Travel Blog: Day 11

Hey there, just arrived in Cusco. But first things first. I left Lima on a nightbus to Arequipa where I spent several days. The bus was amazingly comfortable...if you paid extra for the VIP seats. Considering that I would be on the bus for 15 hours I didn't mind paying a little extra. It was kind of like flying first class (or how I imagine flying first class would be like). They served dinner and breakfast, handed out pillows and blankets and you could recline the seats almost to a horizontal position.

When I arrived in Arequipa I started speaking to a girl that I overheard talk German on her cell phone. She told me she would work some time for an organization that helps the poor children around Arequipa. I kind of sticked with her and the other volunteers for the day and watched them help some of the children with their homework (as you can see in some of the pictures). I would have loved to help more but my Spanish still needs improving.

The next two days I walked around Arequipa and visited the beautiful Monasterio Santa Catalina. I also got to see "Juanita", an Inca girl that was sacrificed by the Incas about 500 years ago in order to appease the mountain god.

After that I went on a 3 day trip to the Colca Canyon where we did some serious hiking through breathtaking landscapes. We even saw several condors. So after seeing the smallest bird in the Monasterio the day before (a humming bird) I got to see the largest one just the day after.

I have not yet any picutures to show you of the canyon because my camera broke the day before the trip. I will try to get a new one today.

Enjoy the pictures!