Trip to Uros Floating Islands Off Puno on Lake Titicaca

Located at the altitude of near four thousand meters above the sea level, in the cold waters of the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, are a series of artificial islands created by the Uros.

The Uros are an ethnic group originating from Lake Uro-Uro in Bolivia, who, to escape the invasion by the Incas, Tiahuanacos and Collas, took refuge in Lake Titicaca.

Photo: Selfie from Boat Ride to Uros Islands
Photo: Selfie from Boat Ride to Uros Islands

Titicaca – which means “stone puma” – is according to legend the place from which emerged Viracocha, the Sun God, who in turn sent Manco Cápac to found the prosperous Inca culture in Cuzco.

The floating islands of Uros are up to 3 meters thick and are built with a type of reed called totora that grows in the water. They and are in constant need for maintenance, since totora naturally decomposes with time. Every 20 days a new layer of totora is added on the surface of each island – a job performed exclusively by men.

Photo: Boat Ride to Uros Islands Is Through Maze of Vegetation Growing Over Lake Titicaca
Photo: Boat Ride to Uros Islands Is Through Maze of Vegetation Growing Over Lake Titicaca

According to the backinfo I for, the Uros consist of 82 artificial islands, each inhabited up to seven families family, and each having its own president. In addition, there are community islands housing a church, a school, a health center, or restaurants. Estimated 1,800 people live on the floating islands, usually related to each other.

Something about the fact that the Uros islands are floating attracted me to them, so before my first day in Puno was over, I decide to take the boat trip there. I went on my own, and not with a tour, so I paid 10 Soles (about $3 US) for the boat ride there and back, plus 5 Soles (about $1.50) for the access to Las Islas del Uros. The latter was a bit off putting, as it’s overall ridiculous to pay for a visit to what is basically a town, but in spite of that, I went for it and paid the cost.

Photo: Motorboating It Through Lake Titicaca to Floating Islands of Uros
Photo: Motorboating It Through Lake Titicaca to Floating Islands of Uros

The ride in an old boat took a bit over 30 minutes one way. I asked the boatman how exactly it worked with the return journey back to Puno, and he explained to me that the same group of people currently on his boat will be exactly the group of people going on the same boat back. I asked when exactly the journey back takes place, as in to determine how much time I had for exploring Las Islas del Uros, to which he replied that when we arrive, the people on the island would explain everything to me.

Photo: Boat with Which We Arrived on Uros Island Is Docked on Side of Floating Mass
Photo: Boat with Which We Arrived on Uros Island Is Docked on Side of Floating Mass

This started to sound a bit fishy to me, and at the time I didn’t know what exactly to make of it. But things became clearer as soon as we arrived.

Basically, the boatman took us to one of the isolated tiny floating islands where we were given short presentation by the locals on the life on the floating island, which was followed by a very aggressive sales pitches to make us, the visitors, buy the trinkets sold on the floating outcrop.

Photo: Trinkets Floating Island Inhabitants Tried to Coerce Visitors Into Buying
Photo: Trinkets Floating Island Inhabitants Tried to Coerce Visitors Into Buying

My philosophy on buying trinkets has not changed in 10 years of traveling – I travel light and I move from one place to another. That means I have neither the room nor the will to add weight to my baggage. There ain’t nothing any salesperson could say to make me spend money so I can make my backpack heavier than it already is. I only buy what I absolutely need for survival, and that usually happens only when I wear out what I already have and need to replace it.

Photo: No Escape from Small Floating Island Once You Are Brought There
Photo: No Escape from Small Floating Island Once You Are Brought There

With only about 20 meters in diameter, the floating island on which we were left provided no opportunity to escape the aggressive sellers. Nevertheless, I never bought anything because it would simply make no sense to me.

Photo: AWALT - This Young Peruvian Girl Came to the Same Island as Me with Boyfriend, But Cucked Him Into Taking Picture og Her with Me After Hitting on Me in Front of Him
Photo: AWALT – This Young Peruvian Girl Came to the Same Island as Me with Boyfriend, But Cucked Him Into Taking Picture og Her with Me After Hitting on Me in Front of Him

Having exhausted all the options on the sales of trinkets, the villagers then proceeded to pressure the visitors into boarding their cool looking straw boat they called Mercedes Benz. Without explaining what this was about, they kept telling us to get on board. I was however insistent on explanation whether the presumed ride on said boat is included in the cost of the visit to the island, or whether I’ll be expecting to pay extra for it.

Photo: Type of Boat Referred to As Mercedes Benz Is Used by Locals on Uros Islands to Trick Visitors Into Paying 10 Extra Soles for a Ride
Photo: Type of Boat Referred to As Mercedes Benz Is Used by Locals on Uros Islands to Trick Visitors Into Paying 10 Extra Soles for a Ride

Only after I resolutely declined set foot on the boat unless the intention of the locals is made clear I was clarified that if I get on the boat, I will be charged 10 Soles, but I will be taken for a ride to another island.

