I am falling way behind on the blog and my notes from the week I spent in Arequipa are sparse because I was traveling with Camille and it’s hard to be as diligent about note taking and story telling when you’re traveling with someone. I will do my best to keep the blog alive and am attempting to catch up, but the motivation has already started dwindling as my travels continue. Some of the in the moment thoughts and detailed descriptions from Arequipa have already been lost in time and space. Such is life with travel tales. Hopefully Brazil will revive it! 

Arequipa is the unassuming second most populated city in Peru with a population of 1.18 million people sitting at an altitude of a measly 7,627 feet. It was the lowest I’d been in over a month, but the city is surrounded by three volcanoes that define its skyline, landscape, and local culture. El Misti standing at 19,101 feet high is the symbol of the city with its perfectly conical shape and the only one that is currently active. Chachani the tallest peak overlooking the city at 19,872 feet. And finally Pichu Pichu, the oldest and smallest of the immediate trio which has seven summits and stands at 18,582 feet at its highest point. So there was still more high hiking I wanted to do while I was so acclimatized. I was in prime shape for high altitude hiking and didn’t want to stop now. 

Nicknamed “La Ciudad Blanca” the historic center is famed for its colonial architecture and white walled buildings made from sillar – a bright white volcanic rock. It has a European feel in the center with narrow cobblestone alleys with potted plants hanging from window sills and unexpected courtyards behind close doors. It’s a fun place to roam around without an agenda and get lost on a beautiful side street. 

I had only spent a few days in Arequipa last time I was in southern Peru and it was one of my favorite Peruvian cities. I really wanted to slow down and take my time this round; and was immediately drawn back into the city’s tranquil vibes and romantic charm. 

I also love that if you go outside the historic center then you are immediately thrown into the hectic market chaos and crowded streets that I know and love about Peru. It’s a nice mix of European and Peruvian vibes blended into one city.

Getting In

I had struggled to fall asleep in the beginning of the ten hour bus ride from Cusco but I passed out hard during the last couple of hours. I was so asleep that I didn’t even wake up when we arrived in Arequipa; Camille had to shake me awake. We got in around 7am.

Lodging 

Camille and I stayed at Andes B&B for five nights over the course of a week (she stayed four because we parted ways so I could hike Chachani and she could go north to Paracas on the coast); and the other two nights were spent “sleeping” at the Base Camp of volcano hikes – Misti and Chachani. Andes B&B was a cozy bed and breakfast in a great location right by the Plaza de Armas with comfortable beds and a very nice courtyard/kitchen area. Plus breakfast was included. It was a good place to call home for the week. They were even kind enough to let us check into our room at 7:30 in the morning when we first arrived from Cusco; which was unbelievably nice! We were so tired after the overnight bus and we basically got a whole extra day for free by checking in that early. Five star service right there!

Food

Arequipa has a number of distinctive dishes that are specific to the city. According to our walking tour guide, there are more unique recipes from Arequipa than any other city in Peru. There were a few dishes that I had tried last time that I ate again like rocoto rellena with pastel del papá (spicy red pepper stuffed with ground beef, olives, raisins, and hard boiled eggs topped with cheese that is paired with savory thinly sliced potatoes, Andean cheese, milk, and eggs baked until bubbly), chicharrón de cerdo (deep fried pork skin often with a layer of fat and meat still attached), and queso helado (my favorite daily sweet – milk base simmered with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and vanilla extract with shredded coconuts and egg yolks steeped into the base. The final serving is topped with ground cinnamon).

But I also tried a few new ones: chupe de camarones (soup made of a creamy shrimp chowder in a spiced broth with potatoes, corn, rice, peas, and cheese), costillar dorado (tender ribs simmered in a sauce) and Arequipeño Buñuelos (very lightly fried flour dough kind of like a beignet that was topped with queso helado. It’s served for breakfast and tasted like apple pie; which I was totally okay with)

Wandering around Town

There were a few slow moving days during my week stay in Arequipa and that was exactly the vibe I was seeking. It’s a good city to sit back, relax, and soak in the energy of the white sillar buildings and surrounding volcanoes. I had been going nonstop for my first 6+ weeks of travel so I was totally fine with spending a week in Arequipa slow traveling.

