Jonas South America Trip

My time in Arequipa is coming to an end, in 1.5 days I'll be flying to Cusco.
I've learned a lot of Spanish here with two more weeks of Spanish school to follow in Cusco. Arequipa is a realy nice city to just stroll around and look at the historic buildings around the main town square. I've spent less time in the city center than I would've liked, but instead I've spent more time with Maria and Sonja, my new Peruvian "family" which was fascinating and enriching. I'm kinda sad to leave Arequipa now that I know my way around a bit
In Cusco I'll be staying with a Peruvian family that probably won't speak English and I hope this will accelerate my learning Spanish even more.

The Plaza de Armas is the main square of the old city Center with the Cathedral lining one side of the square. They banned traffic so you can just walk around and take in the beautiful buildings. Especially at night, when the buildings are lit up.

This is the vulcano Chachani, one of the three vulcanos surrounding Arequipa. It is just over 6000m high.

I never thought, I'd be having a school-like situation any more, but here I am, studying Spanish for 4 hours every morning during the week. I only had 2 days of classes so far and already I am drained at the end of the classes every day... Don't get me wrong, the classes are great and I am enjoying them and am learning a lot! But needs getting used to...
I am still fighting with jet-lag, waking up every morning @ 3-4a.m. for the first time and 5:30-6:30 a.m. for the second time, not being able to sleep after that. I guess that and the altitude (Arequipa is appox. 2300m high) also explain part of my fatigue.
I am living together with Maria, the owner of the language school and her 14 year old daughter Sonja (one other daughter is on exchange in Germany right now) and an American (a backpacker passing through Arequipa) in a small two-story house that also includes the rooms for the language school (the first floor).
Maria is very hospitable and seems to provide for all my needs. The meals are real good and plenty. My favorite peruvian meal so far (though we ate it at a small restaurant) was "antecuchos" which is grilled heart (beef) served on kebab sticks. Really yummy!!! But I still have to try Ceviche, a fish dish that most travel guides and the few foreigners that I met so far have strongly recommended as the best peruvian dish.
At the language school I met two students from the United States that also started classes on monday and will be staying for two weeks in Arequipa, same as me. They are really nice and I think I might be spending some of my free time with them. For example we might do a tour to the Colca Canyon (second deepest canyon of the world famed for its beautiful countryside with dry highlands terraced slopes and valleys and its condors, roughly twice as deep as the Grand Canyon) this weekend. I hope I'll be able to take some nice pictures there and post some.

View from my balcony of my room @ the spanish school in Arequipa

Eating some queso helado, a handmade ice cream with milk, eggwhite, cinnamon and sugar. It is made in a big metal Bowl that is rapidly turned in an ice bath. Very yummy!