The SPECS

Arrival: night Bus

Huacachina 10 pm >>> Arequipa 8 am

Hostel: MB Backpackers Hostel

Overall Rating - 7/10

lOCATION - PERFECT, JUST OFF THE MAIN SQUARE

Breakfast - pancakes! (not so vegan friendly though)

comfortable beds, AVERAGE BATHROOMS, great roof top, spotty wifi connection

Will help Organize ventures TO cOLCA cANYON

Vegan Spot: Omphalos Menu Del Dia

Daily vegetarian menu with vegan options, three courses,

get the chocolate passionfruit cake!

Coffee Spots:

La Petite Francaise - No vegan treats but coffee & great wifi

Chaqchao Organics Chocolates - Seriously Cool Balcony to sit on, watch people walking on the pedestrian streets below and catch some sunshine

What to do:

Slow Down & enjoy

Walk old Streets, sit in the main square, visit churches

Epic Food Market

colca canyon - 2 days 1 night

Mountain - Mt. Misti, 2 or 3 day climb, 5822 meters

Departure: night Bus

taxi to bus station

Arequipa 9pm >>> Cusco 7AM

The Story

Arequipa is a beautiful historic city in the far south of Peru. From Lima it's approximately 16 hours by bus, reiterating not only just how massive these South American countries are, but how huge the world is. At this point I had grown fond of long overnight bus rides. With a line up of podcasts, huge windows to gazeout of, a solid snack and the privilege of being able to sleep just about anywhere, I really enjoyed them. The only down side was intense swelling in my ankles, unlike anything I had experienced before, and the terrifying prospect of being ill and trapped on a bus. This had happened only once before on a two hour bus ride back in Ecuador, but I was always dreading the inevitable.

Brett and I had decided to chop up this long journey with two pit stops. Unfortunately, a green curry in the tourist oasis of Huacachina had left me feeling pretty terrible. Climbing onto a ten hour night bus knowing there is a high possibility that there will be trouble, and at exactly what end of your digestion you can’t be sure, is an intense feeling of doom. Luckily, I didn’t blow. Instead I forced myself to pass out in an attempt to escape my misery.

I woke up as the bus moved through city traffic. I sat up slowly, unfurling from the ball I had slept in across two seats with a plastic bag still clenched in my hand. Thankfully unused. I had survived the night and though my body felt weak, I was all right.

By 9am we had arrived at our hostel. I threw all my stuff on the floor by the corner bed that was mine for the night, and headed straight for the shower. Ice cold water after a long bus ride and feeling so terrible was divine. I dried off, threw a dress over my head, and strapped on some tevas. After quick text to my sisters to let them know I was still alive, I headed out for a walk.

Typically the first thing I did after arriving in a new city was walk (to find my bearings, ease the intense swelling in my ankles and general stiffness that accompanies every night bus) in hope of stumbling upon a beautiful cafe or sneaky vegan spot for lunch.

My first day in Arequipa was very chill. I walked around taking photographs, enjoying the historic buildings and cobble streets. I’ve mentioned before that I never felt connected to very touristy spots, but the anthropologist in me loves a city like Arequipa; one with history, full of old churches and interesting architecture, a beautiful plaza where one might sit for a while watching people go about their days with mountains in the distance offering perspective and keeping one grounded, a huge food market with fruit piled high and bags filled with grains, and courtyards offering a few serene moments of escape from traffic filled roads and city noises. Arequipa is beautiful.

By late afternoon my appetite had returned, though sheepish. It was small and searching for something simple. Luckily, I found a beautiful vegetarian place settled in the courtyard of several old, grey stoned buildings. A sail of off-white canvas anchored across the open courtyard provided shade from the hot sun, and tranquility. Catching the tail end of their set lunch menu I was greeted with a beet salad followed by beans and rice. Perfect. For the remainder of my stay in Arequipa I would eat a late lunch here and when my appetite returned to its vivacious normal I treated myself to several pieces of their chocolate passion fruit cake.

After lunch I continued my stroll around the city: peaking into hiding courtyards, keep note of sweet little cafes and restaurants, and always perusing shops or a health food store. One of my favorite pastimes is spending time in a food market. More so than any other shop, I love a food market. Any style, size or type, when I pass one by curiosity consumes me and I must investigate. I want to see what occupies its shelves, where things are coming from or produced, the branding and how everything is presented. I had marked the big open air food market on a map given to me by the hostel. So while my walk was mostly aimless, I slowly made my way ever so slightly south to the market.

Something I found particularly unique about this market, though I’m sure it is wide spread across South America were all the grains stored in beautiful sacks (albeit and unfortunately, the plastic cousin of the burlap sack). Particularly magical were the selections of dried corn cornels, dried fruits, and a peculiar fermented white potato that resembles a stone. This is why I love food markets and highly recommend visiting them everywhere you go.

Later that evening Brett and I reconvened in the common space of our hostel. We entertained the possibility of climbing Mt. Misty, a huge mountain several miles from the city. This two or three day endeavor sounded epic, but I felt too exhausted for such a venture. Instead we decided we would visit the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons on earth. Staying true to our thrifty selves we didn’t feel the need to pay for the entire tour. The root was a simple out and back, more like down and up. The route was simple yes. Little did I know the night I would spend at the bottom of this canyon would be plagued by the most epic, explosive illness. Stomach bug, food poisoning, travelers diarrhea, call it what you will. It was rough.

Stay Tuned,

lil

Arequipa, Perú