The bus from Puno to Arequipa was very comfortable and Cruz del Sur spared no expense in terms of security as everyone was filmed getting on the bus.

Unfortunately this left holes (quite literally) in the tyre budget and a puncture mid journey meant that we arrived to Arequipa an hour or so behind schedule.

Our accommodation for the first night in the “white city” (i’ll level with you…it wasn’t that white) was Inti Wasi Inn:

Abi’s Rating: 5/10 – Noisy, single beds…we got electrocuted every two seconds by the static

Mike’s Rating: 6/10 – Nice staff and great location. Breakfast and room basic…aforementioned static was not ideal.

Richie’s Rating: TBC

We spent the early evening trying to locate a tour to the Colcan Canyon. I had a bit of a tantrum because my two companions were reluctant to do the trek so we settled on a 2 day 1 night tour.

It was Father’s birthday so we tried to find a nice restaurant but failed miserably. (The view overlooking the square was lovely but the food wasn’t the best and we had to send back the pizzas because of a sour tasting ‘tomato’ sauce.

The following morning we clambered aboard our tour bus and set off for the mountains.

The city of Arequipa is protected by a number of mountains and volcanos. The most famous being volcán Misti while the highest is the now extinct Chachani.

Colca Canyon

Our tour group was nice enough (although the continual need to go to close to vicuñas/llamas/sheep was driving me crazy) and the entertainment provided by a French family!

Now the first day of the tour involved a fair bit of driving and lots of what I would call ‘tourist stops’. I was still salty about the trek and I may not have been the most positive polly in town but when a field of sheep (and 2 llamas) warrants a stop I think I have the right to be a little grumpy.

Father enjoyed a glass of maté tea and there were some fairly nice views along the way including the highest point of the trip…a cool 4,910m above sea level.

We reached the town of Chivay and were bundled into a restaurant to take advantage of the buffet. I am not a fan of such ventures…ones where you sit at canteen like long tables…but the food was actually quite good and we filled our boots.

We checked into our hotel and had a short rest before the afternoons activities took place.

Abi’s Rating: 8/10 – “Clean, comfy. Just normal really” (If an 8/10 is ‘normal really’ then I am taking that as a huge compliment)

Mike’s Rating: 7/10 – Excellent Wifi and very spacious room. Breakfast was poor and there were some noisy teenagers in the evening.

Richie’s Rating: TBC

Dad decided that he would give the hot springs a miss and venture out on his own. This meant that he and Abi felt the need to swap phone numbers…a little late in the day perhaps…

Abi and I joined the Frenchies and a solo Peruvian in taking the short trip through the valleys to the thermal baths. This was our second hot spring experience after a dabble in the Bolivian altiplano and this was far superior.

There was a selection of 7 different baths to choose from and we spent a good hour flitting between them. One in particular was scorching hot and we had to make a quick exit for fear of boiling alive.

We returned to the hotel and there was no sign of Abi’s newest whatsapp buddy but he returned soon after with a few cool snaps of the surrounding area.

Naturally our dinner location was decided for us and we were again seated at a whole group table (yippee).

We shared a pizza, which took an age to arrive but was delightful, and the complete antithesis to the bizarre dancing performance that took place in front of us.

I am no expert in Peruvian traditional dance…but if it really involved dancing lampshades and a strange whipping ritual then I will eat my hat. Abi seemed to enjoy her participation though!

Day 2 of the trip was far better as we actually managed to see the Colca Canyon and the incredible Andean Condors (ie why we came on the tour).

It was an early start and a two hour drive from the town of Chivay but it was certainly worth it for the stunning show that the Condors would put on for us.

Naturally we had to stop in a square on the way for a lampshade top up but I was excited about the Condors so I didn’t mind too much! We also went into the church which is being held up by some interesting looking scaffolding!

The Canyon itself (at 3,400m the deepest in the world if it is measured from the top of the highest mountain) was a sight to behold.

