Arequipa

A sweeping wave of a city

By Thomas Feng

November 27^th, 2017

A constant chorus of beeps from taxi drivers desperately wanting a ride at 5am echo the cobblestone streets of Arequipa.

Arequipa is the white city, with buildings built from white volcanic rock sillar (from the volcanoes which surround it), and the town a colonial creation formed through a sweeping, destructive wave of Catholicism.

I walk alone with only a humble paper map folded in my pockets. I have no idea where I am but that is kind of the point. I just want to feel the city. And I know I will find my way back.

I always do.

San Camilo Market

I love markets. They bring a vibrant buzz and a sense of community to a place. They are places to buy affordable fresh produce independently of big supermarket chains; this is sadly becoming a novelty in Australia now.

San Camilo Market's selection of fruit, vegetables, herbs and animal products is incredible. You can eat meals like ceviche, quinoa stews, roast chicken and many cheeses for a cheap price too.

As a vegan traveller, I am here for fruit to snack on. Tens and tens of stalls line up next to each other selling exotic fruits such as aguaymantos and granadillas, as well as classics such as bananas and strawberries. I buy half a kilo of strawberries for four soles ($1.50 AUD) to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I listen to the shouts of rivals trying to steal each other's customers and the unending negotiation between the stalls and haggler. I think after a while you become used to being shouted at.

Santa Catalina Monastery

Wandering through Santa Catalina Monastery was like being a child completely lost in a museum.

The monastery has its own postcode and after two and a half hours I feel like I have only scratched the surface. There are so many nooks and crannies and even more stories of nuns who lived very modest, moral and strict lives.

There is an extra thought of love which makes Santa Catalina Monastery a masterpiece: the leafy plants in the already inviting hallways with high ceilings and inviting arches; the vibrant walls and their harmonious flowers; the preservation of murals which have taught generations of nuns and continue to do so today.

It is a humbling experience.

Vegan sushi and ramen

Never would I think to be eating vegan sushi and ramen in South America. Yet here I am at El Buda Profano, an all-vegan japanese restaurant in the heart of the city. I think this is the greatest recommendation I have received from asking locals for help throughout the trip.

I have the smokey eggplant, tofu and avocado uramakis and one of the best vegan ramens ever starring a crispy tofu, a ridiculous mushroom bacon with a rich vegetable miso broth.

I enjoy being lost in places I never thought I would ever be.

And whilst I have been to a number of monasteries, churches, museums and galleries in Arequipa, the city has made me fall in love again with roaming the streets aimlessly; of looking up to the alluring buildings and their history; of being okay without the faintest sense of time, place or intention.