Amigas?

We got back from Machu Picchu at 7pm and after narrowly missing a hailstorm, picking up our backpacks and showering we were on the overnight bus to Arequipe at 8:30. 

The majority of travel across SA is done by bus, they're comfortable and the experience is much like travelling premium economy/business class with some airlines. We had a hot meal of chicken which was good then cold drinks - while we were eating we watched an episode of Downton Abbey and then it was time to sleep, well it was for me as when I'm tired I can sleep through pretty much anything but Abs had to endure the SA bus journey phenomenon that is an action movie played at full volume for three hours!

I woke up at 5am about an hour before we arrived at Arequipe, the sun was up and the landscape had changed dramatically, the green rolling hills had been replaced by much lower hills which were yellow and brown in colour.

We arrived at our hostel at 6am and surprisingly we were able not only to check in but to have breakfast as well  - located 10 minutes from the bus terminal and 10 minutes from Plaza de Armas in the centre which was perfect.

Arequipa really isn't much to write home about although we did have very good meal at ZigZag, the number 1 restaurant in the city, Beef Carpaccio and a 'Sexy' Salad with a couple of glasses of red. We also had an  hysterical and slightly stilted conversation in Spanish  with a lovely man and his family as we waited to be seated, we talked about where we'd been and where we were going and he enthusiastically reinforced our decisions "ah, si muy bonito', before comically trying to establish whether we were friends or 'friends' - we weren't even wearing our lesbian walking trousers or matching jumpers!

God I miss wearing a skirt and heels :-)

Raine x