Day 3 - Day After Thanksgiving Dirt Biking

FYI: Motorcycle tours are way cooler than bus tours. Casey and Lisa had met a motorcylce guide named Eddy when they came through Arequipa. They highly recommended him and gave us his number. We were able to arrange a tour almost half the price of going through an agency (which he works for) because we called him directly. He provided us helmets (some readers will be happy to see that) and a Honda 250cc. We followed him through backroads on the outskirts of the city to small towns and local sights that tourists don´t normally see. We stopped at a picantería and had a local corn drink which smelt fermented, although he insisted it was not. We saw some canyons where they get the white sillar that has been used since the conquistadores to build the structures in this city. Because of this rock, the city is known as "The White City". There were workers breaking the rock by hand. They work hard, making only 20 bricks a day, getting paid 2 soles per brick ($0.60/brick). They also get complimentary respiratory problems for the rest of their lives, breathing in the rock dust.

On a more positive note, Eddy took us to a beautiful oasis in the middle of the arid countryside. It was absolutely beautiful. We also passed through a couple small towns and, just outside of Arequipa, we visited a mirador, which is a lookout point with a great view. We saw a 360 degree view of Arequipa. We highly recommend this trip.