But the highlight was undoubtedly the Condors. The flight of these birds is simply majestic and we spent nearly two hours admiring them from our vantage point 1600m above the Canyon floor.

Before returning to Chivay there was still time for another stop at a vantage point that showed the valley and the agricultural platforms in all their glory.

Abi even had time for a chinwag with our guide Cecilia (who was extremely knowledgeable and even had the chance to show off her French so credit where credit is due!). The children also got their pictures taken with an alpaca.

Back to Chivay for lunch and this time I was having none of the buffet as it looked rancid and the thought of sharing a table again was too much to bear. Instead I marched the (reluctant) troops down the road to a cool (temp wise) and quiet eatery so that we could enjoy a lovely lunch for half the price and double the pleasure.

We strolled out 40 minutes later and bumped into our bus coming down the hill towards us…exquisite timing. (Of course if I was on the tour bus I would have been complaining vociferously about fellow tourists holding the bus up!)

We arrived back to Arequipa and gathered our belongings before making the short walk to the luxurious Hotel Katari:

Abi’s Rating: 9/10 – “A point off for the bathroom”

Mike’s Rating: 9/10 – The rooftop was immense, the breakfast sensational and the staff very helpful. The room was a bit hot and the shower was disappointing.

Richie’s Rating: TBC

We headed up to the roof and enjoyed a spectacular sunset over the Plaza de las Armas.

Dinner was a Turkish affair with a real mixed bag. Kebabs were nice but served at different times while the hummus and falafel were a let down.

30th October (aka my birthday)

I had a very relaxed day in Arequipa and it began with a wonderful breakfast on the roof terrace. Abi was appalled at Dad and I’s choice of pork and potatoes but it was delicious. Some additional bonus points for the little chocolate muffins!

I was even serenaded by a marching band parading around the square!

We found somewhere to do our laundry (at a reasonable price) and then set about exploring the Monastery of Santa Catalina.

At its height the monastery housed 450 people (including servants) and the 5 acres contain some wonderful architecture as well as a lovely little garden.

That being said…Father did manage to explore every inch of the 5 hectares and I missed the first half of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup match with Arsenal. Caught the second half though and it was a birthday treat…na na na na na na na na na na na…Divock Origi.

Dad and I ventured out on an epic journey to secure bus tickets to Cusco. They seemed rather elusive but we returned to the tour office where we had bought our Colca Canyon tour tickets and the man helped us secure a pair. (Via a trip to the cash machine…no card apparently).

In the evening we managed to reclaim our washing (fortunate as Dad was catching his flight to Quito early the following morning) and went for dinner at the wonderful Zingaro restaurant.

I had a delightful three course spread involving mini cheese filled parcels, fish and a chocolate brownie. All thanks to the O’Loughlin family…much appreciated!

Alas 3 became 2 as Dad left us for the giddy heights of the Galapagos (where he would meet my Mother in a few days time). It has been great having him with us for the last few weeks (not least because of his far superior phone camera and generous wallet).

In all seriousness though it has been wonderful creating more memories together and it was a shame that Mum didn’t want to put in the hard graft and instead only joined the trip for the glory leg.

Abi and I remained in Arequipa for the following day and busied ourselves by attending a variety of different cafes and restaurants. A money related squabble meant that the first of these was conducted in complete silence but we eventually got over it.

I was banished to the floor while Abi went to buy stamps.

The square was buzzing for Halloween so we sat down and enjoyed the rather amusing sights before our final act of the day saw us sipping water and watching a crowd of school children performing some songs and dances (lampshape free zone).

After a day that dragged immensely (that is the problem with overnight buses…you have to stretch out the day…it is a tough life) we got on our bus North.

Next Stop: Cusco

#WhatOddsPaddy

Perhaps it was inevitable that as soon as Dad left all hell would break loose. It is like when the teacher leaves the room and the place descends into chaos.

A morning of ignoring each other seemed to do the trick though and we were back on calmer seas.

Divorce Odds: Divock Origi to get player of the year (it is incredibly remote but you never know)