On the first morning we took advantage of our early 7:30am check in and slept in late. Then after breakfast we went to a tour agency, Waiky Adventures, to book our Volcano Misti tour for the next day (I would end up using the same agency for Chachani). The agent Flore was super friendly and really liked our energy. Camille is a strong hiker but she was a bit hesitant to do another high altitude hike. She knew I was eager to do it and said she would be willing to join (even though I told her that she didn’t have to). It was her birthday that Sunday, day two of the trek, on summit morning; so it was shaping up to be a memorable birthday (little did we know what that would really entail). 

After booking our volcano trek, I gave Camille my tour of highlight attractions around town from last time I was in Arequipa: San Lázaro (oldest and most picturesque neighborhood in the city with a maze of beautiful narrow cobblestone streets of sillar volcanic wall and relaxing vibe) > Yanahuara Scenic Overlook (quaint plaza with beautiful views overlooking Misti Volcano and Chachani Volcano) > Mercado San Camilo (chicharrón sandwich with jugo de cherimoya and lucuma for lunch). It was a pleasant day exploring the city at a leisurely pace. We picked up the needed supplies for the trek and had a chill early evening.

Misti Volcano – two days, one night; 8.0 miles; 5,181 feet elevation gain; summit – 5,822m – 19,101 feet

Misti Volcano Day 1 – 1.9 miles; 1,923 feet elevation gain

The group was me, Camille, an Australian guy Ben, and two Arequipeña women Evelyn and Lily; and our guide was Elvis. We left Arequipa around 8:30, and I was in the back seat with the two Peruvian women. We chatted it up for the first half of the ride talking about places I’d been in Peru, travel, food recommendations for traditional Arequipeño dishes, and music we liked. Evelyn was quite chatty which was nice for the ride but turned out to be a little annoying later on in the night when trying to sleep. It was a three hour drive along some windy dirt roads with occasional construction. The road became extra bumpy toward the end as we got closer to the volcano.

The biggest challenge of day one was the crazy amount of weight in our backpacks. We were told to bring five liters of water per person (two liters would be used for cooking and hot tea…you’d think they’d figure out a meal that didn’t require us to bring so much water). On top of all this water weight, I was carrying mine and Camille’s tent, a sleeping bag, a mat, snacks, and all my layers of clothes needed for the next day. It was a very heavy backpack. Add on top of this that we were walking (sinking?) in volcanic sand. The distance was short but it was a tough terrain with a decent bit of elevation gain at altitude with a heavy pack. Luckily I live for this! 

Similar to the beach, distances are deceptive when walking in volcanic sand. Nothing ever looked that far away but when you constantly have that sinking sensation with each step you take then hiking takes a lot longer than usual. 

It was a steady uphill battle as we climbed up the sandy dunes of the volcano. The Peruvian girls were much slower (a sign of what was to come the next day) and eventually Elvis just let the rest of us plow forward at our own pace. 

We got to base camp at an elevation of 15,582 around 3:30. It was just a couple of rock circle formations setup to help block the wind for the tents. After setting up camp we just chilled for a bit. Soup dinner and chaufa was served at 4:30. I appreciated the hot soup at the time but I’m unsure if it was worth bringing the extra two liters of water. Afterwards we sat around chatting for a bit but everyone went to their tents by 6pm as we had to wake up at midnight. It was starting to very lightly snow as the sun went down. Elvis said not to worry about it and that the weather should be nicer in the morning. 

Somehow I feel asleep by 6:30pm and actually slept better than a lot of the previous nights only waking up once the entire time before midnight. Poor Camille had a terrible night of sleep and the Arequipeña girls kept her up by loudly chatting all night. South Americans usually aren’t very good at keep their voice to a whisper. 

Misti Volcano Day 2 – 6.1 miles; 3,258 feet elevation gain

When I woke up around 11:30pm to use the bathroom, there was at least a half of inch of snow on the ground. So much for the weather improving. Our midnight wake up time came soon after and by 12:30am we were having coca tea and eating bread with jam. It was already very cold and we were only at base camp. 

Lots of long switchbacks as we worked our way up the volcano in the dark. At first we were trudging through light snow but the amount increased as we got higher. The air got thinner, the incline of the slope got steeper, and the snow got deeper. Sometimes best not to see the steep slope ahead since it’s dark and just keep the headlamp down stepping one foot in front of the other. It’s the monotonous rhythm of night hiking. In the beginning, to pass the time I was thinking back upon my trip going through all the places I’d been and experiences I’d had. It was a good mental reminder of all that I had done in the past 1.5 months. I’m glad I did it early on in the hike before it got more intense and all mental energy had to shift focus.

