After a night bus, we arrive jetlagged to Arequipa. After Lima, Arequipa at dawn and seen from up a hill emanates a serene calm which is very restful. This quiet though doesnt last and soon the city center is full of cars stuck in trafic in the very small streets. We try other delicious culinary specialties such as Rocotto Relleno in a picanteria where only locals go to eat. Careful, it's spicy ! We realise it naturally right after having taken a big bite of what looked like an innocent stuffed pepper ! We try also several varieties of potatoes, the Arequipa market reveals an impressive array of potatoes ! We lose ourselves an entire afternoon within the Santa Catalina covent which looks like an entirely preserved village. The soft shapes of the earthy architecture, the outdoor kitchens and the beautiful colors of the walls, everything here invites peace of mind. A beautiful experience during which we observe the sunset from a terrace over Arequipa, a city well-known for its intellectuals and its generally enlightened and educated atmosphere where its inhabitants are often starting protests against the politics imposed by Lima. The day we arrive in this city, the taxi driver listens to a political debated on the radio.