Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Arequipa...the white city...
Bused in overnight from Puna. Bloody freezing and uncomfortable on the bus. The recline on my seat was broken and it kept slipping into upright position. What an uncomfortable night. Luckily the hostal I am staying in is clean and warm. In fact Arequipa is very warm. Although I'm still at altitude the city is turning on some weather in the low 20s and it is very pleasant. And it is a 'Spanish' styled town as I expected. Very beautiful, with lovely cathedral and staely buildings throughout. Equally pretty to Trujillo and Cusco as expected.
The town is busy and full of people. The Plasa de Aramas is full of Christmas decorations, there are pan flutes playing christmas carols and 'The Sounds of Silence' again...Little kids with their Christmas presents - pushing toy buses, sharing new dolls, throwing balls and enjoying time with their doting parents. Lots of ice creams and pigeon food being bought.
Touts looking for restaurant business constantly but not as much souvenir hawking as in Cusco. Here began my beginning with the end. Was approached by a tout wanting me to come to 'his' restaurant. Laughed and pulled an identical drink voucher from my pocket given by one of his colleagues earlier. He said 'keep mine too and have two drinks'. Didn't think any more of it and walked on enjoying the day and the atmosphere. Same bloke reapproached me later asking if I could help him with some words to an english language song he was writing out. Didn't think it could hurt and sat on the steps of the cathedral with his MP3 player helping him get the words of a very poor dictioned 'Soho girl' - some London band...got talking and agreed to take one of the Lonely Planet scenic tourist walks together and take photos. He had his own digital camera and mobile phone and MP3 player and when questioned the money seemed to come from working in the oil and gas industry. Intelligent conversation during the afternoon about trade agreements, politics, and wars between Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Got some great views of the city, the surrounding volcanos, the river delta, etc. Even visited a local garden that had lots of local fruits growing and discussed agriculture. Found out about the local pawpaw, a kind of passionfruit, chillis, etc.
Split up later that afternoon and went our own ways. I was surprised 'Yamil' found me while I was eating dinner in a little mexican restaurant away from the main tourist strip. He chatted to me as I finished my dinner and somehow I agreed to help him with his music some more. First big mistake...Second big mistake...when I left his home two hours later I didn't check my bag before I left. Even though I had taken it with me when I went to the bathroom and it was closed when I left, somehow he had done the dirty on me.
Crazy thing is we have had the conversation about not being able to hate someone if you meet them. And by individual people meeting stereotypes are broken and wars averted. Obviously he doesn't think it applies to his little team of scammers.
And of course I find out in hindsight that the scam is operating across the town, with the hotels, restaurants, tour guides, police all taking a cut from what these pick pockets can skim off the tourists. So when I approached his employer for details, got another tour guide to help me ask questions to identify the guy, approached his landlady and even went to the police; Andrew tells me they are all in on it. Peru's south has left a bad taste. I really thought if I was going to be robbed it would be by someone who actually needed the money. Not the system who skims the money off the locals already and is also skimming the money off the tourist. The middle man is doing very well thank you.
So disappointing. But another lesson learned. This one is not so much a lesson but a philosophy - I am NOT going to stop trusting. Stuff them. I am not going to let these loosers make me suspicious of everyone I meet. There are so any kind and helpful people in the world. How dare these guys think their system is going to win. They are no better than terrorists who try and stop people travelling and communicating.
My last day in Arequipa was spent in the police station mostly. Went through all the motions, which at the time I thought were genuine but find out were just a waste of my time. I could have been out seeing the town rather than seeing how they run a police department and putting a comfit picture together with an artist. Such a waste of their time too. How mind blowingly boring to spend your day filing reports you know are going nowhere.
But...I did manage to get to the Santa Catalina Monastery, a 400 yo convent. The most amazing city within a city and the light and photo opportunities were incredible. So artistic. Lots of white, royal blue, terracotta, rich green, red geraniums, dark brown heavy oak doors, black soot on bread ovens, gold embroidery on religious robes, and an impressive collection of religious art - much from the Cusco School. Only 25 nuns still live there, cloistered away. It has been open to the public since the 1970's and offers an insight into how convets were run back in history. The rich ran the place and the poor served them. Even though they were all nuns. So society was reflected within the walls from without. So much for removing yourself from the temptations of the material world...
