Getting High in Peru, Year 2: Back in Arequipa

Getting High in Peru, Year 2: Arequipa

Martes, 5 August 2014

Rio Chili flowing through Arequipa w/Mt. Chachani in back.

            This morning I rode my bike down to Arequipa’s River Chili to a car track crossing and then returned to the city from the other side of the river. This ride will be different this year from last year as will be explained. From our flat, which is near the river, it takes me about a 4-minute bike ride to escape the traffic and get to the fields. I had shown this route to my daughter Rachel and her husband Dan while they visited us. We jogged in the area and I had hoped to bike it with them, but they were not here long enough and we ran out of time. Since we live in an area not well traveled with cars and buses, jogging and biking are good ways to adjust to the elevation, to gain strength and endurance.

            As mentioned last year in a blog, the government is building a major sorely needed bypass road around Arequipa. I was wondering how that would affect my bike ride, and I also knew that numerous people live in this area and use the car track to walk to their fields (sometimes with their animals) or to walk into Arequipa for jobs or shopping. Well, as the pictures show, there is a tunnel allowing us passage to the track, the fields, and the river. I do realize that others are going to be inconvenienced due to the road/highway taking away at the very least part of their land/livelihood.  

I'm through the tunnel looking back at the bridge construction.  I will be using the water in the channel later once I get back home.

            Once you arrive at the river and cross the small bridge, you should notice a shrine to the Virgin of Lourdes of the Rio Chili above the track. A couple of candles are lit by visitors before me. Last year, while I was jogging with a group to here and beyond, we stopped so that a couple of guys could ascend the stairs to light candles which can be bought at a small store (tienda) below. This time I headed back to Arequipa on this side of the river to observe the changes. 

Looking into the sun, but my bike is below

One of the thankful for healing

Lit candles below

      

Another thankful family

     

 The expansive bridge is very obvious and I pondered what allowances they made for walkers and bikers on this side. My path from last year was nonexistent, but a worker showed me another path—walking my bike, and a security guard also asked me to walk my bike through the construction zone. Once past, I took pictures of the bridge, the river valley, Club International, and the University of San Pablo (St. Paul) where profe works. Up here there is a military base and today a squad of soldiers were outside with their weapons and a few were taking pictures of themselves with their weapons. They encouraged me to take pictures of them so I obliged and then biked back into the city and home.

Bridge in background; field owner in his field in foreground

Our flat is on the other side of Rio Chili behind the bridge

         

Another view of the bridge construction

 

Some of the soldiers I encountered

Closeup

 

Some of the stonemasons

  

Metal Craftsman

 

Their forge

One result with Mt. Misti, the bulls, and the artist

The dancers above and below

   There is always something going on in the Plaza de Armas and as I passed through I noticed that right in front of the cathedral, stonemasons and metal craftsmen were plying their crafts, and in the center of the plaza by the fountain, three girls were dancing, but I was unable to determine the purpose other than entertainment, which they were doing well. Paz.