I arrived in Arequipa on a bus from Chile. My main reason to stop in this city was the famous Colca Canyon. And while I did do some cool hiking and rafting there, what really surprised me was the city itself. Nicknamed “the white city”, Arequipa is a gorgeous colonial town, with a large Plaza de Armas in the center, built of volcanic white-stones (thus the name). The well-preserved, colorful Convento de Santa Catalina is a beautiful place to get lost, and the frozen mummy Juanita at the Museo Santuarios Andinos is a mandatory visit for those who like “weird stuff”. The city is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes, completing an idyllic picture.

For some reason I can’t explain, I felt like home in Arequipa. I had been travelling for almost two months by then, and this place help me reset and face the Peruvian leg with a brave new mind. On to Puno and the Lake Titicaca!