Bused in overnight from Puna. Bloody freezing and uncomfortable on the bus. The recline on my seat was broken and it kept slipping into upright position. What an uncomfortable night. Luckily the hostal I am staying in is clean and warm. In fact Arequipa is very warm. Although I'm still at altitude the city is turning on some weather in the low 20s and it is very pleasant. And it is a 'Spanish' styled town as I expected. Very beautiful, with lovely cathedral and staely buildings throughout. Equally pretty to Trujillo and Cusco as expected.
The town is busy and full of people. The Plasa de Aramas is full of Christmas decorations, there are pan flutes playing christmas carols and 'The Sounds of Silence' again...Little kids with their Christmas presents - pushing toy buses, sharing new dolls, throwing balls and enjoying time with their doting parents. Lots of ice creams and pigeon food being bought.
Touts looking for restaurant business constantly but not as much souvenir hawking as in Cusco. Here began my beginning with the end. Was approached by a tout wanting me to come to 'his' restaurant. Laughed and pulled an identical drink voucher from my pocket given by one of his colleagues earlier. He said 'keep mine too and have two drinks'. Didn't think any more of it and walked on enjoying the day and the atmosphere. Same bloke reapproached me later asking if I could help him with some words to an english language song he was writing out. Didn't think it could hurt and sat on the steps of the cathedral with his MP3 player helping him get the words of a very poor dictioned 'Soho girl' - some London band...got talking and agreed to take one of the Lonely Planet scenic tourist walks together and take photos. He had his own digital camera and mobile phone and MP3 player and when questioned the money seemed to come from working in the oil and gas industry. Intelligent conversation during the afternoon about trade agreements, politics, and wars between Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Got some great views of the city, the surrounding volcanos, the river delta, etc. Even visited a local garden that had lots of local fruits growing and discussed agriculture. Found out about the local pawpaw, a kind of passionfruit, chillis, etc.
Split up later that afternoon and went our own ways. I was surprised 'Yamil' found me while I was eating dinner in a little mexican restaurant away from the main tourist strip. He chatted to me as I finished my dinner and somehow I agreed to help him with his music some more. First big mistake...Second big mistake...when I left his home two hours later I didn't check my bag before I left. Even though I had taken it with me when I went to the bathroom and it was closed when I left, somehow he had done the dirty on me.
Crazy thing is we have had the conversation about not being able to hate someone if you meet them. And by individual people meeting stereotypes are broken and wars averted. Obviously he doesn't think it applies to his little team of scammers.
And of course I find out in hindsight that the scam is operating across the town, with the hotels, restaurants, tour guides, police all taking a cut from what these pick pockets can skim off the tourists. So when I approached his employer for details, got another tour guide to help me ask questions to identify the guy, approached his landlady and even went to the police; Andrew tells me they are all in on it. Peru's south has left a bad taste. I really thought if I was going to be robbed it would be by someone who actually needed the money. Not the system who skims the money off the locals already and is also skimming the money off the tourist. The middle man is doing very well thank you.
So disappointing. But another lesson learned. This one is not so much a lesson but a philosophy - I am NOT going to stop trusting. Stuff them. I am not going to let these loosers make me suspicious of everyone I meet. There are so any kind and helpful people in the world. How dare these guys think their system is going to win. They are no better than terrorists who try and stop people travelling and communicating.
My last day in Arequipa was spent in the police station mostly. Went through all the motions, which at the time I thought were genuine but find out were just a waste of my time. I could have been out seeing the town rather than seeing how they run a police department and putting a comfit picture together with an artist. Such a waste of their time too. How mind blowingly boring to spend your day filing reports you know are going nowhere.
But...I did manage to get to the Santa Catalina Monastery, a 400 yo convent. The most amazing city within a city and the light and photo opportunities were incredible. So artistic. Lots of white, royal blue, terracotta, rich green, red geraniums, dark brown heavy oak doors, black soot on bread ovens, gold embroidery on religious robes, and an impressive collection of religious art - much from the Cusco School. Only 25 nuns still live there, cloistered away. It has been open to the public since the 1970's and offers an insight into how convets were run back in history. The rich ran the place and the poor served them. Even though they were all nuns. So society was reflected within the walls from without. So much for removing yourself from the temptations of the material world...
# posted by The Essence of Good Taste @ 12:33 PM 
