Arequipa, Peru
03.03.2006
19 °C
Arequipa – Day 1
We arrived in Arequipa about 7.30 am after a slightly nauseas (Sp?) early morning bus ride into higher altitudes. (I asked the lovely bus attendant for a sick bag just in case – Well I thought I did, but what I actually said was – “ I am feeling nauseaus, have you a suitcase?”
Tee Hee Hee
We hopped in a taxi and asked the taxi driver to bring us to a certain hostel we had noted from the Bible, but he brought us to the second one in the dodgier area of town (we didn’t know this at the time though). El Caminante del Class Inn 2. The hostel owner was a very small smiley lady who babbled on at us in Spanish. Me & Jim nodded profusely while Manuel & Priska did all the talking. (It’s becoming the norm). She showed us to our quite nice rooms and we set about throwing all our stuff all over the beds and floors.
I then went on a search for a new camera – and we compared a few prices. It’s a Nikon coolpix and it takes very nice pictures.
After a bit of a rest and a brisk cold shower, we went out for some tasty pizza and a few drinks. I had to buy a new memory card for the camera (55 dollars – holy sheet batman).
Then we all hit the sack. 
(Together) he he
Arequipa – Day 2
Today we headed to Chivoy to ultimately see Colca Canyon and hopefully some Condors.
We were collected at about 8 by our tour guide and the bus driver (Senor Elvis). On our way to Chivoy, we stopped a few times - to take pictures of llamas and alpacas, have cocoa tea, take some pictures of some cute kids in Peruvian attire, wee, chew the coca leaves along with some volcanic ash which acts like a catilizer apparently (pffft!!), buy some trinkets, take pictures of volcano’s, buy some bananas and wee again.
We had a very interesting tour guide though who explained a lot about the area we were driving through and a little bit of history. The bus journey itself was uphill again and I popped some altitude sickness pills, which are great. The only downside being the drowsiness – zzzzzzzzzz!
We arrived in Chivoy for lunch, the lads had Alpaca steak (eek) and Jim & I had some trout. Then we had to get back on the bus (it was ridiculous as our hostel was literally next door) while we were all driven to our hostels (100 metres at the most). Crazy.
We were in Hostel Anita – really cute little rooms all surrounding a gorgeous courtyard. We had a tree stump as our bedside table and we had HOT SHOWERS YAY!
We got our stuff together and we all headed up to the Thermal Springs – outdoor pools of very hot volcanic water – stuffed with minerals. The weather was freezing but the pool was roasting and very clean. We sat in the pool, sipping on pisco sours as cool rain dropped on our heads. It was bliss! 
Crikey! sounds like you're having a great time! the alpaca is one weird looking animal.
If it happens again (buy the next one in Japan, I got me an 8 mega pixel monster for mad cheap).
hard luck with the camera
Sorry I'm too wrecked tired and stoned from Kerosene fumes to think of anything remotely funny or interesting to say (this is the first time I've had that excuse
) my consience decided to remind me that it was your birthday, just after I went to bed after a night on the drink, was programming my phone to wake me up in the morning and thought "March 24th, March 14th? why does that strike me as important?" and then I remembered; March 14th was the day that Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin.
It's also the day that Gerry Adams was wounded in an assasination attempt in 1984. I remember you using the old "It was my 7th birthday party Guard" alibi.
So happy birthday sis.
Two things I really like about your travel diary thingy (I hate the word blog ) is a: The spiffing hat James seems to be wearing in every second shot (The kind of pointy one; it's well funky! try to have a photo taken of James wearing that hat at various points around the globe (Preferably in the same pose in each).
The second are the photos of Lisa posing besides all sorts of whacked out stuff (Dolphins, Spongebob squarepants etc) try to put on a serious face and look like you've just agreed a treaty between mascots and people.
well done on appropriating a couple of Swedish people. I picked up a few Swedes for the appartment last week and they're dead handy, do all the work. the police have been asking questions though...
Anyway time for bed (Again) it's a silly time for me to be awake.
So to recap.
1. keep up the good work.
2. Alcapas are strange
3. On March 14th 1794 Eli Whitney patented cotton gin
4. take care of yourselves, i hear South America can be abit mental sometimes.
Paul
14.03.2006 by Mysterio