My flight to Arequipa us painfully early, 6am! It’s the cheapest time to fly and I am flying again with Peruvian Airways. It’s an hour flight over an interesting rugged mountainous landscape that appears entirely treeless and desolate but obvious trails everywhere suggests life down there somewhere. If my plane decides to stop flying there isn’t anywhere at all to gracefully land. Fortunately it is happy to fly and I get to Arequipa at 7am.
Arequipa is obviously a Spanish town with grand Spanish architecture everywhere. Even the people are more Spanish than many other places and I am told there are animosities between here and the more Inca-Spanish regions. The people are different here but I doubt I will appreciate that in the short time I am here. Like other cuties, the Plaza de Armas is the cultural, spiritual, social and administrative heart of the city. And again it is a square surrounded by majestic Spanish architecture. There is a difference though. The local materials sourced for construction are a very light colored rock so the grand structures are nearly white. It is very distinctive.
The beautiful Plaza de Armas in Arequipa
It’s night now and at my restaurant I am surrounded by boisterous noise as people on both sides are cheering at television monitors. I have no idea of what it is about but I doubt it is the Rugby Worldcup…unfortunately!
angusmccoll 
You are visiting a very interesting part of the world. After reading your observations, I want to go there now. (not just USA!) Cairns is so dried and there are quite a few bush fires around the place. We do need to rain, but not sure whether we want to have the wet season here yet!! Keep writing and love reading your blog. (just like we are there as well) How is the beer there?
Hi Janie. Great to hear from you. As well as the interesting cultures here, the landscape and what they do with it is incredible! Photos can’t possibly do it justice.
I like the beer but my favorite drink is a traditional mix called pisco sours. It’s a bit like a margarita but has egg white and other stuff. It’s delicious and potent. Take care back there.