A brief chat with other visitors lead to the conclusion that we’re not taking the Mercedes Benz boat, and instead requested the boatman who brought us on this tiny floating outcrop to take us to a bigger island where we were told we’d encounter restaurants and other amenities.

Photo: View of Fishing Boats Trawling Waters Around Uros Fishing Islands
Photo: View of Fishing Boats Trawling Waters Around Uros Fishing Islands

There wasn’t a whole lot to do on the other island either, so we just snapped a few pictures and then asked the boatman to take us back to Puno.

Photo: Scene from Larger Uros Island
Photo: Scene from Larger Uros Island

Overall I would rate the trip to Uros as a waste. It wasn’t anything akin to taking a boat to an island where you can wander around to explore the place at your own pace. It was about being taken to a very small space where you get exposed to pressure sales tactics without the option to make a physical exit.

Photo: Selfie from Lookout Tower on Uros Island
Photo: Selfie from Lookout Tower on Uros Island

Considering that the access to the islands costs money to begin with, had I been clearly explained what I’d get if I bought the trip, I would not have bought it. I did not find it worth it at all.

Photo: Our Boat Before Return Ride Back to Puno from Uros Island
Photo: Our Boat Before Return Ride Back to Puno from Uros Island

Sampling Trout at Port in Puno

The Port of Puno, located on the Lake Titicaca, is a safe and clean area full of shops selling handicrafts, and restaurants serving fish from the lake.

Photo: Ice Age Characters at Port in Puno, Peru
Photo: Ice Age Characters at Port in Puno, Peru

I popped into one to try local trout. I enjoyed fresh and pollution free trout in Papallacta, Ecuador, where it cost $6 US, so I wanted to compare how Peruvian trout compared to the Ecuadorian in both quality and price.

What I liked the most about the restaurants at Puno Port, was that aside from common trucha frita (fried trout), they also offered trucha al vapor (steamed trout). With the nutrients preserved better in steaming as opposed to deep frying, the trout “al vapor” is much healthier and tastier. Certainly a point for Peru.

Photo: Steamed Trout Dish at Port in Puno on Lake Titicaca
Photo: Steamed Trout Dish at Port in Puno on Lake Titicaca

I also liked that at Puno Port, I could choose from a vast array of accompaniments, including french fries, baked potatoes, steamed root vegetables, veggie salad, cooked corn, etc. In Ecuador’s Papallacta, trout came with accompaniments too, but they were always set to fries and a bit of salad, with no option to chose what I’d like. However, in Ecuador, unlike in Peru, the trout also came with a bit of a soup and a beverage. This part was a draw.

The Puno trout was beyond compare larger than what you get in Papallacta, and the overall portion of food on the plate was larger too. I’m a big guy and this was my first meal of the day after walking around the city for a few hours, but I could not actually eat all of what I had in front of me (I left steamed potatoes on the plate). This was definitely a point for Peru, as portions in Ecuador were much smaller.

Waters of Late Titicaca are however murky and full of waste from virtually every house in Puno and all other communities on its shores. Many parts around the lake stink like sewage, so trout from Titicaca is certainly filthier than that of Papallacta, where water is crystal clear with nothing around to severely pollute it. A strong point for Ecuador.

Photo: Puno Port Lighthouse
Photo: Puno Port Lighthouse

Lastly, the price for the plate of trout in Puno was 16 Soles, which was about $4.84 US at the time of my visit, making the dish in Peru a slightly better deal than in Ecuador. Needless to say, whereas that option existed, when I returned to have trout in the same restaurant again the following day, that time around I only ordered half the fish, which came at half the cost of 8 Soles (about $2,42 US). At that cost, I got about the portion of trout in Ecuador, making Puno a hell of a better deal overall.

While I enjoyed trout in both Papallacta and Puno, and would not hesitate recommending both for anyone visiting either place, I think despite all, I give this one to Peru, as the value for money is simply greater there. And that’s despite the fact that Peru is overall more expensive than Ecuador. It comes to show that good deal can be had even in pricey locations.

The purity of the fish in Ecuador, however can’t be beat. Unfortunately, the purity won’t mean a whole lot if the fish is deep fried in high transfat vegetable oil in the end.

Yummm, trouty!

Battling High Altitude in Puno

Having checked in late at night, once I woke up from the cold night at El Lago Hostel, I went out into the sun filled streets of Puno to unfreeze my bones from the shivers dominated night. The first goal was to find a different hostel to move to, as El Lago simply did not provide reasonable value for the price, and the incessant, night-long screaming made any chance of a restful stay an impossibility.