We went at a snail’s pace which was good to keep heart rate down and breathing steady. I understand why the guides do it but for me it was a bit too slow. Other people in the group were still struggling though. One of the Peruvians, Evelyn, would keep asking to take a break every 10 minutes and Elvis did a good job continuing to plow us forward. He would say no we can’t stop here and keep us going another 10-15 minutes until we could find a good rock to block the wind. This is one thing that irks me with high altitude hikes in South America. There’s no questions asked or qualifications required to do these high altitude hikes and some people aren’t ready for it. I think next time I come back to the Andes for a shorter time period with a strong hiking partner and we figure it out on our own. I love meeting people on group treks here but sometimes I get sick of being with novices on difficult big mountain hikes. Plus the logistics and gear required are too difficult to deal with on a long term backpacking trip

I also felt bad for Camille because she was feeling some minor altitude sickness. I don’t think this was her idea of an enjoyable birthday morning but she had just gone along with me for the ride. Early on in the hike she was feeling nauseous so I was worried about her. But to her credit she kept plowing forward and by the time we were halfway up she seemed to be feeling much better. But then the crazy weather kicked in and a whole new type of challenge presented itself. 

When I had looked before the trek, the mountain forecast for Sunday showed sun with cloud. Elvis said the same. No one expected a storm like this. As we kept working our way up the infinite switchbacks gaining 800 feet the first mile and over 1,500 feet the second mile, we reached a particularly exposed section where the trail was at a weird angle and the wind just started ripping us. And it began to snow again. Conditions were getting harsh. A few times on this section Evelyn asked if we could take a break and we all yelled no. We had no protection from the wind and snow and had to keep moving our bodies. Mother Nature hit us with her fury: snow, 50+ mph wind gusts, clouds, temporary white out conditions, and extreme cold weather. 

I thought the hike had been relatively easy at the pace we were going until that last 1-1.5 hours of the ascent got so crazy with the wind and snow. Even I was questioning everything. It was steep slanted uphill while we were getting snowed on. When we got near the top of that section, the wind was absolutely ripping us. It had to be at least 50+ mph gusts and was creating white out conditions. We were over six hours into the ascent and only had 20 more minutes, but I thought we weren’t going to make the summit given the weather conditions. 

I give Elvis credit, after a couple minute pause we kept plowing forward even with the strong winds. The final section was a bunch of small switchbacks that felt like a lifetime with the insane wind. My legs and breathing were fine, and my body was warm, but my fingers were absolutely frozen (the gloves they gave me at the agency didn’t really fit. This was a mistake not to be more diligent when trying them on. So instead I was just using my alpaca gloves which was not providing sufficient warmth). I was rotating putting my hands in my pockets and would just hold both poles in the other hand planting them in the ground like an ice axe. 

While we couldn’t see anything at the summit, it was such a reward to make it to 19,101 feet at the top. Plus now every time we looked at Misti from Arequipa we would know that we made it to the peak of the volcano. It is an active volcano with the classic conical shape and normally you can look into the crater but given the current cold and cloudy conditions we couldn’t see much. Chachani Volcano and Arequipa would become visible for 5-10 seconds then the strong winds would blow the clouds in front of them seconds later and they would vanish again. The views never lasted. High altitude hiking is not for the faint of heart. All of this hard work for no visual rewards; just the physical and mental ones. And the sensation of being over 19,000 feet high. While I would have preferred a beautiful sunny day, it was still worth it. If it’s not going to be a beautiful day then at least bad weather will make for a good story…afterwards. It really sucked in the moment but then you look back upon the experience and it’s very memorable. I’m sure Camille will never forget this birthday morning. Elvis said a storm like this in late May is incredibly rare. Of course the one day we summited.

We stayed at the top for less than 10 minutes. Everyone was freezing and needed to keep moving. On the way down, instead of doing all the switchbacks, we took a more direct route straight down the side of the volcano through snow and volcanic sand that you could kind of surf down. Snow on volcanic sand is an interesting sensation and went way quicker than our uphill battle. It also did a great job dirtying the shoes. 

At this point we had survived the gauntlet of ascending the volcano during the storm so everyone was in good spirits all things considered; we were all just super exhausted. But at least we could reminisce on how crazy the morning had been. It’s all downhill from here. It took us about 1.5 hours to get back to camp. Elvis told us that we could just leave the tent, sleeping bag, and mats for the next group. Luckily them not having to carry up all this gear! But they would also have to sleep in our slightly damp equipment due to the snow. Another one of life’s trade offs.

