

The Restaurants on the Verandah overlooking Plaza Armas