We took Cruz del Sur's bus from Puno to Arequipa, a company generally regarded for their safe and comfortable bus service. The four of us waited for our bus and were thoroughly surprised at having our bags searched, subject to handheld metal detector, and filmed getting onto the bus and when on the bus as to which seat we are sitting at. We weren't sure whether to be reassured by these measures or put off – but after several trips with the company and encountering no problems it seems clear that the security measures are effective – quite reassuring given the horror stories we have heard from others having things stolen from buses in Peru.
We arrived safe and sound in Arequipa at our lovely hostel. Found it difficult to find a place to eat at 9.40pm (clearly this isn't Argentina) but found the city to be clean and charming. The next day we tried to arrange a tour to Colca Canyon, being somewhat overwhelmed by the competition and price differential – our ideal company was ludicrously expensive, whilst everyone else was (what we felt) unsettlingly cheap. However, it was Arequipa's pavements put an end to our indicion – poor Bernard rolled his ankle on the uneven road and therefore we opted for the more comfortable non-hiking overnight trip. We diligently iced and strapped his ankle immediately and minimised the damage.
During those few days in Arequipa we took things easy so Bernard's ankle could heal, enjoyed going out for dinner with Emilie & Fred, exploring the fabulous Santa Carolina convent (a city in itself), and drinking pisco sours at sunset (Bernard had beer of course).
Then we departed for our tour to Colca Canyon – enjoying the hot springs at Chivay and fresh trout and alpaca at another lovely family run restaurant. The next day we departed early to see the condors. Last time I was here I only got to see 2 condors and very little of them flying. This time the conditions were perfect – a group of 12 condors were perched at the top of the Canyon and we sat for an hour watching them. They would be still for 20 minute stretches, then a thermal would tempt them and then suddenly four giants would take off and cruise around for 10 minutes or so. It was incredible to watch. The views of the Canyon itself and the valley filled with agricultural terraces were also superb. Bernard started to suffer with flu/altitiude on our journey back to Arequipa – he managed the journey OK but we delayed our travel to Cusco so we could rest another night in Arequipa – the best decision we made.
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