I need to send a message to Japan...

Finally here are the pictures from my trip to Arequipa! I road tripped w/ the fam, took a tour of the Colca Canyon, and another day trip of the city of Arequipa. Tomorrow is our final exam for the class that I've been taking for the last 3 weeks. Then Thursday we head to Cusco to go to Machu Picchu on Friday!! Woo woo! Last night I chatted w/ my Peruvian mom for a good hour and a half about all kinds of slang and phrases. The Lambs will appreciate this ohe: I told her that when I have to go to the bathroom I say, "I have to do some paperwork." So she said that my dad will say, "Necesito mandar un mensaje a japon...I need to send a message to Japan!" HAHAHAHAHA!!

On the way to Arequipa we stopped at a seafood place and got camarrones...delicious as usual!!

Eating camarrones...Chino loves them as you can see!

The front of the church where we went to mass...

The inside of the church where we went to mass. These Peruvians go big or go home in all aspects..especially religion and their churches. Praaaaise the Loooorrrdd!!

At the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa, which is the main square. Full of people, shops, cathedrals... Gorgeous place.

Got to stop and take pictures with a native lady and her llama and hawk. Please excuse my ridiculous coat, it was freezing up there in the canyon haha. The only thing this woman could say in Spanish was "Propina..propina..prooopiiinaaaaa." = "tip".

View from the canyon where there were a million terraces that people harvest their crops on.

We stopped at a place in the canyon called the Cross of the Condors where dozens of condors (giant birds) fly around. This was amazing and they got really close to where we were taking pictures on the canyon ledge.

Some condors hanging out on a ledge. What a view!

This was at the highest point on the Colca Canyon tour. There's a legend that if you stack these rocks it's good luck. So everytime anyone visits this place they make their own tower. From up here as far as you could see the whole area was covered in these...At the very top of the place we were at was where in 1995 (?)they found Juanita, an ancient mummy that was sacrificed for being a prostitute (that last part isn't true..I couldn't remembered why she was sacrificed haha).

On the city tour we visited a store that sells clothes of alapaca, llama, vicunas, etc. They raise the animals, shave them, and weave their wool on site. Careful, they spit! (Or maybe that's camels..)

Where they sort all the different types of wool.

This was a native lady weaving alpaca wool. All the clothes and crazy patterns they weave by hand--impressive! Plus she gets to wear a sweet hat all day.

In the middle of a park where we stopped on our city tour.

Before...

AFTER!!! Yep, this is exactly how they serve it to you, the infamous cuy aka guinea pig. It was actually really delicious once you got past the fact that you're eating not only a digusting rodent but also the pet of the American population. To me, it tasted just like friend chicken, I wouldn't have known the difference!

It's lunch...and he's HAPPY to see ya!

Me and my hermanitos in front of one of the many churches/cathedrals in Arequipa. They're almost as tall as me!

From on top of the cathedral roof...Love this picture

We got to go on the roof of a cathedral where they ring the giant bells. You could see all of Arequipa and all the volcanoes...I think this one behind me is the Misti Volcano but I can't remember...

There's a bell on my head, but don't call me a bell-head. Hay una campana en mi cabeza, pero no me llames una cabeza de campana.