Photo: Sheep Herder Takes Up Morning Road in Puno, Peru
Photo: Sheep Herder Takes Up Morning Road in Puno, Peru

I moved to Hotel Inka Tours. Not only was the price for the hotel 35 Soles, ie less than at El Lago Hostel, the room was much nicer, the bed more comfortable, the bathroom cleaner, the internet worked and the staff did not make the common area of the hotel a party place for the night.

With the new room for the upcoming night secured, I moved my things over and headed out to the streets of Puno to battle the city’s high altitude on foot.

Photo: Plaza de Armas in Puno with Cathedral in the Background
Photo: Plaza de Armas in Puno with Cathedral in the Background

Plaza de Armas (every city in Peru appears to have a downtown square called Plaza de Armas), was over 2km from the bus terminal near where I was staying, so it took a bit of a nice walk through the city to get there and snap a few pictures of the cathedral and the nearby buildings.

Photo: Basílica Catedral de Puno
Photo: Basílica Catedral de Puno

On the upper side of Plaza de Armas proudly stands the Cathedral of Puno, also known as the Basilica of San Carlos Borromeo. The baroque cathedral is the main church in the city of Puno. It is under the ownership of the Catholic Church, and was declared a Cultural Historical Heritage of the Nation of Peru in 1972.

Photo: Iglesia de San Carlos Borromeo in Puno
Photo: Iglesia de San Carlos Borromeo in Puno

The cathedral is made entirely of stone. The idea for a cathedral of stone reportedly arose from a miner from the area called Miguel de San Román. Indigenous master Simon de Asto was put in charge of building the cathedral – a construction that ended on May 25, 1747.

Photo: Catedral de Puno, Otherwise Known as Basílica de San Carlos Borromeo
Photo: Catedral de Puno, Otherwise Known as Basílica de San Carlos Borromeo

From Plaza de Armas, I headed up on the nearby hill on top of which I saw a statue. The unobstructed views from the hill promised opportunities for pictures of Lake Titicaca and the city of Puno itself.

Even though reasonably fit for long walks, ascending the 60 meters high rocky outcrop known as Cerrito Huajsapata in the altitude close to 4 km (3,839 meters above the sea level) was no chore. The shortness of breath was a frequent reminder that I have just arrived in this elevation and my body is not used to it yet, so I need to keep that in mind and take things easy.

Photo: View of Lake Titicaca from Cerrito de Huajsapata
Photo: View of Lake Titicaca from Cerrito de Huajsapata

Moreover, kind of like express kidnappings are a well documented threat in Arequipa, Puno is known for its hills being locations of frequent armed robberies of foreigners, so heading up to any of the lookouts is a potential risk for every tourist.

I decided I would not be risking it to the higher hills further out, and will be happy with the one nearest downtown so I don’t end up robbed or worse.

Photo: Police Stationed on Cerrito de Huajsapata
Photo: Police Stationed on Cerrito de Huajsapata

Luckily, the uphill climb in the high elevation city was the only challenge I encountered. As a matter of fact, once up, I saw three policemen nearby, giving the impression of the city having been aware of the bad rep its lookout hills are getting and began stationing police in some of the more popular ones.

Photo: Met These Peruan Girls on Cerrito de Huajsapata
Photo: Met These Peruan Girls on Cerrito de Huajsapata

The information sign at Huajsapata Hill stated that Huajsapata is the Quechua word meaning “the highest part of the crag“. The statue on top of the hill is of Inca Monco Copac, the founder of the Inca Empire, who according to legend, was commanded by the Sun God to emerge from the waters of Lake Titicaca.

Photo: Statue of Manco Capac on Cerrito de Huajsapata
Photo: Statue of Manco Capac on Cerrito de Huajsapata

The ancient inhabitants of the high plain known as the Altiplano believed that the underground caves beneath Cerrito Huajsapata led to the Koricancha Temple in the city of Cuzco.

Photo: City of Puno and Lake Titicaca Seen from Huajsapata Hill
Photo: City of Puno and Lake Titicaca Seen from Huajsapata Hill

Overall, I enjoyed exploring Puno on foot, and although I didn’t suffer any of the more severe symptoms of altitude sickness, the high altitude of the place made breathing a challenge at every step and even the lightest physical activity resulted in quick shortness of breath.

Bus Trip from Arequipa to Puno at Lake Titicaca

I stayed in Arequipa for a week. I liked the climate, the city and the surrounding scenery with the dominant Misti Volcano. I didn’t like that frequent and well documented express kidnappings make taking a taxi a super risky business, so I got by without, but overall I truly enjoyed my stay. But after a week of being an Arequipeno, it was time to move on. I decided to head down south to Puno – a city on the shores of Lake Titicaca, located at the elevation of 3,830 meters above sea level.

