Cuscomanta !

This is more like it! Cusco in distance is about 10 hours from Arequipa, passing by the ugliest town I've seen so far in Peru, Juliaca, a dustbin of contrabandits and tornadoes. But Cusco, in terms of its feel, it's in a Peru of a parallel universe: much more indigenous, breathtaking remains of Inca architecture, locals calling you mama and papa and making you feel as if you were part of their family. The area where Helard and I are staying is a breath of fresh air as well, on a steep hill minutes away from tranquil woods, which feels miles from the city centre, but at the same time only 10 minutes by combi away from it. On our first night out on the town, we got talking to a 5 year old girl selling knitted fingerpuppets on the Plaza de Armas, and in an attempt to make her forget she's trying to sell us her goods, started asking questions. Do you speak Quechua? Si. What is the Quechua word for friend? Gringo, jijiji. Very typical!

The above pictures are from our last days in Arequipa, where I was trying to stay creative while fighting off my first parasital infection. In the top picture the virus was on the winning side...



These pictures are from an afternoon of chilling in Yura, small town near Arequipa. Beautiful sunset and subsequent moonrise!