More City Walks and a Competition

At the Kayak Race

I keep strolling through town regularly if I do not have to work. Each of this walks offers me more insights into city life and I get to know  the surroundings better each time. As I realized meanwhile Arequipa is full of churches and monasteries. Finding them in almost any block of the old town makes the city appear like an South American Salzburg. Nowhere else I have seen such a concentration of religious buildings so far. Once I entered a quarter where these churches and monasteries interestingly alternated with dubious bars and drinking holes and so called restaurants with blackened shop windows towards the street. I do not really want to know what is going on behind them. Quite a frequent sight on the pavements over there where nuns and prostitutes. While it was quite obvious who are the nuns it took me a while to realize who are the prostitutes. They are just standing around amongst the public crowd adressing possible clients passing by with half whispered invitations to go with them. It was quite interesting to see this weird mixture but I also know that I will avoid this neighbourhood during nighttime and drink my beers somewhere else.

In sharp contrast to that just around the corner I found a maternity clinic with uncountable centres of prenatal diagnosis as well as  shops of baby clothes and nappies opposite the road. Here the crowd on the street were mainly pregnant women, happily smiling new grandparents with bouquets in their arms and young jubilant couples with new born babies on their arms. Almost all of the babies for any reason had pink woollen hats on their heads. Maybe they were given to them by the clinic. Anyway this road may be Arequipas happiest place where indeed everybody walking around seems to be smiling, laughing and celebrating.

Behind that quarter I discovered a big commercial district spanning over a couple of city blocks. Most of them entirely have been markets with small shops along even smaller hallways selling everything from computers over shoes to toys. As I realized each block or part of it had its own purpose. Half a block you could only find shoe shops, then a couple of hallways had only aquarium and fish to sell while in the rest of the block you just found sexy underwear. The next block was full with computer shops, followed by a part where just costumes and baby clothes had been sold and so on. It was quite strange to walk through this corridors where a continuous stimulus satiation prevailed that just was changing all few meters. Out on the streets sweets and different fast food was sold by uncountable stalls leaving the air with an incredible mixture of smells. I have seen quite some markets in various countries but can´t remeber any being so extensive like this one here.

Yesterday finally a Kayak competiton took place on Chili River. Arequipa is one of the few places in the world where such an event can take place on a natural river right in the centre of a town of this size which makes it predestined to hold it here. The race was organized by the company I am working for. I surely did not participate because I do not kayak but nevertheless helped in the organisation, made safety for the sportsmen and took pictures. The event was quite a success, all participants enjoyed it and about 500 spectators watched the activity from the shores and the two bridges the kayak slalom took place in between. At the end all were happy and we celebrated the success first with a BBQ in the deposit and then with a night out in town. This was a good fun and took until early morning. So today I am happy but quite tired and for sure will go to bed soon to rejuvenate for the work of the next days.