Surprise, Surprise!

Day 64-66: Arequipa, Peru. For me, one of the best aspects of travelling is finding those little gems; away from the main tourist trail, that exude charm and charisma and provide a real insight into the country's history, culture and psyche. And Arequipa provided us with a perfect example. Prior to leaving the UK back in January, I hadn't even heard of Peru's second city. Lonely Planet, puts it on the 'B' list of things to do in Peru and we only made it this far in the search of a restaurant for Karen's birthday. But I'm so pleased we did. For Arequipa is Peru's forgotten jewel.

Rocked by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes nearly every century since the Spanish arrived in 1532, Arequipa doesn’t lack for drama. Locals sometimes say “When the moon separated from the earth, it forgot to take Arequipa”, waxing lyrical about the city’s grand colonial buildings, built from an off-white volcanic rock called sillar that dazzles in the sun. As a result, Arequipa has been baptised the Ciudad Blanca (white city). Its distinctive stonework graces the stately Plaza de Armas, along with countless beautiful colonial churches, monasteries and mansions scattered throughout the city. What makes this city so irresistible is the obvious relish with which its citizens enjoy all of the good things that life has to offer, especially the region’s spicy food, stylish shopping and night-life. The pulse of city life is upbeat. The streets are full of jostling vendors, bankers, artists, students and nuns – in short, a microcosm of modern Peru.

Arriving here with one objective, Karen and I stayed around for a few days to make the most of the city's superb restaurants (which has meant we still haven't had to stoop to eating guinea pig!), low cost of living and relative lack of tourists. In addition, the beauty of the surrounding countryside was to die for. Nestling in a fertile valley under the perfect cone-shaped volcano of El Misti, which rises majestically 19,000 feet behind the cathedral, flanked to the left by the higher and more ragged Chachani and to the right by the peak of Pichu Pichu.

And then there's the canyons. In my ignorance, I always thought Arizona's mile deep Grand Canyon was the deepest in the world. But within a 100 miles north-westerly of Arequipa lie two canyons that put America's tourist icon to shame. Cañón del Colca plunges 10,500 feet through the earth's crust and the more remote Cañón del Cotahuasi tops this by another 500 feet, making it the deepest canyon in the world: Two miles deep; twice the depth of the Grand Canyon! Standing on the rim of this mighty canyon, watching the soaring condors floating by at close range below us – a truly unforgettable experience.

And in my capacity as Investigative Tourism Journalist, I even thought I'd try the local hospital to give every one back home the real low down of Arequipa! Suffering from severe chest pains for the last week, I thought I'd better get a check-up just in case my heart was on it's way out. But after a few minutes on a shiny new ECG machine and some considerate prodding by the local doctors they soon diagnosed that my heart was good for a few miles yet. It turns out that after weeks living at what the World Health Organisation classify as 'High Altitude' or 'Extreme Altitude' my lungs had been working so hard to extract what little oxygen exists in this thin mountain air that I had actually strained the muscles in my chest – hence the pain and breathing difficulties.

So, if you're in Peru and you're feeling a little under the weather, I recommend you make your way to Clínica Arequipa: A brand new facility with excellent English speaking medical professionals. In and out within the hour and a total cost for the consultation and ongoing medication of less than £25. I don't know, the lengths I'm prepared to go to to provide the latest in tourist information!