Arequipa
We arrived in Arequipa early yesterday morning. To get here, our journey was a little stomach rocking. I think this was due to the road surface which we have heard is one of the best in Peru. It makes us grateful for the continual digging up, resurfacing and road works of the roads round Cheltenham. Sorry we moaned mr digger upper!
Arequipa is really lovely. Although my first opinion of it was not so positive. We arrived at a place recomended by our taxi driver as a cheap place to stay. We understood pretty quickly as to why it was so cheap (The footprint guide suggested it was in an unsafe area), but being budget concious, stuck it out for one night. We are now staying in a lovely little room with its own powerful shower, (No its not a Mira!) and intend to do some serious relaxing before we travel to Puno. I think that the place we are staying in is our first 'mid range' accomadation. Woo woo woo!
We have just got back from a delicious lunch, seated on a balcony looking out over the Plaza De Armas. We were seranaded by 3 young boys and a gecko, playing the pan pipes, a little guitar and a bass drum. The Gecko was particulalry good on the pan pipes!
They were very talented and their singing was very harmonious. I know my colleague, Mr Webber, would have loved to have had them in his orchestra!

Here in Peru we regularly eat from the budget "menu" (pronounced men-oo). This means that we get a 2 course meal and a drink for the bargain price of 2 pounds. It is always exciting to see what arrives, as we usually forget to take our dictionary with us! Some of the dishes our very colourful and we hope that when we arrive in Cuzco later on in our trip, that we will learn how to cook these!
Tomorrow we are taking a lazy day to look round the convent which will be good for Nat (the lazy day bit!) and Jonny may go to see some dead people! Somehow Nats not too keen on the latter!

Update ...
The convent was beautiful and very relaxing although Nat got slightly stressed when we got lost in the labyrinth maze of rooms. We had to jump a barrier to find the exit much to the disgust of some passing tourists! Even Jonny declined going to see the dead people!