Monday, July 12, 2010

Arrival in Arequipa

We got in to Arequpia around 11:30 at night.  We went with a more expensive bus, and the 5 hour trip cost us $16 each.  We had leather seats, blankets, reclining seats, heating, snacks provided, movies to watch, and even a Bingo game with a ticket from Arequipa back to Tacna as the prize.  They were also very big on security, as they checked our carry on luggage and had a video camera recording us as we got on the bus.  Then once we were all seated they came around and recorded us looking into the camera again.  All in all, I would say springing for the $16 bus was probably a better decision than going with the $7 regular bus.

Our hostel seems like it is really nice, and we have our own room and own bathroom.  Tomorrow morning we leave for a 2 day tour of Colca Canyon, which will include seeing condors, some hiking, hot springs, and probably some pretty amazing sights besides that.

So my impressions of Peru so far:

The people seem very nice and hospitable.  There is a segment of them that are pushy with trying to sell goods to us, but then again that is not something that surprises me.

The food is delicious and very affordable.  I got a lunch of potatoes in some type of slightly spicy cream sauce, chicken filet, salad, and a purple juice for $3.

I am also seeing that now I am definitely in a 3rd world country.  Having been in Santiago for so long has gotten me used to the European feel of the city, and here things are more run down.  Despite that, it is an awesome trip.

Time to get some sleep.

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