The final descent from camp down to the car took less than an hour as we just surfed down the sandy volcano. There was no need to follow switch backs, you could just go straight down. And for the first time all day the sun decided to poke its head out. Oh how nice! Right when we’re finishing. Better late than never. We got back to the car a little before noon. A solid eleven hour morning on trail with inclement weather. It was an unforgettable experience that’s for sure.

After our incredibly long morning, we returned to Arequipa from Volcano Misti in the mid afternoon. It was still Camille’s birthday but we were both zombies after the midnight wake up to summit the volcano and crazy day we had on trail. So after taking a three hour afternoon nap, we went out for a nice birthday dinner, then immediately went back to sleep. We ate at Victoria Museo Picantería, recommended to us by our local Arequipeña friends Evelyn and Lily during the Misti trek and it did not disappoint. The restaurant offered a full range of local dishes with a high quality fine dining experience. The menu was laid out based on the historical timeline and heritage of each dish; so it was cool to see that breakdown. We got a tasty rocotto relleno with papá de pastel and a delicious grilled octopus! Of course we paired it with some pisco sours. I told the waiter it was Camille’s birthday and she brought us out a queso helado topped with berries for desert. It was a nice ending to a very long day.

Santa Catalina Monastery

On the fourth day, rejuvenated from a full night’s sleep and a slow start to the morning, we went to the Santa Catalina Monastery. This massive, brightly colored complex covers an area over 20,000 square meters. It occupies an entire city block in Arequipa with a fortified stone wall to protect the covenant. Founded in the late 1500s, this monastery housed 450-500 people during its golden years (around 150 nuns and up to 300 personal slaves and cooks). It was designed with four distinct neighborhoods that had colorful blue and orange painted sillar walls, winding streets, beautiful courtyards, a plaza, a cemetery, a garden, and a church. It was truly a village in and of itself and a very gorgeous complex to walk through.

It was fun to walk around the colorful monastery and picture the lives of the nuns here hundreds of years ago. There was an app with a guided audiobook that went along with touring the facility and added some good context to the experience. To gain entry into the covenant, a family would have to pay an equivalent to $150,000 in today’s money so it wasn’t exactly a place for your average nun. You could almost pay for a Tulane education with that kind of money. These woman would live in private multi-room apartments with a kitchen, bedroom, sitting room, courtyard, and balcony access. It was truly luxury living for some of these woman. The broke backpacker in me was jealous about the luxurious lifestyle being lived by these late 1500s nuns.

Camille liked to look in every room so we ended up being there for close to three hours. A bit long winded for me to be at a museum but I still enjoyed the experience. It was fun to have an audience to laugh at my silly jokes along the way. We made a halfway stop at the cafe for a coffee and snack break so that helped split up the day. It was a very immersive monastery and I could see why it’s one of the top attractions in Arequipa. I’m not sure how I missed it last time but I would recommend.

Later that evening, we got massages to celebrate our hard work summiting Misti Volcano. It was a very relaxing 1.5 hour massage that went way too quickly. It’s amazing how fast time can fly during a good massage. Then we met up with my friend Anne for dinner (German girl who I met in Cochabamba weeks before who now also happened to be in Arequipa, which I knew thanks to seeing her Instagram story). She’s a really good vibe and energy and it was fun to catch up with. Even though she’s only 22 years old, she has the travel maturity and social skills of someone much older.

On our fifth day in Arequipa we decided to do the free walking tour. Even though we had been there for a while and already knew some of the cool spots around town, it’s always good to get some more context on the city. In the morning we went back to the market for another local menu del dia lunch and queso helado from the original location (on the second floor of Mercado San Camilo; we found this out thanks to the woman working at the tour agency, Flore. I told her that I loved queso helado and she said we had to try it in the market. She wasn’t wrong!).

There was an insane amount of people signed up for the 3pm walking tour. I hadn’t seen this many gringos since the streets of Cusco. It was a good thing that we both knew Spanish so we walked with the Spanish tour which only had eight people versus the nearly fifty people in the English walking tour. We quickly lost the other group and it made me wonder if they gave us the more local walking tour in Spanish. They began by talking about how all the buildings in the center were made from volcanic sillar rock to withstand the forces from earthquakes in the area. It was a highly active seismic activity and apparently there had even been a small earthquake the day before during our massage. I certainly didn’t feel it.

