Family vacation, part 1

Ten days, six people, planes, buses and hiking boots, trains and taxis, but never enough sleep!

Jan. 2: In Lima we started off, after some serious coffee, by walking into the busy downtown district. Noisy taxis and colectivos, big museums, government and business buildings, the cathedral and smaller churches, wide avenues, narrow walkways, ancient remnants of the walled city, glorious plazas and statues of San Martin and Pizarro. We got a great lunch at a busy place just off the Plaza de Armas for six soles, with a variety of Peruvian specialties.

This was a day for just gathering it all in, experiencing the big city, but not visiting any of the sites in depth.
Late in the afternoon, we all squeezed into an accommodating taxi whose driver took us back to the hotel, then on to the airport. Will squeezed in the back section of the station wagon for the first leg, but was replaced by the shorter Bridget when the baggage joined us.
Will and Bridget in the courtyard of Hostal Bolivar. The yellow decoration is from New Year's celebrations--yellow is for good luck. You should wear yellow underwear on New Year's Eve! (We did!)

Jan. 2-5: Our plane to Arequipa was on time and we were met by a taxi sent by the Hostal Bolívar. We settled in at the remodeled colonial home, meeting in the central courtyard, breakfasting in the vaulted front room. Arequipa, called the White City (for the building blocks of sillar) never fails to delight me. The Plaza de Armas surrounded by the arched portales and the spectacular cathedral, and full of trees, benches, fountains and people, sets the tone for the city. We wandered through the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, which has housed many women from Colonial times to the present. I got separated from the others at one point and spent quite a while being lost and trying to get Leroy to answer his cell phone. These things are more useful if you keep the ringer on.

Later we took a respectful guided tour of the museum that houses Juanita and 13 other children who were sacrificed in Inca times on top of the mountains. Some, like Juanita and Sarita (who is observable at this time of year) were amazingly well preserved due to the extreme cold and dryness of the mountain tops, and can be seen with many of the artifacts buried with them. (Check your back National Geographics for more info.)

Also in Arequipa, Will bought a white cowboy hat at the Mercado, I visited my landlady from 2005 when I was studying there, we enjoyed pisco sours and Cusqueño beer, French and Moroccan food, were awed by the brightly painted jungle-themed walls of the Iglesia de la Compañia chapel, and admired the artifacts of yet another convent (Sta. Teresa!). One night we listened to a typical Andean folkloric musical group playing panpipes, guitar, charango.

Leaving Arequipa for Puno on Jan. 5 was tricky. We misjudged how long it would take to get to the bus, then found there were 2 bus stations, next, that we had to pay a departure tax, puff, puff, but the Cruz del Sur bus folks were totally calm and helpful. Heck, we even had to wait 5 minutes after boarding the bus before it pulled out!

This is a view of El Misti, the closest volcano to Arequipa, from the bus.