2019-05-31 Casa Andina Premium Hotel, Arequipa, Peru
Breakfast is served by the open courtyard area and gas heaters are used to keep the guests warm in the early morningsEver since the earthquake recently in 2016 there have been many practice runs undertaken by everybody in the town incase another disaster occurs. This morning at 10am the sirens started and we all had to assemble in the hotel foyer. The staff went through all the procedures with the guests with one member of the staff being treated for injury. With Arequipa being a very earthquake prone area it is good to see most businesses and hotels have a good procedure in placeOnce we left the hotel we noticed quite a few of the staff from businesses nearby were still gathered in the streetChristina our guide arrived and on foot we went to visit some of the main sites in and around the town centreArriving at the Plaza de Armas we notice that there was a police presence which we image to be something to do with the earthquake drillIn the centre of Plaza de Armas is a very attractive fountain with a statue of a soldier at the the topThe magnificent Cathedral of Arequipa takes up a whole block of the Plaza de Armas The Church of Company is a small baroque church noted for it’s elaborate carved facade and very ornate interior We decide to visit the local market …… these olives looked amazing!!In Peru there are hundreds of varieties of potatoes as this is a major part of the Peruvian dietWonderful fresh fish brought straight from the fishing boats early in the morningThere are many stalls selling meat and sausages here tooEvery variety of cheeses to choose from here tooCasa Tristan del Pozo was a grand Colonial home and was built in the late 1700’sThe Baroque mansion is now home to a bank, an art gallery and a small museumIt was time to have a light lunch so we thought we would try ZimgaroEach of us decided to have the ceviche ……Peruvian ceviche is the best in the world!!The friendly chef at ZimgaroOur next stop after lunch is to visit the Santa Catalina MonasteryThe large Monastery founded in 1580 takes up a whole blockThe Nuns that lived here in the Monastery lived very well with their own rooms and they also had servantsOur guide recommended us to climb the stairs as the view was worth itIt is amazing how close the volcano called Misti is to ArequipaA group of other volcanoes are not that far away in the distanceThe Monastery has also an art galleryIt was time to leave the monastery and make our way back to our hotelTonight we try Restaurant Chicha A Pisco Sour the drink of choice while in Peru!!Octopus with greens and potatoA fabulous vegetarian dishA wonderful trio of chocolate delights to finish the evening!!
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