Joe's World Backpacking Trip Stories and pics from my travels.

The highlight of my time in Arequipa was staying with the family of one of my teachers.  He invited me to stay over for a week before I left to Cusco.  It was already obvious before going there how kind and friendly Peruvians are, especially Arequipeñans.  Staying at his house was amazing.  Both his parents and his brother and sister are all great people.  I had the opportunity to practice Spanish everyday and Alex and his family instisted on taking me to all the non touristy places that the locals only know so I could really see how the people lived in Arequipa.  I spent the Dia de los Muertos with them as well as a bunch of other times they took me out or fed me at the house something traditional.  I'm sure that last week will be one of the highlights of my whole South American trip.  It isn't too often you meet people as genuinely kind and selfless as them, I always remember the few people I have met on my travels like that, and up to now these memories have been the most special and meaningful of all of the people I've met and things I've done.  They want me to come back to spend Christmas with them, if I'm in a 500 kilometer radius of Arequipa, perhaps I will.