Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Arequipa

After Puno and Titicaca, I headed west to Arequipa. Set in the
foothills of eight active volcanoes, Arequipa is known as the "white
city" because the mineral content of the lava rock used to construct
its major buildings makes the stone bright white. Arequipa ended up
being my favorite city in Peru - in addition to the eye-catching
building materials, there was an enormous monastery in the center of
town that boasted great architecture and plaza space, a museum devoted
to the "ice mummy" Juanita (a young girl sacrificed by the Incas in
the mountain tops, then discovered perfectly intact hundreds of years
later after volcanic activity dislodged her from the ice at the peak
of the mountain where she was killed), and some of the spiciest (and
tastiest) ceviche I ate in Peru.

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