Being quite familiar with the downtown core of Arequipa, I checked out of Hotel Diplomats at around 10:30am and took a 30 minute walk to the bus terminal. Several operators sold tickets to Puno, so I chose the one whose bus was leaving the soonest. On the map, Puno didn’t seem all that far, so I expected the bus ride to take maybe a couple of hours. I should have seriously looked more into it, instead of assuming the distance as the crow flies would somehow be indicative of the time it would take to get there.

Photo: Alas del Sur Bus Company Services Between Arequipa and Puno
Photo: Alas del Sur Bus Company Services Between Arequipa and Puno

I rode with the company called Alas del Sur. Having mistakenly expected a few hours long bus ride, it was just a local type of nothing-fancy bus. The departure was at 11:30am.

The ridiculous thing about the Arequipa bus terminal was that as always, the hygienic services were charged for – a cost of 50 Centabos, and you were issued a ticket permitting you the use of the bathroom. I got to say that was a first for me.

Photo: Arequipa Bus Terminal Ticket for Use of Toilets
Photo: Arequipa Bus Terminal Ticket for Use of Toilets

Next ridiculous thing was that there was a 2 Soles terminal tax imposed on everyone looking to depart with a bus from the station. It was kind of like an airport fee you get charged for as part of taking a flight somewhere. After Arequipa, I’ve encountered the bus terminal fee a few time at other terminals in Peru. Peru is ridiculous like that.

Photo: Arequipa Bus Terminal Service Fee
Photo: Arequipa Bus Terminal Service Fee

An even more ridiculous thing was that everyone boarding a bus was taken a mugshot of. Even though I’m a citizen of a European Union country, the GDPR was useless to me in Peru. Needless to say, after Arequipa I realized that the mugshot taking in order to be allowed to use a bus you have paid for is a common practice in over-the-top Peru.

The bus left as scheduled at 11:30am, and I truly enjoyed the scenery as we went along. The vegetation-free, arid hills, with towering volcanoes often bearing snow covered caps, were spectacular on every turn.

Photo: Road Sign Warns of Wild Roaming Vicunas
Photo: Road Sign Warns of Wild Roaming Vicunas

A couple hours after leaving Arequipa we passed through the national park Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca with multiple hoards of wild vacunas roaming about. There were plenty of them on the vast planes of the area, but they were always at a distance from the road, and taking a reasonable picture of them from a moving bus was a challenge.

Photo: Wild Roaming Vicunas in Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca
Photo: Wild Roaming Vicunas in Reserva Nacional Salinas y Aguada Blanca

Somewhere around there I also spotted my first cloud I’ve seen since leaving Ica for Nazca. This part of Peru receives very little precipitation so despite cold nights, days are sun filled with clear blue skies and nothing obstructing the sun for months on end.

Photo: First Cloud in Peru I've Seen Since Leaving Ica
Photo: First Cloud in Peru I’ve Seen Since Leaving Ica

As the sun got lower, we passed by Laguna Lagunillas which I thought was the beginning of Lake Titicaca, but it was still far from it. The hours were passing by and soon enough it became very clear to me that we’re not getting to Puno during daylight. As a matter of fact, by the time we arrived in Puno, it was already past 9pm, making me truly regret not looking into how long the trip to Puno would really take. Had I known I’d waste all daylight if I take a bus during the day, I would have waited in Arequipa to take an overnighter instead, and arrive in Puno in the morning.

Photo: Laguna Lagunillas
Photo: Laguna Lagunillas

Having truly messed up on that, I had no option but look for accommodation in the city I did not know late at night again. What made matters worse was that because of the high altitude and the proximity to the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, nights in Puno are bone-chilling cold.

Luckily, a number of hostels near the bus terminal provided enough opportunity to secure a room rather quickly. The cost for what you get was however off the charts. The problem was then further compounded by the fact that once I paid for a room at El Lago, I realized the internet in the hostel was spotty, frequently cutting off so every simple task took a very long time to complete.

Photo: Hostal El Lago in Puno, Peru
Photo: Hostal El Lago in Puno, Peru

The rooms in the hostel were not heated, so the incredible cold of the night outside made any possibility of having a decent rest overnight a challenge at best. Likewise, the shower water was only a little warmer than fully cold, having only been warmed up by the daytime sun. Needless to say, taking showers in cold water when you’re shivering to begin with was an adventure in its own right.

The hostel also did not provide a roll of a toilet paper, but instead just a few sheets torn off from a roll. At 40 Soles per night, it was definitely one of the worst deals for the money I’ve had in Peru. But then again, I found Peru to be expensive in general. Especially when value for money is concerned.

The worst part of staying at El Lago, however, was the constant noise from incessant screaming and loud talking by the guy at the reception with his mates. Earplugs were of little relief against the party-night type banter in the place.

Nevertheless, the brutally cold night didn’t kill me and come morning, I was ready to truly hit it in Puno.

Custom Jewelry by Traveling Artist from Colombia

During my “where-the-hell-am-I” trips up and down Arequipa, I made friends with a traveling maker of custom jewelry from Colombia. With a bag full of various minerals and interesting rocks, Sebastian used copper wires to turn them into personalized jewelry.

