After a leisurely morning, we took an Uber (by hotel recommendation) to the Lima airport. It was a little chaotic when we first entered the terminal but we quickly got our bearings. The airport had a nice selection of shops and the security line moved quickly. Our flight left on time and was only about two-thirds full. Our seats were not next to each other, so we moved into an empty row. We landed at the Arequipa airport and had to go through security upon exiting the airport to make certain there were no fruits or vegetables in our luggage.
Our taxi easily negotiated the narrow and curvy roads of the colonial-era capital of the region as we weaved down a mountainside overlooking homes and farms. Woman dressed in traditional Peruvian clothing waved handkerchiefs to catch our attention selling foods and drinks to passing cars.
Hotel Villa Elisa is a small hotel that was comfortable, quiet and relaxing. Our room, Misti was on the third floor overlooking the garden. The owner was extremely gracious, helpful and a lot of fun. We stayed up late our second night listening to stories about his many travels while enjoying a shot of Pisco iltalia and an apricot liqueur.
While walking into center city, we bumped into an Austrian couple we met at our hotel in Lima. We made plans to meet up later in the day for drinks and explored the Plaza des Armas, drank a fruit smoothie at Las Gringas (a popular vegetarian restaurant) and learned about chocolate at Chaqchao. We met up with our new friends, ate empanadas, and drank cocktails at Museo del Pisco (not really a museum).
Calle Mercaderes
We woke up the next morning with plans to meet our tour guide at 9 am. At 9:30 we decided to ask the hotel to call the local number to inquire about the lateness of the driver. The women who answered the phone said she had no reservations with our name. We found the stateside number and connected via WhatApps. Without communicating the change, our pick up time was modified to 2 pm. So just before 10 am, we set off on our own. We walked along Calle Mercaderes-a busy shopping street more for locals than tourists, admired the churches: the Iglesia de San Francisco, Iglesia de la Compania (a Jesuit church in the churrigueresque style) and drank papaya juice in a small café.
The prior day we noticed a small roof café, so when hungry we returned and ordered cheese sandwiches and cappuccinos. While enjoying the surroundings, we met a mom with her 11-week old son. She and her husband started a bread company that will be opening a café in the near future, Masamama. We will have to return to Arequipa to try it out!
With full bellies, we returned to the Plaza de Armas and toured the 17thcentury city cathedral, Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa. What an incredible church—the exterior was built from sillar, a type of white volcanic rock, the organ was from Belgium, the marble floors from Italy, and the carved wooden pulpit from France. The gold and silver crowns, plates and religious artifacts were intricate works for art. The rooftop bell tower provided a beautiful spot to see the city.
We then joined up with our guide at 2 pm to explore areas outside of downtown and learned about the three volcanos: Pichu Pichu, Misti and Chacani surrounding the city. Misti is currently active and there is smoke in the air daily. We took a drive to Yanahuara for a different perspective of Arequipa. You can see Misti in the background.
We tasted queso helado, an ice cream that originated in Arequipa. Although it’s translation is frozen cheese, it is a type of ice cream made with vanilla and cinnamon.
We returned to the center of town to visit the Monasterio de Santa Catalina—an active convent that is a town within a town. Founded in 1579, this incredible complex takes up more than 20,000 square meters. Our final destination of the day was the Museo Santuarios Andinos. There was a short video about the discovery of “Juanita” during an expedition in 1995. Explorers found the remains of a 12-year-old Inca girl sacrificed to the gods in the1450s. Then we met the Austrian couple for dinner at Tanta-a fun meal. Arequipa was a lovely town—two nights were not enough—three, four or even more would have been better.
