Arequipa

Arequipa is the most beautiful place on the planet. We have the most charming room on the third floor of a hostel overlooking the city and a famous (and beautiful) convent. The highest peak in Peru, El Misti, is also visible from our patio. We are two blocks from the central plaza. Popsicle stands are numerous. We may never leave.

We find a room in really, the cutest hostel I have ever seen. We are on the third floor, in a tiny room, and the ceiling slants down, giving us a little nook for the table and chair we have draped our belongings over. Our door opens onto a little patio with a porch swing and some benches, and a quite breathtaking view of this city. Arequipa is nestled among the hills of the Andes. Houses and buildings stretch into the corners and cracks in between hills. We can see straight down into the convent garden next door. We can see the church steeples of the Plaza cathedral. We can see the great snow-capped mountains in the distance. There are barely any clouds, and the sun is shining.

I nap while Wade showers, and then we switch. There is gloriously hot water here. Note I am now two for one, in terms of showers, which is quite impressive, given my history at home.

We walk around the city and do the following:

• Plaza de Armaz. Charming, colonial, green, full of people, everything lacking in Los Angeles
• Two young women approach us and give us a survey about nutritional granola bars. They are doing a marketing thesis and plan to produce and sell a line of bars.
• Visit several baby alpaca stores. These go on forever. I did not know baby alpaca was such a commodity.
• Electric appliance store. I am amazed and impressed by the super cheap prices, until Wade points out that the objects are on payment plans, and the prices I saw were just the monthly premium.
• An over-the-counter pharmacy
• At an arcade, we see a claw-stuffed-animal game sponsored by ADVIL and ROBOTUSSIN.
  
• Various churches

In the afternoon, we return to our Casa Reyna and read Bill Bryson. We are lazy and take some naps. After a few hours, I get up, motivated only by the prospect of going to a real cinema and seeing a real movie, in English. Sadly, all three cinemas we checked out were closed or had been converted to churches and were conducting wedding ceremonies. As far as we could tell. There was crepe paper and dancing. Instead, we went to mass at the Jesuit church and the main cathedral.

We have dinner at this Hare Krishna vegie place called Govinda. It is a bit creepy inside, what with the tall ceilings and religiousy music. We have quinoa something-or-other and squash something and some wierd purpley drink which I find out later is chicha morada, one of the most popular drinks here. On our way out, we are bugged by a little boy trying to sell us candles. He whines. I do not fall for whining children selling things.

We go internet, and I learn that Wade cannot spell. Afterwards, we find a fourth-floor restaurant overlooking the Plaza and drink. I get a Cuba Libre (rum and coke) and he gets the locally brewed Arequipena. We hear a Peruvian band playing in the street. Finishing our drinks, we step down onto the Plaza, watching a street performer. He has two dogs dressed as people. I hate dogs, and dogs dressed in clothing is always funny to me. He also has a "robotic" bride and groom who dance the tango. It was clear that there was a person in the groom's legs bent over into the bride's legs -- you could see his waist connecting them -- but the ringmaster was so funny that he drew a large crowd. Even Santa Clause, who had been selling candy in the street, came to watch. Street Man made fun of Wade and I, for being American, and warned us not to steal his Peruvian robot technology.

Question of the day: What is your favorite Peruvian food, other than manjar?
Deens: pineapple wafers
Wade: orange popsicle of indeterminate flavor. Perhaps caramel, perhaps coconut, maybe guava.

Pulse, resting, in Arequipa, elevation seventy six hundred feet:
Me: 96
Wade: 84

Pulse, after climbing four flights of stairs:
Me: 168
Wade: 108