Struggling to catch my breath, I pant up the stairs to the top of the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas in Arequipa.
From the top we can see the plaza set out below, the mountains shrouded in cloud and across the rooftops of the city.
The bells in the towers are held on by straps of leather; the guide has no qualms about diving under the bell to show us the inscriptions on the inside. I stay where I am.
I seek out two other viewpoints in the city; both lunch spots. One I’m sure that I visited 11 years ago with the tour group I was with. I can see across to the cathedral and watch people down below.
The other is in the Plaza de Armas itself where I enjoy the music from a Peruvian band while watching from my balcony table.
Probably the most impressive place I visit in Arequipa is the Santa Catalina Monastery. I remember a brief stop there before but we didn’t see very much at all.
As soon as I step through the doors and look at the map, I start to realise how huge it actually is. I spend several hours exploring every little nook, room, courtyard, cloister and staircase.
The use of just three colours- orange, blue and white- with very little other decoration gives the buildings both impact and serenity.
Someone has carefully placed flowering plants just in view through the doorways – they make for effective photographs.
My favourite activity of the time spent in Arequipa is sitting in the chair just outside my room.
I enjoy the peace of the courtyard and garden and can watch the hummingbirds while writing or planning.
Journeys with my pencil 