Then they continued to take us to a number of locations throughout the next two hours, some classic highlights and some new ones: Santa Catalina Monastery (just from the outside) > Alpaca World (facts about alpacas and they let you feed them for free) > San Lázaro neighborhood (my favorite neighborhood. The guide told us the story of how the Spaniards were mostly on the coast when they first arrived to be close to the port. But the weather was consistently gray and foggy so they went three hours inland and discovered Arequipa. The locals kindly let them co-inhabit the land, a decision they would later regret) > Fundo el Fierro (first artesanal market) > Plaza San Francisco (quieter more peaceful square) > Biblioteca Regional Mario Vargas Llosa (in honor of the famous Peruvian author and politician) > Casona Azul (prior to 20th century all houses were colorfully painted) > Cloisters de la Compañía de Jesus (17th century architectural complex with a beautiful courtyard) > Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (intricately carved cathedral with mosaics depicting tropical birds, native flowers, and warriors) > Plaza de Armas > drinks at a terrace bar above the Plaza de Armas with volcano views during the sunset.

I already had a strong appreciation for all the hidden gems and beauty of Arequipa and this tour solidified my love of the city. The guide told us it had been 2000 years since the last Misti eruption but it’s supposed to happen every 2000 years; that’s got to be pretty unsettling for the people of Arequipa. Hopefully that is not an event that I witness happening during my lifetime. 

That night we went out to dinner at La Benita de Los Claustros, which had been recommended by our walking tour guide. Our guide plus our Arequipeña girls from Misti had been hyping up chupe de camarones as their favorite dish so we figured we had to try it; even though it was the most expensive dish on the menu. When in Arequipa! It was decent tasting but not anything too special. Compared to some of the shrimp dishes I’ve had in New Orleans the flavor was average at best. Me and Camille didn’t get the hype. Eating shrimp is a real luxury here. We also got rocotto relleno with pastel de papa just to eat that classic again. 

After spending five days with Camille in Arequipa, we parted ways so that I could hike Chachani Volcano (doing Misti was more than enough for her) and she could go to Paracas (a coastal town that I had visited during my last trip in Peru and didn’t need to double take). Then we were going to meet back up in three days in Lima to spend our final few Peruvian days together. 

Chachani Volcano – two days one night; 3,632 feet elevation gain; 7.67 miles; 6,057m – 19,872 feet

Even though Chachani Volcano is higher than Misti, it is considered an easier ascent (and one of the easiest 6000m peaks in the world) because you start higher and don’t have to hike as far to base camp; and the terrain isn’t dense volcanic sand so it’s easier to walk on. Chachani is a dormant volcano so it does not have the classic conical shape. It looks more like a ridge line connecting multiple mountain peaks. I was excited to surpass the heralded 6000m mark again and this would be my second highest peak behind Huayna Potosi. 

It was another three hour drive along rough roads, even more steep and bumpy than the ride to Misti. We had a large group, eight counting me – a German couple (Lisa and Eric), two young Swiss kids (Jann and Sylvan), a French woman (Flo), an Italian guy (David), and a Belgian guy (Arvin) which also meant two guides – Berly and Hugo. 

Chachani Volcano Day 1 – 1.67 miles; 558 feet elevation gain

Once again we had to carry five liters of water weight. Also they had told me the day before the tents would already be setup but then that morning things changed and we would have to bring up the tent, mat, and sleeping bag. Of course always being the porter. Oh well it was a much shorter distance and elevation gain than Misti so I didn’t really mind.

The hike to base camp started on a flat rocky path then it was about 15 minutes of boulder hopping followed by another flat section and then a small final uphill to camp. It was a cake walk of a hike compared to many of the hikes I had done over the past month. The landscape was very beautiful, more so than Misti. We had nice views of some of the former peaks of the Chachani volcano. I spent most of the hike chatting it up with the German couple, Lisa and Eric.  

Berly explained to us some of the local plants. The yareta plant is one of the oldest living organisms on Earth with rock hard density in spite of looking like velvety moss. Local Andes cultures have used the sap and leaves to brew medicinal tea for high blood pressure and diabetes.

He also pointed out the chachacoma plant which is also put in teas for local remedies such as altitude sickness, respiratory relief, and anti inflammatory properties. We ended up drinking chachacoma tea at camp and it had a nice herbal flavor to it. 

We got to camp around 2pm at an elevation of and 16,955. After setting up our tents we just hung around and chatted. Then we had lunch/dinner around 3. It was soup with chaufa just like Misti. Good enough! The Italian guy David was my tent mate and by 5pm we were already lying in bed trying to sleep. This time I wasn’t as lucky as Misti and I struggled to sleep through the night. It took me awhile to initially fall asleep then I kept waking up every 20-30 minutes. It was not an amazing night’s sleep.

