Arequipa

...we left NAZCA on New Years Eve early morning -8 hour bus ride through snow-capped Andes-magnificient scenery all the way-arrived AREQUIPA about 3 pm-the second biggest city after LIMA and it is known as white city as most of the buildings are made from white rocks which are found locally...this really is one cool city sitting 2500m ie 10,000 feet up from sea level and P and I were in trouble same day with altitude sickness-the air is real thin here and you have to do everything really slowly for first 48 hours-you go out of breath real quickly...and in few days we would have to go even higher at 4000m ie over 15,000 feet...anyway our body slowly got use to the thin air in Arequipa...New Years Eve was just like anywhere else in the world celebrated with plenty of fireworks,coca leaves and pisco...the city is surrounded by snow capped Andes and one mountain in particular called Misty as no one has ever seen it as it´s always surrounded by mountain fog...real weird!...we spent 3 days here getting use to the thin air and it really is a wonderful town high up in the Andes...

...Plaza De Armas-main square- on New Years Day...
...everyone whose got a four wheel is a self-employed taxi driver in Peru and they are everywhere in your face -tiny little cars they are too...but have to say they are very polite and don´t overcharge...well not too much anyway...
...there are so many beautiful churches in Peru and some of them are very grand...

...La Catedral...grandest church in every sense-it´s one of the only 100 churches in the world that are allowed to fly a Vetican flag on the top...don´t ask me why...
...police and security forces are in full force around all tourist sites and that makes you feel real safe...those sacrificial frozen mummies-teen age- that were found on top of some mountains around here are in the museum here and we see those mountains on our day trip from here...didn´t fancy seeing those teenage mummies...