When I first came across him, he was quickly attracted by my collar with large tooth from sea wolf adorned by three Amazonites, and I was interested in the large collection of crude rocks he was displaying on the street. Even though my personal collection of gemstones is already pretty large, Sebastian seemed to have some I’ve never seen before. A red tinged one was particularly of allure to me.

The rock, as he explained to me, is from the nearby Colca Canyon and is called “Coltacana“. Even though I knew precious nothing about said stone, I liked its looks enough to hire him to make me a collar from it according to my needs.

Photo: Coltacana Stone in Personalized Necklace
Photo: Coltacana Stone in Personalized Necklace

I took my new custom jewelry with me home to cleanse it with Palo Santo in order to remove the energy of other people who may have touched it from it, and since then, could not seem to part with it.

To my surprise however, I could not find any kind of mention of anything by the name of “Coltacana” anywhere on the internet. I got along really well with Sebastian, and came to hang out with him every day of my stay in Arequipa, so after not being able to find any kind of backinfo about the rock, I told him about it, so he suggested to look for its alternative name of “Jaspe Sangre Toro” (Jasper Bull Blood). That however lead to little success looking anything relevant up as well.

Photo: Hanging Out with Sebastian, Fellow from Amazonia in Ecuador and a Girl in Arequipa
Photo: Hanging Out with Sebastian, Fellow from Amazonia in Ecuador and a Girl in Arequipa

Doesn’t matter. I like the rock and like my new jewelry, and the artist who made it for me is now my good friend. Here’s a video of Sebastian making the Coltacana necklace:

Of course, I could not stop at that, and on one of the next days, I paid Sebastian to make me another custom necklace, this time from a beautiful sparkling gemstone named “La Piedra de Luna” (the moonstone).

Photo: Rare Moonstone Crystal from India
Photo: Rare Moonstone Crystal from India

The gemstone is iridescent and white with velvety parts within it. The stone however takes a beautiful blue tint when reflecting the sun – a property that gets it its name, as its whitish blue shine resembles the moon’s glow.

Unlike the Coltacana jewelry, which used string as a necklace, the necklace for this one was made from copper, just as the frame holding it.

Photo: Final Jewelry Featuring Moonstone
Photo: Final Jewelry Featuring Moonstone

I was told, that ti some countries, the moonstone is also known as “stone of mother earth” because of its positive effects on women at the time of childbirth, and its beneficial properties for fertility. Many years ago, it was also known as “traveler’s stone” because it was used as an amulet for people who were going on a trip.

The video of Sebastian making me the Moonstone jewelry:

I think that should I meet the right woman, the moonstone jewelry will go to her. But for now, it stays with me. I cleared it off negative energies as well, and had another necklace to rotate my existing ones with.

Photo: Native Fellow from Whom I Bought Large Piece of Coltacana Rock
Photo: Native Fellow from Whom I Bought Large Piece of Coltacana Rock

Basilica Cathedral Metropolitana of Arequipa

Basílica Catedral Metropolitana de Arequipa is located in the Plaza de Armas – the main square of the city. Its majestic presence makes it one of the most important architectural symbols of Arequipa.

The construction on the cathedral began in the year 1615, but due to numerous natural disasters, it wasn’t completed until 1656. Since then, the cathedral was damaged by several earthquakes and was completely destroyed by fire in 1844, so a new neoclassical court was built and it is the one that, with some modifications, is maintained at present.

Photo: Wide Angle Shot of Plaza de Armas Fountain with Arequipa Cathedral in Background
Photo: Wide Angle Shot of Plaza de Armas Fountain with Arequipa Cathedral in Background

As the majority of historical buildings in Arequipa, the cathedral is also constructed of sillar – the volcanic rock. The building, as well as the fountain in the center of Plaza de Armas are nicely illuminated at night for attractive nighttime photos.

Photo: My Cell Phone Camera Lens Had Smudges On It, Creating This Smeared Light Effect
Photo: My Cell Phone Camera Lens Had Smudges On It, Creating This Smeared Light Effect

During the day, outside of a few hours in the late afternoon when the sun rays hit the front of the cathedral from the side, the sun remains behind it, offering few opportunities for a decent photo unspoiled with strong backlight.

Photo: Only in Late Afternoon Can You Score a Daytime Photo of Arequipa Cathedral with Natural Sun Ray Illumination on Front
Photo: Only in Late Afternoon Can You Score a Daytime Photo of Arequipa Cathedral with Natural Sun Ray Illumination on Front

I don’t know when exactly the cathedral is open, but during a week of staying in Arequipa, I only caught it open once. I’d think your best chance to see it from the inside would be on Sunday morning, when it’s open for a mass.

