Back in Arequipa we decided to do the free walking tour that we had missed a few days earlier. It didn't start until the afternoon so we spent the morning enquiring with tour agencies about doing some mountain biking, either down El Misti or Chachani Volcano. Unfortunately we found this activity was a little out of our price range, and it was difficult to know who to believe as one agency would tell us one mountain was great and the other not so great, and the next agency would say the opposite.

We met our tour guide, this time in the right place, and set off for our Free Walking Tour. We began in Plaza San Francisco, which had on one side the San Francisco Church and Convent, and on the other some museums. We then made our way to the Yanahuara area via the Puente Grau, one of the more prosperous areas of Arequipa. Apparently it wasn't until the Grau Bridge was built over the Rio Chili that the city's more affluent folk started to move there.

Below us along the river banks was the Club Internacional, a very prestigious sports club with tennis courts, soccer fields, pools, etc, etc. Back in the day one had to be of the right social background to become a member, though these days one just has to afford the membership fee.

From the Mirador de Yanahuara we had a view over the rooftops of the city. In the plaza adjacent was the Iglesia de Yanahara with detailed façade showing some localised elements in the carvings made by Native people.

Paulo then took us to an old mansion that is said to be haunted. Rumour has it the owner returned home one day to find his wife fraternising with another man, and so he bricked them into one of the walls, still alive. Locals say at night they hear a man yelling and a woman crying. These days it is owned by a British Geologist who holds events there.

We walked through more of the Yanahuara neighbourhood then back across the river via the Puente Bolognesi into the city centre. We visited the Del Solar neighbourhood with its whitewashed colonial buildings, and a little alleyway that is now residential but was once a slaughterhouse.

We then wandered the city centre, including the main square and the City Cathedral, before it was time for free samples! We had some chocolate and chocolate tea in a chocolate café, followed by a potato sample in the same Potato restaurant we had eaten in a few nights prior.

We finished our tour in a bar where we were given some free samples of Pisco. We said goodbye to our guide Paulo here, and did exactly what they wanted us to by sticking around for another drink.

On our way back to the hostel we spotted a cool looking restaurant called Tacos & Tequila. It was almost dinner time so we went in. The food was amazing and cheap! Lindsay had mini soft tacos with a few mixed fillings and Fergus had a burrito, washed down with some tequila cocktails. One of the best meals we've had so it was a great little find!

Since we had decided against forking out for mountain biking the next day we didn't have much to do. We had a nice coffee, walked to a shopping centre we thought might have some useful shops that didn't, and ended the day at an Indian restaurant. Despite being highly rated on trip advisor the food was average and they didn't even serve naan bread!

LAPFWT