Around Arequipa
I had my downtime in Quito, Ecuador but in Arequipa, Peru it was WD’s turn. I have no idea what she caught or how, but it was a great weight loss plan however miserable the experience. Thankfully she picked a good place to get sick—Arequipa turned out to be one of my favorite cities and there was plenty of wandering (and eating) to do while Dawn gobbled up the antibiotics.
After watching over WD for the first few days and bouncing around the hostel, she insisted I book a hike into the nearby Colca Canyon (most likely so I would get out of her space and let her sleep). We were going to do the canyon together without the aid of a tour, but with WD battling rare infectious diseases I decided I’d have more fun on a tour.
I went out to do some research at the dozens of travel agencies and noticed mobs of people pouring into the city center from the surrounding streets. I then remembered this was the weekend of Semana Santa.
Everyone wanders from church to church to check out the displays, with each church trying to outdo the other. Some churches are closed all year and only open for this night.
The mood of the town reminded me a bit of a Christmas party at home—only huge. Not a wild party really, but more solemn and social. I had to drag Dawn out of bed just to take a look… she could at least say she saw it if only for 20 minutes. Poor WD, this was the night to eat my way across town. Street food!!
I gorged myself at the stands. With kebabs and other street snacks costing around 30 cents, I stuffed myself silly for around $3. Here is a shot of me indulging myself:
Oh yeah, I did book a tour for the Colca Canyon—more on that next time.