Photo: Inside Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
Photo: Inside Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa

As a gringo, your best options for street pickups in Arequipa are right at Plaza de Armas, or on the adjacent pedestrian zones of Mercaderes (where the McDonald’s is) and San Francisco (also home to multiple night clubs offering decent pickup opportunities).

Photo: Areas Around Arequipa Cathedral and Plaza de Armas Provide Great Opportunities for Gringos to Pick Up Girls
Photo: Areas Around Arequipa Cathedral and Plaza de Armas Provide Great Opportunities for Gringos to Pick Up Girls

The busiest I’ve seen Plaza de Armas be was on Sunday when the entire area was flooded with people, and there was some dance group was performing on the street:

My Life Is Complete – I Got Spat On by an Alpaca

During my stay in Arequipa, I visited an outlet of Incalpaca – a factory with decades of experience producing garments from the wool of llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas.

The interesting part about the outlet is that attached to it is a small zoo if you will, where visitors can see the animals used for their wool. There was one cute vicuna, a small herd of llamas, and one extremely territorial alpaca.

Photo: Graceful Vicuna Occupies Her Enclosure Alone
Photo: Graceful Vicuña Occupies Her Enclosure Alone

Except for the alpaca, all other animals were shy and remained in parts of their encampments the furthest from the people. The alpaca was the only one to be standing fearlessly right by the fence along the visitors’ walkway.

I approached the proud animal snapped a picture of its head, and it proceeded to spit on me. It wasn’t the type of gooey spit you could get from a human, but more like a little dispersed spray of fine droplets, but it was nevertheless very cool.

Photo: Territorial Alpaca Graced Me with the Shower of Her Spit
Photo: Territorial Alpaca Graced Me with the Shower of Her Spit

I have heard of camels spitting, but never have I imagined I’d get the opportunity to be spat on by a camelid. Whereas other visitors to the compound reacted with disgust and ran away from the animal when they got spat on, I got excited and told to myself: “Holy shit! My life is now complete. I got spat on by an alpaca.

I looked at some of the garments sold in the store, but would not be able to bring myself to pay so much money for just that – a piece of a garment.

Photo: Standing by Enclosure with Herd of Llamas
Photo: Standing by Enclosure with Herd of Lamas

Anything made from vicuña wool in particular was super expensive. As in four digits for a scarf expensive. I was told by the apparently commission paid sales woman that vicuña wool is finer than kashmir, and the animals don’t produce a whole lot of it, so it’s always expensive.

But at more than 4,000 Soles (around $1,200 US) for a scarf, there would be no way for me to even entertain this type of a purchase. The sales woman insisted that she would hook me up with an attractive discount, but one way or the other, I never come anywhere near to spending this much money for garments.

Photo: Garmets from Vicuna Wool Are Among the Most Expensive in the World
Photo: Garmets from Vicuña Wool Are Among the Most Expensive in the World

I’m a vagabond in old, worn out clothes anyway. I’m smart with my money and even if I were wealthy enough to easily afford something this expensive, I don’t know what it would take to argue me into buying it. I however don’t doubt the amazing warming and softness properties of vicuña garments.

Touring Arequipa with Milagros

While on my way to get to know Arequipa, I met a local girl who said her name was Milagros (meaning “Miracles“). At first I thought she was messing with me, but apparently it’s her real name and said name is actually quite popular among females in Peru.

Photo: In Front of Bronze Statue of Bull with Milagros at Menelik Museum
Photo: In Front of Bronze Statue of Bull with Milagros at Menelik Museum

Milagros is from Lima, where she works for a bank. The bank sent her for a month to Arequipa. She arrived a day before me. We were both new to the city, and ran into each other as we both sought to get to know it.

We got along well, and went together to a couple of areas in the city located up on hills, from where we got better, unobstructed views of the mountains at the foots of which Arequipa is built.

Photo: View of Misti Mountain from Mirador in Yanahuara, Arequipa
Photo: View of Misti Mountain from Mirador in Yanahuara, Arequipa

Misti is perhaps the most iconic of them all, as it towers on its own, forming a spectacular mass of rock seen from almost any part of the city. At the impressive 5,888 meters above the sea level, Misti is however not the tallest. The one to the left of her is Chachani, who’s over 6km above the sea. Both Misti and Chachani, per what I was told by the locals, are active volcanoes. Both had visible snow on their peaks.

Photo: Posing for Pic with Chachani Volcano in Background
Photo: Posing for Pic with Chachani Volcano in Background

There is a third volcano to the right of Misti, called Pichu Pichu, but we never got a good view of that one, perhaps due to the pollution which made the mountain further away very indistinct.

One of the lookouts we visited – Yanahuara – is a bit off the beaten path from the attractive downtown core, but I found it to be well worth the trip. Its somewhat unimpressive square is made interesting by the sillar stone arches outlining the mirador, and a neat Catholic church just across the road from it.

