La Casona De Jerusalen Traveler's Hostel

Colca Canyon

by acemj

Arequipa is a great base for exploring one of Peru's most visited spots, the Colca Canyon. The canyon is a few hours away by car and much more by train, so some might decide to actually stay in one of the villages along the valley floor of the canyon. This isn't a bad idea, since I felt like our one day tour of the canyon was a bit rushed. We were picked up at our hotel at 3am in order to get there early enough in the morning to appreciate the light and to see the magnificent condors in flight along the edges of the canyon walls.

You can also arrange for a two day trip to the canyon from Arequipa, which would enable you to get a greater appreciation of the place. The canyon is said to be the deepest in the world, about twice as deep as the more famous Grand Canyon in the USA and has been inhabited by native people for over 2000 years. There are quite a few little villages in the valley mostly inhabited by Collagua people who are said to be descendants of the Aymaras.

Santa Catalina

by graz-ie

A very nice and colorful monastery right in the middle of Arequipa.
You have a lot of young women running around there but you have to pay them to show you around - they speak all kind of languages. I just went by myself with a map because there were no other german or english tourists around at that moment and I didn´t want to pay so much just to walk around with one lady.

La Compañia church interior (the Sixtine Chapel)

by euzkadi

Inside the church there´s a impressive chapel known as the Peruvian Sixtine Chapel, full of paintings and colonial statues. Close to the church there are two of the original cloisters used now for handicrafts shops and offices.

The White City Surrounded By Mountains

by TravelSimone

"Preparing For The Riots"

This photo was taken approximately 2 hours before the city broke out in terrible riots. The goverment had recently sold off the local energy company, and a good portion of the country protested.

The riots were terrible- with people breaking bank and other business windows and destroying public telephones and ATM machines. They also placed large boulders on the tarmac of the airports and in the center of almost all roads inside and outside of the cities. They effectively shut down Peru's domestic transportation system.

The military and local police were out in full force chasing the mobs of people and spraying everyone with tear gas. I got caught in 2 of these mob scenes trying to get back to my hotel. Trust me... you never want to be tear gassed!

"Always Serene- Monasterio de Santa Catalina"

Under Construction- Check Back in the Future

"Journey to Colca Canyon"