y-es travel chapter: Arequipa

Arequipa is Peru's second largest city (pop just under a million), and is known as"the white city". Guidebooks often say it's called that because of the prevalence and beauty of white sillar stone in the colonial architecture, but we've since learned it is because there was such a high concentration of Spaniards here when it was settled in the late 1500s, and they were comparatively quite pale, white. That part of the population is not so apparent now, but the Spanish influence, colonial architecture mostly in white sillar stone, marks the city.

Plaza de Armas, the main square, with its fountain, palm trees, eucalyptus trees, in the morning before the crowds arrive.

Typical sillar stone, which is pretty soft, and can be carved intricately.

A lovely cactus garden in the square of a section of town..

The town is ecologically conscious, and lots and lots of houses have solar water heaters. We're told showers in Jan-March rainy period are pretty chilly.

On the outskirts of town, lots of terraced agriculture, with Chachani mountains in the background.

Red onions and garlic are grown massively in the Arequipa region. These, just planted in time for the summer rainy and growing season.

The city is growing fast. These homes have gone up, without electricity or water, which will follow.

Agricultural terraces in use in the city.

Growing maize, and cabbages (paler green) in the city. A decision was made by the city to keep the terraces and use them, instead of clearing them out for more urban growth.

Tractors are rare around here -- don't easily work in the terraces because they can't get there and the job is so little. So oxen and hand plows are still the most common tilling methods, and hand weeding is required. No corporate farming here.

The entrance to our hostel. Yellow and orange are typically the colors of public spaces.

A view of the garden from above. Well used, by guests, and students in the Spanish school - lovely. Flowers and papyrus line the walls.

Paca, the garden's resident tortoise, with a strawberry.

Lots of flowers in the garden, great smells and hummingbirds. Happy Steve.

We went to a soccer game, Arquipa vs. Cusco, bitter rivals. Our seats were the second cheapest ones (PEN 10, or $4), which we didn't realize but were in the Cusco section. Arequipa won 1-0. Good game. No alcoholic beverages were served, but their great local ice cream, and gelatin, and slushies, and sandwiches and chips were.