Sunday

We have to leave at 8, but we wake well before the alarm. I slept well but my headache is pounding! I take water and chew on some coco leaves (used for altitude and other things) which helps a little. I have no paracetamol with me unfortunately and I don't want to take voltaren. While packing my things I find some nurofen. By breakfast the headache is almost gone. We have breakfast of bread rolls, juice and coco tea. Then off to catch our bus back 4hrs over the mountains to Arequipa. It's a beautiful sunny clear day and feast views. Not quite as cold as yesterday! We have a night bus tonight and no one is looking forward to it after last time. We are contemplating sleeping tablets.

When we return to Arequipa we are free time until 6:50 when we have to leave for the bus station to catch our 8pm bus. Our group CEO walks us around a few options for the afternoon. We are hungry and look in a few cafés for lunch but it is too difficult to decipher so we go looking for a supermarket. Instead we find a local market and have fun looking around and purchasing a few things.
We also stop at the pharmacy to buy some paracetamol. They don't seem to sell sleeping tablets. We then walk back to the square to try find a spot to sit down. But it is very busy and only empty seats are in the sun. The grassed area appears out of bounds as no one siting on it bar a tourist. We sit in shade in the path and enjoy our food. After eating we wander around the square and eventually find a spot to sit on the cathedral stairs. There are lots of police about and the ppl seem to be increasing. Malcolm catches up on his diary and I read. There are many peddler's selling a range of things from ice creams to souvenirs. After a few hours bands and musicians join the square and we think something is going to happen. We are joined by another young couple in our group and After a long wait the parade/procession starts. It isn't very long with a boys college band and two large floats. One of Jesus carrying his cross and then one of Mary ( we think) who looks like a majestic queen. After they pass we return to the hostel to await bus station transfer. Once on the bus we get a meal. Ours is vegetarian where the chicken is replaced with tvp. We find a few small slivers of chicken easily removed.
We try and sleep, successful for periods of time.