good bye Arequipa

I didn´t realise it would be so hard to say good bye in Areguipa. I really like that town with its beautiful volcano, El Misti, in the background and the relaxed atmosphere. I was starting to feel at home there. I actually ended up staying a day longer than planned after meeting a nice Peruvian... He showed me one of the lesser known miradors on a hill just outside of town overlooking the valley where Areguipa exists. The view was fantastic.

There´s only been one time where I´ve felt particularly unsafe, so far. Mostly I´ve just been using common sense, staying away from dark alleys at night, and always looking as if I know exactly where I´m going. But last night while visiting the mirador with Humberto, our taxi left us, and we had to navigate our way through this area with steep uneven stairwells and angry dogs to find our way back to the road. It was slightly unnerving. I was glad when we found a well lit street and a taxi. Anyway, it wouldn´t be a trip to South America without at least one experience like that, I think. So there, I got it out of the way, and I´m still alive.

Now I´m in Puno which sits on the edge of Lake Titicaca after a five hour bus ride from Areguipa. The town itself isn´t all that interesting, but the lake is beautiful and the weather is sunny. Tomorrow I´m going on an overnight boat tour of some of the nearby islands.

So far, I´ve been able to get by on anywhere from s/35 - s/100 a day, which translates to something like US$10-30. That includes meals, lodging, tours, and transportation. I splurged on a hotel for tonight ´cause I wanted a nice hot shower. I´m paying $10 for the room which includes a full breakfast. Livin´large here in Puno!

Thanks for all the love on the last post everyone. I´m glad you´re reading. Much love to you!

I´ll check in again from Copacabana, which is where I´ll be this weekend.... unless of course I meet another nice Peruvian here in Puno... ;-)