The Peru gallery has three rooms: Lima, Arequipa, and Ollantaytambo.
Rendez-vous Peru
Arequipa Travel Photography
The chapters:
Getting there - Santa Catalina Monastery - Chicha Restaurant - Oso Restaurant - Cooking class - Llamas - Salinas - Shopping - Zig Zag Restaurant - Flight to Ollantaytambo
Arequipa: you took my breath away!
An Arequipa travel photography story through colorful architecture, mountain landscapes, local flavors, and unexpected encounters.
The first visit was Santa Catalina Monastery, and honestly, that place almost kidnapped me. It's HUGE! I had no idea there were so many different sections: red, blue, beige, another blue, and another red... Every time I thought I was done, one more section appeared. WOW!
Then, we headed up into the mountain to visit volcanoes, salt flats, and llamas. And, of course, we ended the trip on a high note with plenty of shopping!
You are so welcome here! Take your time, and experience Arequipa through my lens!
Getting there from Lima
Did you know? Many locations in Arequipa were carved into caves, including this hotel. How amazing is that? We arrived exhausted, so we stopped by the cozy hotel café for some tea before heading off to bed.
I captured this lovely picture of my friend while we were chatting. I showed it to her, and she gave me the thumbs up to share it with you.
Rooftop view from the hotel.
It's a new dawn. It's a new day.
Welcome to Santa Catalina Monastery!
Spotted this cute little bird perched on this ficus elastica. Of course, she had to be part of the memory :)
The sisters were well-equipped in the monastery, with all kinds of instruments still preserved there. Throughout the visit, I encountered statues of the sisters, and one of them truly startled me! I turned the corner and suddenly, she was there! For a brief moment, I genuinely thought she was real!
Move on to the blue section
Recreation of Sister Juana de San José in her room.
She had a special relationship with the Child Jesus. It was said that she would tie herself to the wooden cross for prayer.
One morning, she was alone in her room after receiving communion. The sisters called her but she did not respond. They approached her and found her dead, just as recreated. She was found kneeling, eyes open, with her rosary in her hand.
She lived 33 years.
Beige section
I want that chest.
Don't ask. I just feel like I should have it...
I also want that door.
Time for dinner at Chicha
I recommend it. Everything was delicious. Plus, the aesthetic is very calming and pretty.
Breakfast at Oso Restaurant
Another recommendation! I thought I was Gangsta' and ordered the Jack Daniel's coffee.
Well... They were serious about the Jack Daniel's part! And that's when I found out that a gansta' I am not :)
We then walked to our Cooking Class
As a fun way to immerse yourself in culture, I highly recommend you include a cooking class when traveling. Even if you're not a cordon blue, it's fun!
Side note: It's always interesting to observe locals going about their daily routines while I'm on vacation: merchants selling their goods, people going to work, kids getting out of school. The world just keep going round and round...
Alright... Allez cuisine! (If you watch Iron Chef, you get that reference :))
All done for the day.
We walked back to the hotel.
My favorite part of the whole trip.
We woke up bright and early and up and up a serpentine dusty road we went.
I had so much fun editing those pictures!
Question: why was this llama looking at me like that? I'm gonna name him.....
DeShawn. Yes. DeShawn.
And I feel like he'd sound like Tracy Morgan. You don't think?
At the time, I didn't notice on the other side, the guide was giving the group alfalfa to give them... DeShawn was not having it with me!
My bad, friend!
I joined the group and witnessed my friend getting softly attacked by llamas.
... I'm not sure why she walked towards me. I was already on the naughty list with DeShawn. I wanted to get on his good side.
I call the one in the middle, Estebán.
He looks suspicious of me.
That llama became my friend. I call her, Charlene :)
I'm pretty sure that's Estebán from earlier.
We also became friends.
Welcome to the Salt flats
It felt like I entered another world. And not to get all muchy here but I got real deep in my thoughts and I'm pretty sure whatever I said there, is what set the course of my life until present day. Happy viewing!
Is it me or does this llama look like he has a mask on...
It's a bandit llama :)
The end of this chapter.
Shopping time
and more llamas
I ended up buying one coat, one cape, four scarves. Yay!
Then, months later, life took me to Florida, where, as it turns out, I will have absolutely no need alpaca anything!
In my defense, Florida has its place in my journey. I wrote about that in my open letter, Life transition at 40. I hope you'll give it a read and comment your thoughts. Maybe some of it will resonate with you...
Hey! Ain't that white alpaca, DeShawn, from earlier??
Dinner time at Zig Zag Restaurant
I do not recommend this place. The food was bland. My fish was overcooked. It feels more like a tourist trap: more theatrics than culinary arts. Instead of this place, go to Claustro that's nearby.
So, their shtick is "everything is cooked on a volcanic rock." Cool. Then the waiter comes around with a bib for you to wear.
Those people had us looking goofy and we still left hungry... smh.
Low key, though, that bib is definitely necessary because without it, grease would be ALL over your clothes!
So, either avoid this restaurant altogether or embrace your goofy bib.
You've been warned!
Time to say "see you later, Arequipa"
Today is our last day. We're off to Ollantaytambo next. From there, we took the train to Machu Picchu. See you in the next room of the Peru gallery!
I hope you enjoyed this room.
From here, go upstairs and make a right. You'll find the entrance to the last room: Ollantaytambo.
Of course, feel free to go back to the primary room, Lima.
Cheers!