People-watching from a bench in the central plaza of villages, towns and cities has been a popular pastime so far in South America. During this last week the plazas have become prettier and more ornate, and the people being watched have darker skins and wear more elaborate clothing - particularly the women with their embroidered dresses, hats and long, dark plaited hair. That this is a different country is obvious at first glance, but it is also apparent that I am now entering the region that was for centuries the seat of power in this continent, and was consequently the most opulent, at least until the end of Spanish rule in the 1800s.

The border crossing from Chile caused a few problems since it is currently closed every morning for land mine clearances. So my first experience of a Peruvian plaza was in Tacna which is bi-passed by most tourists, but stuck there for the night I found it to be a good introduction to the country. My second plaza was at Arequipa, which is far more impressive than any others I have seen, but more on this city later. For now, it was a transport hub into the mountains, and a place to feast on alpaca and other new dishes. I never mentioned food very much in Chile, where they seem to thrive on bread and their own versions of fast food, but here the cuisine is much more inventive and I'm looking forward to more of it.

Six hours out of Arequipa by bus, after crossing a snow-covered pass at 4900m I found more well-kept plazas in the tiny villages of the Colca Canyon. A long time has passed since I was last in a non-motorized village, but after hiking a thousand metres down into the canyon and up the other side; several were to be found, each with their own well-kept plaza and ramshackle church.

The Colca Canyon is reputed to be the biggest canyon in the world - not as wide as the Grand Canyon, but deeper, with sides rising from the 1500m river bed to 4500m in one section. It is a very beautiful area, and with wild flowers and greenery everywhere, is a refreshing change to the deserts. Of course you only get greenery at a price, and that price is rain. Perú is still experiencing the last of this year's rains, and the regular afternoon thunderstorms are preventing me from venturing to higher altitudes just yet.