We returned to Arequipa feeling the effects of both the altitude over the last few days and with very aching muscles from all the walking we had done. We decided, therefore, to have a couple of days in Arequipa taking in a few of the local sites and basically chilling out. Apart from the beautiful architecture and the monastery we have already told you about, the main tourist site in the town is to visit Juanita - a young Inca girl who was frozen on mount Misti above the town and discovered by some American archeaologists only in the 1970s. It used to be that the Incas would make human sacrifices to their Gods, in order bring good luck to their people. The sacrifices had to be the most innocent, beautiful and virginal girls of all the tribe and once selected they would have to walk to the top of the mountain, in a religious procession. Once there they would be drugged and then beaten on the head to bring death. The bodies would then be left in a foetal position dressed in their fine alpaca clothes and surrounded by fine ceramic ware and other offerings to the Gods. The bodies eventually froze over a few days which perfectly preserved their appearance. Juanita is the most well known of the some 14 mummies that have been found in Peru and Argentina. Whilst she is still kept in frozen conditions you can still see her skin and hair perfecly well, which did not deteriorate over the 400 years that she was frozen on the mountain. It wasnt until tha nearby Volcano erupted that spread enough hot ash int9o the air that her tomb thawed and she was found in the mountain basin. The rest of our time in Arequipa has been relaxing and preparing for the next stage of journey, to Cusco and the mearby Macchu Picchu.