Photo: Arches of Yanahuara Mirador in Arequipa, Peru
Photo: Arches of Yanahuara Mirador in Arequipa, Peru

On the arches are engraved quotes from famous Arequipa citizens. There was also an interesting totem pole near them, and an old church on the other side of the road.

Photo: We Asked Someone to Snap Picture of Me with Milagros in Front of Misti Volcano
Photo: We Asked Someone to Snap Picture of Me with Milagros in Front of Misti Volcano

We also went to the Menelik Museum. It’s the museum dedicated to the memory of one of Arequipa’s most famous fighting bulls that reigned in the 1940s.

During the brief presentation by a guy from the museum, we were told that Menelik was a Champion bull who beat all then existing bullfighting records, wounding or killing many of his brave and dangerous contenders, and died gloriously undefeated.

Photo: You Can Safely Mess with Thus Bull to Get the Horn
Photo: You Can Safely Mess with Thus Bull to Get the Horn

At the time of his death, Menelik weighed approximately 1,200 kilograms. Not only was he the best fighting bull in the Arequipa countryside, but he was the one who contributed most to the progress of the community, the construction of schools and public works, thanks to his triumphs.

There is a huge 3D model of the bull said to be lifesize. For a 5 Soles entrance fee, you can sit on the plastic bull for a photo, and marvel at preserved heads, as well as a hyde of other large bulls.

Photo: Lifesize Replica of Giant Bull Menelik
Photo: Lifesize Replica of Giant Bull Menelik

There isn’t a whole lot to see at Museo Menelik, and the presenter spoke too fast for people with limited command of Spanish to understand, so it may not be a worthwhile trip for many visitors to Arequipa, but I quite enjoyed the museum and don’t regret paying the entrance fee.

We also wandered around the downtown core of Arequipa, snapping photos of the cathedral which is on one side of Plaza de Armas, as well as the uninspiring fountain in the middle.

Photo: Cathedral of Arequipa Behind Plaza de Armas
Photo: Cathedral of Arequipa Behind Plaza de Armas

Arequipa is known as the “White City” (La Ciudad Blanca), a moniker allegedly derived from ashlar – the white volcanic stone used for building many of the city’s historical buildings. The rock is said to be from the solidified volcano ashes.

Photo: Plaza de Armas Is Surrounded by Buildings from Ashlar
Photo: Plaza de Armas Is Surrounded by Buildings from Ashlar

The downtown core indeed is impressive and its old architecture very photogenic. Many of the historical buildings were re-purposed and now house branches of banks or other bigger institutions.

Photo: One of Repurposed Buildings in Arequipa Now Home to a Bank
Photo: One of Repurposed Buildings in Arequipa Now Home to a Bank

I also liked the area around the San Francisco de Asis monastery. The street of San Francisco is where a lot of night bars are located, and it’s said to be a good place for gringos who want to pick up available Peruanas after dark. I went to a place called Deja Vu on one occasion, and got to participate in free Salsa class which was interesting in that the women were made to rotate after every learned set of steps, so you get to practice each move with a different partner. Both local and foreign girls as well as boys took part in it.

Photo: San Francisco de Asis Church in Arequipa
Photo: San Francisco de Asis Church in Arequipa

Even at night, the downtown of Arequipa, and Calle San Francisco in particular, are safe thanks to the heavy police presence. At night, the entire street had a cop stationed on every 5 to 10 meters on either side.

Photo: At More than Six Kilometers Above Sea Level, Chachani Volcano Is the Highest Peak Around Arequipa
Photo: At More than Six Kilometers Above Sea Level, Chachani Volcano Is the Highest Peak Around Arequipa

Overall, other than the really annoying and bountiful touts in and around the bus terminal, I enjoyed my stay in Arequipa and would not hesitate paying it a return visit. I would however not take a taxi as the risk there was just too high.

Photo: Mirador Carmen Alto Offers Views of Arequipa Farmland with Misti and Chachani in Background
Photo: Mirador Carmen Alto Offers Views of Arequipa Farmland with Misti and Chachani in Background

I concluded my tour of Arequipa by taking Milagros for supper in one of the upscale restaurants on Calle San Francisco. She ate Chicharron de Cerdo (pork cracklings), I was intrigued by a stew that said it would be either beef or alpaca. I asked the waitress if they had alpaca and said I would order it if that was the case, otherwise I’d go for fried trout.

She assured me they had alpaca meat, so I went with the stew. This was the first time in my life I’ve eaten meat from Alpaca, and found it to be very tender and flavorful, with no fat. The food in the restaurant was great. I even got my non alcoholic beverage in a Moscow Mule Copper Mug:

Photo: Alpaca Stew with Beverage in Moscow Mule Copper Mug
Photo: Alpaca Stew with Beverage in Moscow Mule Copper Mug

First Impression of Arequipa

Even though I liked the weather and the mountains surrounding Arequipa, it became clear right away that it’s thus far the most aggressive place of all I’ve visited in Peru, as far as touts are concerned.

