Tahira and Yusra posing in front of the Colca Canyon
A couple weeks ago I decided to go with my workmate to visit Arequipa and tour the Colca Canyon - my second time over. Arequipa blew me away - the city is still gorgeous and has become quite clean and stray-dog free - Yay!!
A word about dogs in general and then stray dogs in Peru.
Dogs in general are quite lovely especially when well cared for and trained - super cute and fun. Stray dogs in Peru - flea-ridden, rabies, pack mentality - not something you want off leash and running at you as you walk home - especially in the dark - and sooooooo many of them too.
Anyhow, Arequipa is an amazing amazing with its white stone buildings made with volcanic ash from the volcanos that surround the city, with its Zanzibar like- very ornate doors, lush courtyards, and of course with its massive volcano named Misty - of which backdrops the city. Better yet there are so many roof top patio restaurants and bars which light up the city at night and are such a wonderful place to chill.
What follows was quite the learning experience. We had booked a tour from Cusco of the Colca Canyon and for being a one day tour, including a hostel, breakfast, tour, and bus rides to and from Cusco, it wasn't cheap, but reasonable and seemed to mirror with price adjustments of course what I'd paid 12 years ago. The buses, and Canyon tour were decent. However the tour of Arequipa was non-existent and included thus nothing, and our hostel was so run down and really the stuff of nightmares that I realized - hey I actually have standards and no way in hell am I staying here. After shopping around for a decent place - found - Thank God - I realized - the learning - that I can actually pretty well put together and book my own amazing tours - lavish in fact - at the same price - LESSON LEARNED.
My second lesson - was in seeing how much the Canyon had changed in 12 years - no longer was it the pristine untouched Canyon. Now it has become scattered with towns, terraced for farming, and also become full of hotels, hostels, and tourists from all over. Lesson - everything is always changing - and changes should be somewhat anticipated and accounted for so that things don't loose their essence and natural charm.
Overall the trip was great fun - beautiful city, good food, great experiences, and some learning. Now setting up a wicked amazing itinerary for my brother and his awesome girl when they come to visit - realizing I could pretty much write for Lonely Planet.
 Gorgeous doors in Arequipa |  Main Plaza - Arequipa |
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