Free volunteering with children in Peru, South America!

WE RECOMMEND.....

We just thought we would give you the benefit of our time here by recommending some places we particularly like so you can enjoy them too (if you so choose)

IN AREQUIPA

Gopal
Melgar 101-B

Nice veggie restaurant where you can get soup, a main course, a drink and a dessert for just s/3-3.50 (about 50p for the English out there!) The cheapest (and best) veggie menu we've found in Arequipa so far. Keep valuables on your lap whilst eating!
Note for vegans: There is normally a vegan option for lunch and the scrumptious veggie burgers are vegan (make sure you tell them no mayonnaise)

Café Valenzuela
Calle General Morán 114 (just off the Plaza de Armas)

A cute little cafe which serves extravagant and delicious coffees such as the Almond Coffee, served with almond liquor, whipped cream and almonds to top it off - yum! They also do food and sell packets of fresh coffee.
Note for vegans: you can have the whipped cream!

IN CUSCO
Aldea Yanapay Cafe
Ruinas 415

Run to finance a social project, this is possibly the most fun and welcoming cafe in Peru. If you go in with a hat on you can generally persuade one of the staff to swop it for some more interesting headwear. There are games to play, yummy food and great decorations (many of which are made by the children the project works with)

IN HUARAZ

Cafe California
Jr 28 de Julio 562

Comfy, homely cafe with a TV with American DVDs, cakes, lots of types of tea and good book exchange.

IN PUNO

Buho Pizza
Jr Libertad 386

This must be the warmest place in Puno. They have a little platform which is right above the pizza oven - very nice on a cold Puno night! To add to the effect, try one of their delicious mulled wines - it's actually a bit spicy (most Peruvian mulled wine is really just hot wine) and cheaper than many others in the area at just s/4.50.

MANCORA! It's great! Sun, sea and sand :-)

Basically, Mancora is a beach 16 hours north of Lima on a bus. It is a very cool beach town and the beach is amazing. There are various fun things to do in the area, nice restaurants, lots of artesania stuff and loads of places to stay. More info on this soon.

_____________________________________________________________

If you have been somewhere great and would like to share the joy, or if you have any comments about the places displayed, please email us at travellernottourist@gmail.com.

Please note: These are just our personal recommendations, we take no responsibility for, well, anything!

Passacalle

Arequipa is known as "The White City" as many of its buildings are constructed from sillar, white volcanic stone. It is always very lively and never more so than during the celebrations for the birthday of Arequipa in August when there are many colourful processions with dancers dressed in extravegant costumes. We recommend allowing yourself to get caught up in a dance or two if you get invited!

Cuzco by night

Although Machu Picchu is obviously the first thing you think of when Cuzco is mentioned, the city itself is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we definately recommend spending some time wandering around it if you can, it is especially exciting around Christmas time!

Jesus at the cementary at Yunguy

Although there are a lot of statues depicting Christ in South America, none deserve the title "Our Saviour" as much as this one. He stands watching over Yunguy's cementary, near Huaraz. In the 60s an earthquake dislodged some mountain ice, sending it crashing into a huge lake which broke its banks and swept down into the valley, carrying with it anything that lay in its way. The people of Yunguy had no warning and no time to run for safety, the whole town was covered in water and silt. The only people who were saved where those who were either at the cementary or, ironically, the circus. We recommend a visit to what is left of the town where you can see a crumpled bus, the tips of the trees in the plaza and the mud that built up against the lower levels of the cementary.