Volcanoes Surrounding the City – Three volcanoes circle the city: Chachani (extinct), El Misti (active and smoking), and Pichu Pichu (extinct). The Incas thought the mountains were deities that rewarded or punished the people, depending upon how the gods were feeling. Much of the architecture in the city is based upon arches so that the buildings can withstand a strong earthquake or volcanic eruption. The city is in the “at risk zone” for damage or destruction should El Misti erupt again. Its last eruption was in 1985, almost 200 years after its previous documented eruption

Taxis, Buses, and Cars – We were pedestrians most of the time in Arequipa and so we had many opportunities to observe the habits of drivers as well as passengers in very crowded taxis, buses, and cars. For any Peruvian driver, a pare (stop) sign usually means slow down a bit. You only stop if there is a car blocking your way. Traffic lights are, for the most part, respected which is good for the longevity of pedestrians. Because of so many cars on roads in Arequipa, drivers just nose their way into a lane (or “create” new lanes) without signaling and traffic does not move very quickly. This means that damage from the infrequent accidents is not significant. 

Musical Trash Trucks – In the United States we easily recognized the weekly sound of hydraulic brakes and cans being emptied by our local trash company. And during our much younger years the only vehicles that played music were the ice cream trucks that drove slowly through our neighborhoods during summer months. So the first time we heard the steel drum version of “Under the Sea” playing in the streets of Arequipa, we assumed that the music must be coming from some type of food truck. Wrong! Musical trash trucks just seem more sophisticated.

Cobblestone Road Repairs – The roads around the historic center of the city have cobblestone surfaces which give the area a great deal of character. However, this type of road surface is challenging and labor intensive when road repairs are needed. We saw groups of road workers pulling up and neatly stacking the cobblestones for roads undergoing major projects. And the stones will be reconfigured and laid down in the street again when the road work is completed. 

Unique Painting of the Last Supper – A large painting in Iglesia de la Compañía near the Plaza de Armas displays a Peruvian influence on the menu for the Last Supper in the New Testament of the Bible. Cuy (fried guinea pig, a Peruvian delicacy served on special occasions) is included in the meal on the large silver platter directly in front of Jesus. 

Pokémon – About one Sunday a month in Arequipa, cellular companies enable folks to play Pokémon for free. So on one of those days we saw thousands of folks, from 6 to 50 years, walking down streets looking at one or two phones in their hands. It was eerie. The players were quietly, calmly wondering about without looking at each other.