No Fixed Plans

We rolled into Arequipa at 8am after what we all unanimously agreed was the worst overnight bus of the trip so far due to lack of sleep. 

We dropped our bags at the hotel before heading out to explore the city. One of the first things we got shown was the ATM with no withdrawal fees.

Breakfast was our next stop, and while the food was pretty decent, it took almost an hour and a half to arrive. Most of us had ordered avocado and eggs on toast… so we’re still not entirely sure what was happening in that kitchen.

Once our rooms were ready we happily checked in and spent a couple of hours doing absolutely nothing, which was exactly what we needed after the overnight bus.

That afternoon we caught an Uber out to Rita Del Sullar. In an attempt to save money, four of us squeezed into the back seat while one person claimed the front. It seemed like a smart idea until we realised the drive was 40 minutes long. Safe to say the 4 of us felt pretty squashed by the end. 

We wandered around looking at all the statues for about half an hour before discovering our driver had disappeared… along with the 20 soles we’d paid him to supposedly wait for us. Lesson learned.

Luckily the staff there helped us organise another taxi. We assumed they’d send a bigger car since they knew there were five of us… but nope. Another normal-sized car. Another 40 minutes with four people crammed into the back seat. We all agreed that no matter how much we liked each other, we never wanted to be that close to each other ever again. 

Later that afternoon, two of us went back to find the fee-free ATM again but somehow still managed to get lost. A security guard quickly realised we were two very confused tourists and kindly pointed us in the right direction.

That evening we met back at the hotel before heading out together to watch the sunset, followed by dinner at the sports bar our ceo had pointed out to us. With another early start ahead of us, it was an early night.

The next morning started bright and early as we jumped on a day bus to Colca Valley.

Our first stop was a little local shop where everyone grabbed snacks and warmed up with coca tea before continuing through the mountains.

Not long after, we stopped to meet some llamas, and naturally everyone’s cameras came out immediately. There may have been more photos of the llamas than the scenery.

Once we arrived in Colca Valley we checked into our rooms before heading to the local hot springs. Well… eventually. Our departure was delayed because most of us were far too invested in watching the World Cup.

After soaking in the hot springs, we headed to a traditional Peruvian restaurant for dinner. We were running a little late (again… thanks, World Cup), but luckily the entertainment was still going strong. There were local dancers performing throughout dinner, which made for a really fun night.

Then it was straight to bed for yet another 6am wake-up call.

After breakfast we checked out and started our private tour through Colca Valley towards the famous canyon.

One of the highlights was hiking up to a condor viewpoint where we actually got to see the enormous birds soaring over the canyon. They’re even bigger in real life than they look in photos.

After spending some time there, we made the drive back to Arequipa.

That afternoon I went on a mission to find birthday cards for two people in our group. Unfortunately, the shop’s selection wasn’t exactly extensive (particularly for ones big enough for 18 people to sign), so they both ended up getting the exact same card. Slightly awkward considering it was definitely a little on the girly side for the birthday boy.

Everyone split up for dinner that night, but we all met back up later to sign the cards before another early night.

Our final day in Arequipa was a bit more relaxed.

Half of the group headed off on a tour of the Peruvian salt flats, while the rest of us decided we’d earned a slower day after all the early mornings.

We wandered around town, browsed a few shops and eventually made our way back to the sports bar from our first night for a late birthday lunch. Somehow the CEO even came over with a birthday cake, which made the celebrations feel pretty special.

Before leaving town, we made one last supermarket run to stock up on snacks for the next overnight bus.