Trip Planner Arequipa

21-11-2011

Trip Planner Arequipa: What you can fit in 4 days
By Susana Aguirre

Ours wasn’t a traditional trip to the White City. It was the first time visiting Arequipa for this group of six young ladies and to the surprise of many, we didn’t tour Santa Catalina or savor the delicious Arequipeño dishes at a non-touristy picanteria. That we didn’t get to do these things is the perfect excuse to return.
There were no rules on our trip. We intentionally tried to stray from the touristic route. All we wanted was to discover a new place, walk its streets, intervene in nature, enjoy the beaming sun, dry heat & cool nights.

Below, a summary of what we could fit on our 4-day trip. The recommendations are for the young at heart, who seek adventure, pleasures and memories.

Day 1 – Walking tour of the city
From the airport, the taxi left us right at the Plaza de Armas (link to map). Luggage in tow, we began to walk west on the busy commercial and pedestrian steet Paseo Mercaderes. After heading too far into residential, non-touristy territory, we headed south and bumped into the Santo Domingo Church which sits beautifully on the corner of two busy commercial streets.

After getting a sense for the city, we made a quick stop at Wayra River Hostel on Cruz Verde street. It’s a good option if you’re comfortable with bare necessities and plan on using the place only to sleep, though a peaceful courtyard and an entertainment/computer center was a plus.
We took off again, southbound to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC). The first of its kind in the country, it holds an admirable permanent collection of Peruvian contemporary art. A must for art lovers. The first floor is dedicated to temporary exhibits (on our visit: artworks by winners of a recent national competition for young artists).

Eduardo Ugarte y Chocano, Director of MAC, was kind enough to take me through the museum’s challenging history. It opened its doors in 2003, though the idea of housing the artwork by Arequipa’s artists existed years earlier, it was only a matter of finding the funding and location. They did: an English-style house is now home to the museum and its beautiful garden where you can sit and relax before heading out again.
Arequipa is a walkable city and we took that to heart, heading from the southern side of the city, crossing the Chili River and heading north to the famous Yanahuara neighborhood where we took in the views of the Misti volcano through the sillar arches of the Mirador.

It’s a long but worthwhile walk for those who like to take in the sights, sounds (and smells) of everyday life. Take a break on the way and replenish with a cold Arequipeña beer, one of the tastiest discoveries of this trip.
Having worked up an appetite from the non-stop day, we treated ourselves to a decadent late afternoon meal at Chicha by Gaston Acurio (right next to Santa Catalina; we were so close!) Tasty, though not unforgettably so, our collective meal included locro and rocoto relleno con camarones. Save room for dessert. In our case we had a fantastic chirimoya with manjar mousse recommendable ten times over.

Nightlife
A disco nap back at the hostel was necessary before heading out to see what Arequipa’s nightlife had to offer. We found places with awesome views from the rooftop and others with interesting characters inside (as you can see below). You’ll find these and others on the main disco & bar street a few blocks north of the main plaza: San Francisco street, where you can also take a look inside the Mario Vargas Llosa Regional Library before or after taking in a pisco sour.

We ended up at Déjà Vu, one of the most popular disco bars. Not only for tourists, enjoy live bands and an extensive list of drinks in this spacious bar that late into the night turns into a packed discoteque. On our night there: an Arequipa cover band Jacketts did justice to songs by Radiohead, Soda Stereo, Stevie Wonder, Oasis, etc.

Day 2 – Colca Challenge
We booked the 2-day Colca Canyon trek with Vikinka Travel located in the main plaza. Sharply at 3am, a van picked us up for the 3hr drive to the Colca valley. With the help of our very nice and helpful tour guide, Sabino, we experienced the Cruz del Condor lookout before starting the 3-hour hike down Colca to the valley where we lunched to prepare ourselves for the first upward hike of the trek; a short hike up that led us down one final time to the Oasis, the camp site for all Colca trekkers.

Day 3 – Colca Conquered
Early wake up call. A 5am upward trek of 1,000 meters in 2.5-3 hrs is the final and most rewarding test. Seeing the sunrise above the canyon is your reward. The tour ends with small town stops for breakfast, a hot springs repose, lunch and a pull-over on the side of the road to take photos of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas at the Aguada Blanca National Reserve. Enjoy a much deserved nap on the way back to Arequipa.

Back in the city. Having seen this beautiful building on the corner of Casa Verde and Palacio Viejo streets on our first day, we ventured inside only to be pleasantly surprised to find out how economic, nice and spacious our future double room (S/. 90) was at La Casona de Palacio Viejo. We booked it for our return from the trek knowing we wanted to be pampered with a hot, steamy shower and comfortable beds where we could pass out watching a movie on TV. We got just that (and complimentary breakfast in the morning) at La Casona. Very much recommended.
The restaurants and stores on Pasaje Catedral, a lovely passageway behind the city’s Cathedral (and where its entrance is located) are without a doubt for tourists. Though the Alpaca sweaters and the jewelry shops are overpriced, you can find decently-priced meals and when sitting outside under a parasol protecting you from the sun is part of the deal, being touristy isn’t so bad after all. At night, when we finally sat down to indulge in a pizza & wine deal we had eyed before, it’s a great place to people watch and peacefully enjoy a pleasant conversation.

Day 4 – Beach Time
You don’t necessarily think about the beach when you think of Arequipa, especially outside the summer months. But the sun and heat drove us to take a 2.5 hr, S/. 10 bus ride, bright and early, from the chaotic Terminal Terrestre to Mollendo. It’s not the cleanest of towns or beaches but that doesn’t take away from its unique character. It’s definitely worthwhile if you want to deviate from tourists, tour guides and get a sense for daily life in a place where at times it felt like you’re walking in a ghost town right out of a Western movie. For a place to relax, enjoy the sounds of the ocean and a great ceviche, go to Mollendo; it’s a place for those seeking something out of the ordinary and not necessarily extraordinary.

Leave Arequipa with a Bang
Get some shut eye on the way back to the city in order to end the trip with a night of socializing at the The Point Hostels. It happened to be Halloween when we stayed at their new (and newly renovated) location on Palacio Viejo street, conveniently two-blocks away from the main plaza.

At The Point, you’re guaranteed enjoyable and long evenings of conversation with adventurous world travelers, the friendly local staff with drinks from the cleverly named BARequipa and music that gives the hostels their festive reputation. You can only imagine how extravagantly Halloween was celebrated by travelers who come here seeking fun & familiarity amongst strangers.
If that’s not necessarily your thing, the daily rate of S/. 18 for a bed in their large and clean dorm rooms, or the tour/tourism information they offer, can be enough to lure you in their big, yellow corner Arequipa mansion.

On this trip, we went for the visually pleasing, not necessarily wanting to see the “musts” but instead going by our senses of what felt right and enjoyable. That kind of attitude took us from enjoying a high-priced meal by day to sipping on a hot, flowery aroma-based emoliente from a street vendor at night. We went for what we craved and that’s what made this trip a memorable one.

SOURCE: www.peruthisweek.com

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