What do people like (and dislike) about Peru?

"I loved living in Arequipa, the 2nd largest city in Peru that no one had ever heard of. Yes, there is poverty aplenty, but I can count on 1 hand the number of people I saw drunk, sleeping on the street or begging. The cultural center of the city is the heart that has been beating for close to 500 years. New life flows in and out of AQP with tourists and then some of them stay to become local entrepreneurs. Open air mercados and bright shiny super grocery stores co-exist. Tiny little shops that sell plastics or unique local items. Across town to find blueberries. Down to San Camilo for fabric or notions. Over to Metro for Kraft mozzarella, Tottus has the creamy yogurt. Out for brunch on Sunday for french crepes or maybe a healthy brekkie with at Cafe Fiora. Lunch with friends at Tia Diario for the best ceviche ever! Along with a light Chilean Sauv Blanc. Internet and Dish media at home with the local news option. Every day 72F (22C) or close enough not to notice. Rainy days in December-February. Sit on the patio listening to the rain fall still warm enough but a cuppa is a welcome companion. Dog walks up on Chichani one of the three guardian volcanoes that surround AQP which sits at 8000 ft (2400m). We'd walk along the road dodging the occasional tourist SUV or combi carrying locals to Chivai. Birds circling and very luckily one July, a group of Giant Andean Hummingbirds chose to nest there. Think the size of a skinny robin. Unique to Peru, although the bird book for Peru has 50 pages of hummers and related species alone. Arequipa is a perfect starting point to seek out adventures of all kinds. Cusco-1 hr flight. This is the perfect way for guests to visit Machu Picchu. Arriving from Lima into Cusco is going from sea level to 14,000 ft (4300m) and altitude sickness. Our guests came to AQP 1st, spent a few days sight seeing, acclimating then on to Cusco, relaxed and ready to hike around Cusco then onto the lower Machu Picchu. Puno on Lake Titicaca and the truly amazing lenten celebration of Candelaria. While on the way there, guess what? In the tiny town of Lampa are two amazing exact copies of Michelangelo's Pieta. Colca Canyon, deep gorgeous and hotels with hot springs. Cotahuasi-deepest canyon in the Western Hemisphere. The beachtowns around Mejia, A Ancient petroglyphs in Toro Muerte. A 1 1/2 hr flight to Lima to try out world class gourmet cooking. The Nasca lines are best accessed from Lima. The Arequipa Hay Festival brings authors, thinkers, artists, film makers etc, to share their experience. My friend proudly displays her photo of Salman Rushdie and her. Art exhibitions are frequent along with poetry readings. The little Andean Museum is beginning to upgrade its collection and the experts advising them. Plays-Trust me the Peruvian version of Hamlet needed no translation. Then a lovely choice of late night restaurants to enjoy. And of course the world famous Arequipa Chile relleno made with the local hot chile Rocoto. On Sunday, adobo Arequipa style only truly enjoyed in one of the many picanterias. There is a private golf course, lots of bicycling trails, although with AQP traffic-caution. We have not ruled out retiring to AQP. But there are some down sides: dust. It is high and dry. Not frequent but power and water outages. TRAFFIC is a dance done best by locals and the not faint of heart. Road signs, as in most of South America, are optional. Corruption-it exists although we only saw it a few times. Street dogs, sad and too many Fireworks-the only time they are welcome and amazing is on Christmas and New Years Eve. The former being the more spectacular 360 degree view from our rooftop. The rest of the year, name a Saints day, name any day, you will hear fireworks being set off. Peruvian parties-many, not all, are extensions of when music was a live band of guitars and a singer. Now it is wall size speakers and amps, with the occasional talented singer. Our neighbor had a birthday party for his 4 year old. A high pitched woman's sing-song voice amplified with a mic and giant speakers went on for over 6 hours. Most parties are at night beginning around 9 or 10 and can go on til 4:00 or when the local association president gets tired of the phone calls and the police show up, the host decides he is tired of the drunken behavior or there is nothing left to drink," remarked another expat who made the move to Arequipa, Peru.

"Expats and digital nomads often appreciate the affordability of living in Peru, as well as the country's rich culture and history. They also enjoy the variety of outdoor activities available, such as trekking, surfing, and mountain biking. Additionally, the country's diverse cuisine is a major draw for many expats and digital nomads. On the other hand, some expats and digital nomads may find the language barrier and lack of reliable internet access to be challenging. Additionally, Peru's infrastructure can be lacking in some areas, making it difficult to get around," explained one expat living in Peru.

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