This morning saw the first of what will be quite a few experiences of budget airline travel in South America – flying with Jetsmart from Lima to Arequipa. Well all I can say is it knocked the socks off its equivalent in the UK and Europe! The worst part of the journey was the taxi ride to the airport, with Lima’s absolutely hectic traffic, and drivers who appear to value neither their lives nor their vehicles as they drive bumper to bumper and change lanes at every opportunity in an effort to shave even a few seconds off the journey. At one point my driver made a sudden change into the right hand lane to exit the motorway we were on, turning into a petrol station and driving through the forecourt to rejoin what I could have sworn was the exact same motorway we’d just come off! Must have saved us at least two minutes in the heavy traffic!

But once I arrived at the airport it was all plain sailing. No queue at the baggage counter – I’ve packed pretty light and my suitcase weighed in at just over 15kg which was well within the 23kg I’d paid for (some of my subsequent flights have a 15kg limit on hold bags but a more generous free cabin baggage allowance so I’ll be doing some strategic repacking for those). My hand luggage is a small daypack which easily fits within the airline limits so there was no quibbling about that. There was a fairly long queue for security but with masses of airport staff on duty to chivvy people along it was moving rapidly. Having missed breakfast at the hotel due to my early departure it was a relief to have plenty of time for breakfast in the terminal before boarding the plane. We took off and landed on time, and it took less than 10 minutes to disembark, claim my suitcase, put it through the customs scanner and walk out to the waiting taxi touts. A brief negotiation over taxi fares and we were off into Arequipa’s traffic – only slightly less hectic than Lima’s!

The one mistake I did make on the flight was to agree to swap seats! I had been allocated a middle seat, and a young lady came and sat next to me on the aisle with her boyfriend seated on the opposite aisle. As the plane got closer to boarding complete, she passed me her iPhone on which she’d used a translation app to ask if I minded if her boyfriend took the window seat if nobody came to claim it, as apparently it was his first time on a plane! I said of course not – I don’t tend to bother with window seats these days as I’ve got into the habit of booking aisle seats when I can, particularly on longer flights. And the row we were in was over the wing in any event so I wasn’t really counting on any views. So I suggested to the lady that she and I could also swap seats so that she could be in the middle next to her boyfriend and I would be on the aisle. We checked with the cabin crew and the swap was made. Everyone happy – until we started our descent into Arequipa and I got glimpses of the dramatic mountain scenery and was kicking myself for not grabbing the window seat when I had the chance! Note to self – must try to get a window seat for the next flight!

It was just after 11.30 am by the time I arrived at the hotel, and check-in wasn’t until 1pm, but I was allowed to leave my suitcase and so headed straight out to explore. I was still wearing the rather heavy combat trousers that had been perfect in Lima’s damp morning weather, but which now felt sweltering in Arequipa’s strong midday sunshine. Still, there was at least a gentle breeze and Arequipa is just so beautiful that I was happy to just wander and take in my surroundings.

Lunch was at a little courtyard restaurant offering a very similar set menu deal to what I’d had in Lima yesterday – accompanied by freshly squeezed lemonade which was wonderfully refreshing in the heat.

After lunch I headed back to the hotel to check in and change into the only summer dress I have with me – much more suited to the hot weather than the combats! I headed back out and couldn’t help noticing how much more attention I was suddenly getting from some of the (mostly a fair bit older) local men! Dresses, it seems, are a rarity in Arequipa – I noticed most other women were wearing either casual shorts or long trousers.

I spent a good few more hours just wandering around, exploring some of the streets away from the main centre, and soon noticed the contrast between the more shabby and crowded outer areas where everyone is trying to just go about their daily business, versus the less crowded, pedestrianised inner sanctum where all the tourists meander fairly aimlessly.

My favourite moment of the trip so far, though, was when I realised that the mariachi rendition of “Under the Sea” that I could hear, was coming from a nearby rubbish truck. I guess that’s one way to try to cheer up the poor taxi drivers stuck in a queue behind!

Headed back to the hotel for a couple of hours and then back out for yet another wander and a bite to eat. Arequipa by night even more beautiful than during the day.