Arequipa to Cusco

(January 2009)

On our last day in Arequipa we went to the city market. As in markets elsewhere, most vendors were indifferent to my questions (Jim “What do you call the yellow melons?” Vendor “Yellow melons.”), a few were irritated, and a few were interested in talking to us.  One of the latter was a woman selling herbs, freeze-dried potatoes (chuño, right), corn, beans, and so on. She answered all our questions and sold us a bag of ground coca, suitable for mixing in food or drinking in fruit juice. We left it in Peru.                                                

                                                                     
                                                                                                                 
With tropical climates in the lowlands, and temperate climates at higher elevations, Peru has a tremendous variety of fruits and vegetables; and low prices. The “frezas” (strawberries--bottom) were 1.50 soles a kg., $.21 a lb.

The fruit drink sellers.

…and the butchers. There was a surprising (to me) amount of alpaca meat. It is evidently the least expensive meat in Peru, is very low in fat and tastes like beef. There was also pork and jerky; beef was to the right.

Chile armarillo, fresh and dry; and rocotos.

The roots and tubers section. In the center is yucca or manioc (a south American domesticate, the world’s 3rd most important source of carbohydrates). Purple corn, to the right, is made into a pleasant drink, chicha morada. Also note the abundant garlic, and many, many types of potatoes, most at around $.05 lb.; plus, complements of globalization, Friskies cat food.

Leaving the market, we were hungry again.  We started with fresh water shrimp a la parmesana;   

And then A had lomo saltado and I had cui. 

 

With music.

Followed by a little shopping. A bought the two dolls the ladies are holding and I took their picture. But then they insisted that A take a picture of me with them; evidently they thought I was cute. The lady on my left was clearly tickled.

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The remaining adventure for the day was getting bus tickets to Cusco. The bus goes from Arequipa to Juliaca, then to Puno on Lake Titicaca, back to Juliaca and on to Cusco, 10 to 12 hours, and $25. The bus was deluxe class, with stewardesses serving mate de coca and almuerzo (rice with a chicken wing & warm jello).

Not our bus, but one like it.
(photo credit)

But, almuerzo notwithstanding, it was a great ride. We left Arequipa and rapidly climbed onto the altiplano at between 4,000 and 4,500 meters, 13 to 15,000 feet.

                                                  And saw vicuna along the way.

I was surprised by the contoured surfaces. The lines appeared to have been ditches or perhaps ridges, rather than terraces. Inca? For what purpose?

Juliaca was not a garden spot, tough the moto-taxis seemed like a good idea.

Leaving, we crossed the soggy flats surrounding the lake and continued on to Puno.

Puno, on lake Titicaca is much more picturesque, though we saw it only from the bus window. We arrived at 5:00 pm, after 7 hours, and left again in 30 minutes or so. Like Juliaca, Puno seems to be experiencing lots of immigration from surrounding rural areas. Leaving, we drove another five hours, and arrived at Cusco around 11:00 pm.