Heading south...

As you could probably tell from my last post, my original plans have changed quite a bit. Originally I intended to stay in Peru for 3 months, traveling a bit after I finished my volunteer work, and arriving  home in time for the wedding of a close family friend. However, I realized quite quickly I would need more time abroad and decided to return to the marvelous city of Buenos Aires after my time in Peru. I found a cheap flight, arranged to stay with friends for at least a month and that was that. I leave for BA a week from Sunday and I am really looking forward to it!

For the moment, I am sitting in the courtyard of my hostal in Arequipa. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru (3rd being Trujillo). It is located in the south and many people come here en route to Lake Titicaca and Cusco (Machu Picchu) in particular, which is exactly what i am doing. Arequipa, as far as I can tell, is a really beautiful city. The scenery is flanked by 3 large volcanoes that neighbor it. I was almost surprised by the beauty of Arequipa upon entering. The plaza de armas is full of large trees and white stone structures. After spending so much time in the desert, this is a very welcome change of scenery.

I'm feeling much more energized and less emotional than in my last post, excited for the journey that lay ahead. Tonight I will travel to Puno, which is the city closest to Lake Titicaca. Tomorrow I will take a day trip to the islands on the lake. After that I will travel again by bus to Cusco where I will spend the week. I'm really looking forward to being in one place for a substantial amount of time. Since Monday, I have traveled from the beach town of Mancora in the very north of Peru to Arequipa in the very south. Lots of busses to say the least. Thank goodness for bus cama (very comfy seats).  When I arrive to Cusco I plan to book a 3-4 day trek to Machu Picchu. I didn't come very prepared for hiking and camping but am crossing my fingers that my gear is just fine.

I'm beginning to meet people in the hostals and fall into the groove of backpacking in South America. It's a way of life for a temporary period of time, but its amazing how many people are doing exactly the same thing. Sometimes when you are surrounded by thousands of people you can feel very lonely, and sometimes when you are all by yourself you can feel comforted with knowing you are really not alone at all.