Arequipa, Peru

From Ica I took a 12 hour night bus to Arequipa, Peru's second largest city, located in the south of the country. It is know as the “white city” since the older part of the city was built using a white volcanic stone called sillar. I had heard that Arequipa was quite a sight and it was more or less on the way to Machu Picchu so I decided to see it for the day. At the bus station I reserved another bus for later that night heading to Cusco. I left my backpack with the bus company I would be using that night and I was off to see Arequipa. The historical center of Arequipa was terrific. The white Sillar stone building with there intricate carvings were beautiful.















One of the coolest sights in Arequipa was the Monastery of Santa Catalina. It takes up a whole city block and contains a maze cobblestone pathways and buildings. It was a perfect place to wander around and get lost.



















Back in the real city there were a number architectural sights including two old homes that were open to the public. After cruising around the city the whole day I made it back to the bus station to catch my ride to Cusco.






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