We started with an overnight bus to Arequipa. It's about 10 hours and for 40 soles (about $13), we had a pretty comfortable semi-cama (half bed) seat with enough legroom to feel less like a sardine and more like the cheap backpacker that I am. We were also entertained with the Spanish version of "Eight Below" and "Death at a Funeral" (the Chris Rock version, not the funny, British version). Our first flat tire of the trip happened about 3 hours into the ride and that took over an hour to change. Typical.
We awoke to find ourselves about 30 minutes outside of Arequipa and I was shocked by how different the scenery was. Living in and around Cusco all you see are green mountains and valleys. It's lush and beautiful. The land around Arequipa is also mountainous in a way but it's all dry, arid land. The only color is beige and it's so vast. Fortunately the altitude is lower so bigger breaths of air were easier.
Arequipa is beautiful. It's almost like a tropical oasis. We arrived early in the morning, got in a taxi and made our way closer to the main square with the hopes of finding a budget-friendly place. We popped in and out of a few 100+ sole/night places -- nice, but pricey and as I was just about to check out another hotel, Hum spots an inconspicuous sign for a travelers' hostal. We climb the flight of stairs and enter this open-air, tranquil space. Rooms are 50 soles/night (about $17) and they're big, have cable TV and hot showers. The outside terrace was perfect for lounging and the bed was comfy. We dropped our bags and crashed for 2 hours. No matter how much sleep you get on a bus, it's still not enough.
Our hostal
We woke up in time to find some breakfast and check out some of the city. The main square is gorgeous -- Arequipa is called the White City because of the beautiful white volcanic stone that was used to create its beautiful colonial architecture -- and because it's not overrun with tourists like Cusco, there was a tranquility to the main square even though it was full of people.
In and around the main square
We booked ourselves a city tour for the next morning and just poked around town for the rest of the day. Humberto lost his phone (the second one in 6 months) so we had to get him a new one. That brought us to a different part of town and a whole new bureaucratic experience. Going to the Claro offices is like going to the DMV in the U.S. You take a number, you wait an excruciatingly long time and then stand in front of an employee who couldn't care less whether she helped you or not. Totally like the DMV. It took us an hour and a half but we eventually left with a new (piece of crap) phone for Hum.
Arequipa is a beautiful city. According to Hum, it's a relatively weathy town because it has a lot of industry. Many things are manufactured here, allowing a greater majority of the inhabitants to afford more. That means the shopping here is pretty damn good. Grocery stores carry more interesting items, there's actually a couple of shopping malls and movie theaters. All in all, it seems like a nice place to live. I still love the charm of Cusco, but its only industry is tourism, which means that unless you work in that field, your main option is to feed off the tourists by hawking bad massages and shoe shines. It's a problem here and I wish Cusco had just a bit more industry to help its people more.
When the mudslides shut down Machu Picchu last year for about 6 weeks, Cusco's economy nearly fell apart. So many people were out of work and I remember hearing that crime was at an all-time high. I was here during that period and still fell in love with the place, but I saw the hardship firsthand. Many shops and restaurants had to close, leaving a large percentage of Cusquenians out of work. The city recovered when Machu Picchu reopened, but it was slow, as many travelers found other places to visit instead of Peru, fearing that Machu Picchu would stay closed longer than it did.
Cusco is back in full swing now, even during the "low" season, which is now through the end of February. That means business is good for me, but it also meant that it was time to take a little break and finally do some traveling while the influx of people is as low as it will be all year.
City Tour
The city tour the next day was OK. Not great (and entirely in Spanish) but nice enough. It was a 4-hour excursion in and around the city. We visited a few places for great views and photos and all in all had a nice time -- but glad it was just a half day.
Some photos on the tour
The food in Arequipa is good. It was nice to get away from the white rice and potatoes (although I'm sure it's in abundance there, too -- there were just other options as well!). We fell in love with the only Mexican place in town, Tacos and Tequila and ate there twice. Good stuff and new for Hum. The nightlife is also good. We found a couple of bars with good live music to while away the evenings.
On our last day, we visited Hum's 95-year-old grandmother. She was very sweet but only wanted us to stay for a short time as she was tired. Fine with me. I'm not big on the whole family thing, but I have to admit, I love Hum's. We splurged on some excellent ceviche before making our way to the bus terminal to continue our travels. The next stop: Chivay and Colca Canyon.
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