Right from the moment I got off the bus, I had dozens of them on my tail, stuffing flyers in my hands, insisting I book a hotel they recommend because all others either don’t exist or are not good for me, trying to get me take the ride downtown with them, or otherwise forcing me to shell out for whatever they said they had to offer.

They were like vultures and the whole bus terminal was inundated with them, so I just smiled and walked steadily out of the terminal and onto the street, where it got a little bit better, but not a whole lot.

The first impression of Arequipa was definitely not the greatest, but somehow in the melee, I managed to pick up a map of the city, so I elected to walk my way toward Plaza de Armas (every Peruvian town/city appears to have the downtown square named Plaza de Armas).

Photo: Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
Photo: Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa

Minibuses were passing me by, but their markings provided little assistance in determining where they were going. I approached one that got stuck in a jam and asked the woman collecting the fare if the bus passed by Plaza de Armas. She unexcitingly barked back at me that I’m on the wrong street for that, but provided no indication about where I’d need to go to catch the right bus.

Moreover, Arequipa has awful reputation regarding the dangers of taking a taxi, with express kidnappings being alarmingly frequent. It seemed from the map that the terminal was on the outskirts of Arequipa, with Plaza de Armas being quite a bit away, but whereas I’m used to walking a lot with my backpack on, and since Arequipa sees very little precipitation, I merrily hit it.

When I had about 3/4 of the way to Plaza de Armas covered, I saw a hotel to my left that seemed reasonably decent while reasonably remote to possibly offer an attractive price for a room, so I thought – what the heck. It doesn’t hurt to ask. I normally go for hostels and leave hotels out as I prefer good price to more comfort, but the location and the state of the building seemed to suggest the possibility of a good deal.

I ended up staying in Hotel Diplomats and with my room sorted out for the night, I headed out unburdened off my backpack to explore Plaza de Armas and whatever else Arequipa has to offer.

Photo: Two Arequipenas with Two Llamas and Yours Truly
Photo: Two Arequipenas with Two Llamas and Yours Truly

Trip to Arequipa from Palpa by Way of Nazca

While the experience of finding and soaking up the energy of the ancient Solar Clock in Palpa was exhilarating, it lasted until the sun went down, which meant the conclusion of walking around and the return back to the hostel.

The following day was Monday, so I went out to town in hopes the only tour office I have come across would be open, so that I can find out about the options to take a tour to other sites where Palpa geoglyphs can be found. Unfortunately, the office was as closed and deserted as it was on Sunday.

Everybody I asked told me that because Palpa gets few tourists who come to stay in one its few hostels, the tours to Palpa are organized by agencies with offices in Nazca. Nevertheless, Nazca tour agencies mostly receive tourists looking to see the popular Nazca lines, so the less popular Palpa lines, while on offer, only see limited interest.

Being almost an hour away, returning to Nazca so I can take the tour which would bring me back to Palpa, and would thus cost a lot just to cover the time and gasoline spent for the hour long trip each way seemed counterproductive, so I made the executive decision to wrap it up in Palpa.

Photo: Plaza de Armas in Nazca Has Lawn Decorated with Copies of Geoglyphs
Photo: Plaza de Armas in Nazca Has Lawn Decorated with Copies of Geoglyphs

I took the 4 Soles local bus back to Nazca, where I booked an overnight bus trip to Arequipa. The bus with Palomino was leaving at 10pm, and was scheduled to arrive in Arequipa at 8am the following morning. The cost was 70 Soles for the seat on the upper deck. The lower deck, where the bathroom was located, had fewer seats that cost 90 Soles each. I got me one upstairs.

I had a few hours to kill in Nazca before the ride, so I wandered round the streets of the town, checked out a few shops, bought some crude minerals from a man with a lot of knowledge man about their properties, and had dinner in one of the restaurants.

The Palomino bus was however delayed by almost an hour. Once I got on my seat, I realized it’s gonna be a tough ride because next to me was an overly obese man, whose monstrous fat folds overlapped deep into my seat. He was also the only snorer on the upper deck. Whereas almost everybody else was quiet the whole night, except of course a privileged single mother who spent the first hour and a half talking exceedingly loud on her phone, had this slob of fat not been on the bus, it would have been a pleasant ride. Because of him, however, not only was the ride very uncomfortable in how restricted I was the whole time, but he also made any decent attempt at unwinding impossible with his sloppy snoring.

Nevertheless, even though sleep deprived and super antsy, I did arrive in Arequipa the following day, where the cloudless sky with beautiful sun and gorgeous mountain peaks towering over the city quickly cheered me up.

Photo: Misti Mountain Towering Over Arequipa
Photo: Misti Mountain Towering Over Arequipa