Taking it Easy in Arequipa

Peru – July 15

Arequipa at night

The travel bug has finally caught up with us….and I don’t mean wanderlust or the itch to go places.  We are all under the weather in various states of misery.  Sore throats, headaches, dry sinuses, runny sinuses, stomach disruptions – you name it, we got it!  So, we decide to do nothing today but lay in bed and relax.  We have found a TV channel that shows re-runs of Friends and The Big Bang Theory, which we have been watching with abandon (Shows we also enjoyed on our trip around the world – they must retain an international appeal). By the afternoon, Annie, Paulie and I decide to walk a few blocks to the Central Mercado to see what’s up with what is described as “Peru’s largest central market”.   Well…..I can see how it got its name…….skinned alpaca anyone?, cow legs? How about a tasty goat head to go with your appetizer?.....Anything you ever imagined to eat and many things you wish you hadn’t!!!  The smell is making me gag, especially given the compromised state of my health and we veer off toward the spice area to clear our noses of the stench.  We happen upon a nice man selling dried peppers, teas, herbs and spices and we engage in a lively conversation with him before procuring a host of beautifully aromatic and colorful items…..whole nutmeg, dried paprika peppers, carrot and orange tea…and the list goes on and on.  Aferward, we wander about the flower vendors and decide to head over to the Plaza de Armas to see a handicraft market where Annie is hoping to find some tshirts.  Underway, we stop by a shop selling dried fruits and nuts and stock up for our early morning departure the following day.  We don’t even bother having lunch and as a result of our lethargy and we are pretty famished by dinnertime.  We return to a spot called “Fez” that Annie spied while returning from our bike trek and have a OK dinner.  Early to bed, early to rise.

Plaza de Armas, Arequipa

Convent Santa Catalina

Chachani, Arequipa, Peru