[ Zoom Map ]

Arequipa, Peru
16° 23' S 71° 32' W
May 17, 2006 22:15
Distance 191km

Choose another map, showing:

• Amazon
• South America (central)
• South America
• The World

Other entries in Arequipa

A Date with the Ice Princess

Text written in: English

Returning to Arequipa was the only way for us to get to our next destination, Nasca, but for me, it was something I relished. Ben and I arrived after midnight, but I already knew a good hostel to spend the next couple of nights in and I doubted that accommodation would be a problem. It wasn't and we even got a room with cable tv for a few soles extra.

The next day was all about relaxation. We slept in and by the time we left the hostel for our brunch, it was close to 2pm. We went to a vegetarian restaurant that I had been to with Tasso and Martin, but had not managed to order the things that most appealed to me. This time was different - I ordered a large fruit salad, that was monstrous, and then the set lunch. Having not eaten much during the last couple of days, it was a good workout for my stomach in preparation for the evening meal - cebiche followed by cuy chactao (fried guinea pig), which was hard to eat due to its lack of meat and the way it looked sprawled out on the plate.

We saved our litle bit of sightseeing for this day too - a guided tour of the Museo Andino, a museum dedicated to the Inca child mummies that have been found on the tops of many volcanoes and mountains in the region in the last decade. The children were sacrificed to appease the mountain gods and the most important of these mummies, 'Juanita', was on display, under ice-cold conditions. The so-called 'ice princess', an 8yr-old girl, was the first to be found and is incredibly well preserved. It was worth going this time, as she is only on display from May until December.

The following day was also relaxed. We had a little to sort out - some final Peruvian clothes shopping and organising a parcel home, but most of the day was geared towards watching the Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal with kebabs and coke from the comfort of our beds. I was ecstatic with the final score!