Chachani Volcano Day 2 – 5.9 miles; 3,074 feet elevation gain 

All too soon the 12:30am alarms were going off and it was time to wake up. We had our coca tea and bread and jam breakfast at 1 and were on trail by 1:30. Since we had two guides, we were able to split off into the quicker and slower group, which was nice. We still walked at a snail’s pace with me in the front right behind the guide Berly but at least we didn’t have to wait for everyone. It was a constant back and forth on short switchbacks working our way up the volcano. We were gaining about 750-1300 feet per mile so it had some incline but was never too steep. Even though it was nice, clear weather (unlike Misti), it was still incredibly cold temperatures and every single layer of clothing was necessary. This time I made sure the mountaineering gloves fit me better; so that was a big help. But my hands still felt very cold at times. It’s just unavoidable when hiking at this high of altitude. 

About halfway through, Lisa started feeling extreme nausea so her and Eric headed back down. The guides had setup a headlamp on a rock to make it obvious as to where camp was. Now we were six. Flo went way slower than everyone else so she was in the back with Hugo as her guide and Berly led the other five of us. 

The pace was slow so I never had any really struggles until the last couple hundred meters. At this point the air was getting extra and breathing more difficult. I was still completely fine but could certainly feel the impact of the high altitude and was glad to be going at a slow pace.  

We had to get our crampons on for the final 15 minutes to the summit. It started out with a steep side angled snowy section with some exposure so that got the heart racing a bit. But then it leveled off into a short flat section before the last snowy uphill to the summit. I was the first at the top standing 19,782 feet high and was elated when we actually had clear views! I could see Misti perfectly and Arequipa loomed in the distance. We could also see all the way to some of the other massive volcanos in the region: Ampato and Nevado Coropuna (the highest volcano in Peru).

We enjoyed the views from the top for about 15 minutes but the wind was fierce and it got cold quickly up there. Then it was time to head back down the volcano, and just like Misti, we didn’t have to follow all the switchbacks we had taken up, we could just run/surf down the side of the volcano and let the dirt catch us. Berly and I were talking most the way down. He’s a madman! He was going straight from this trek to Misti back to Chachani to Ampato. The guy guides treks seven days a week during peak season and he absolutely loves it! When I asked what he does on his time off, he hikes/climbs other mountains. A true mountaineer! 

We got back to base camp in under an hour and had some time to chill. Once again we didn’t have to pack up the tents or sleeping bags so yay for not having to bring those things down. My bag felt very light as we hiked back down the section we had done the morning before. It was another successful 6000m peak and sadly the last high altitude hike I will be doing for a while. I was in peak acclimatization but at some point you have to let that go. I will get it back soon enough. 

On my final day in Arequipa, I had the entire day to kill until my 6:30pm bus to Lima. I walked around town to some of my favorite spots getting a coffee and queso helado in Fundo el Fierro, sitting in Plaza de San Francisco soaking in the local vibe one last time, and going to Mercado San Camilo for another menu del dia lunch (costillar de dorado) with a jugo de tumbo with orange. I had another good convo with my juice lady, Delia. We talked about our families, travel, she disliked how much china was taking over her country, and she hoped I would find a woman maybe even a Peruvian. It was a solid twenty minutes of banter that I was loving. It was nice traveling with Camille but the random interactions were more limited. There’s something about being solo that just opens up more opportunities.

I also visited Museo Santuarios Andina which houses the famous Juanita mummy. No photos were allowed inside the museum so there will be no visual accompaniments. In 1995 at Mount Ampato two archaeologists stumbled upon a mummy. Volcanic activity of nearby Sabancaya had melted the snowy Ampato exposing the remnants of Juanita, a mummified body of a young girl about 13-14 years old who had been sacrificed during an Inca ceremony. The tour started out with a National Geographic video describing the expedition and work that has been done to uncover the tale since. It was discovered that she died from a violent blow to the head. While this sounds cruel, it was an honor in Incan culture to be sacrificed to the Gods. She was found dressed in royal clothing. They also found the bodies of two younger children slightly further down the volcano (with no blow to the head) that probably weren’t able to hike as high as Juanita could. 

Eight bodies have also been found at Misti but mostly melted from the gases of the active volcano. Sacrificed bodies have also been found at Picchu Picchu. Then finally we were shown the main highlight…Juanita. Sadly it was a replica because the real version was being restored. She was in the fetal position and still had her hair and teeth, but lost her eyes and lips.