Although it took a while to get started the night bus to Arequipa was fine and we arrived in the morning in reasonably good cheer.
The city itself was magnificent and the hostal we chose was very nice, well organised and friendly with big clean rooms and lovely courtyard.
We walked the streets for a while and visited a couple of travel agents to compare tours for the Colca Canyon - then visited the Santa Catalina monestry - which is now a museum. It was surprisingly expensive, but worth it - this monestary had been almost a self contained walled city, with each nun having a little stand alone apartment with the walled compound. It has been wonderfully maintained and is well presented, so we took the whole afternoon walking through. This is a must see sight.
We had dinner at a Morrocan restaurant. It took us a long time to choose because the quality and variety was large - after the very ordinary food we had been eating along the way (with the exception of Cusco) this was a delight.
We could have easily gone out and enjoyed the citied lifestyle - then stayed a few days if time had permitted - but instead we had an early night in preparation for an early star tour (5:30) for the tour the next morning.
