Peeking through the curtains as the bus approached Arequipa, we appeared to be in Mos Eisley. Very dry and arid looking, but unfortunately no spaceships or aliens to be spied.

We arrived in Arequipa at around 6am on Sunday morning, reasonably refreshed after a comfortable night on the bus. Our hostel room wasn't ready and so we wandered into yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The colonial centre was stunning first thing in the morning, few people around and the white stone buildings (sillar, a pearly white volcanic rock) beautiful in the morning light. Sorry, I'll stop there before I start rhyming and turn this into a poetic blog.

As we settled into a balcony restaurant overlooking the main square for breakfast, we noticed a dozen or so soldiers standing in formation. Over the next half an hour or so squads of other brigades (not really sure what to call them) followed suit. By around 8am half the town's population also seemed to have gathered, along with town and military dignitaries. What followed was a ceremonial raising of both the Peruvian and local district flags, then a parade of various local musical/dancing/tribal (?) groups and finally the various military groups. Totally unexpected and amazing to watch. The kids shown in the photo accompanying this entry were fantastic - I just hope they weren't locked in 24/7 dance school in Russian/Chinese-style child training!

After finally checking into the hostel, we retraced our steps now that things were actually open. Arequipa's most prized possession is Princess Juanita, a young Inca girl sacrificed to some god or other at the top of a nearby volcano some 500 years ago. Supposedly well preserved by the glacial conditions up there, she looked pretty rough to me! I jest, the museum displays and story of the sacrifice were actually really interesting, although the guide was clearly trying for a personal best time in getting our group through. Any questions, no, good. Vamos.

The town is also home to the Santa Catalina Monastery, actually a convent. It is a huge complex with its own streets and plazas, mostly restored and the now nun-free parts open to the public. A stunning mix of architectural styles, so our guide assured us, it is a fascinating and beautiful place to visit. As I say, we paid for a guide to try and get the most out of the visit. Big mistake. Much of the visit entailed viewing the houses that the nuns used to live in, and our guide's helpful commentary consisted of such gems as "that's the bed the nun slept in", and "that's the cupboard the nun kept her personal possessions in", and "that's the nun's kitchen". In every single house we visited. Well thanks for clearing up any confusion there and for giving such insight into the stories behind the place.

So, Arequipa's guides score a fail, but the town itself is well worth a visit. There's loads to see and the place has a good feel about it. We could definitely have spent more time there. But no, a whole day had gone by without hard physical exercise and so another three day hike was booked, leaving at 3:30am the following morning. I don't know why we bothered booking a hostel at all.

Last note, another tick for the traveller/backpacker chart - we cooked our own dinner again.