Arequipa Warnings Or Dangers Tips by Diana_Banana Top 5 Page for this destination

Scandalous!

If you ever do attend church, you might want to dress very conservatively (if you're a woman). Apparentely, the apparel of my sister and I was scandalous and we were first told how we could possibly let ourselves go into church dressed as such! Then we were escorted to a corridor where a lady insisted that we wear a huge overcoat to cover ourselves. I guess my sisters long sleeve shirt with a skirt past her knee, and my summer dress accompanied with a long sleeve blouse was the equivalent of being naked in the states! I'm not sure if this is the norm for all churches, but this was a rather large church (of which i have forgotten the name, sorry!)

Some sneaky Peruvians!

If you find yourself at a big fiesta with a big crowd, keep your eyes open for anything! Some times the strangest things occur, like being in such a crowded spot that as you walk by someone grabs your derriere and you have no idea who did it (I know from personal experience!), or you see a kid light a lady's ponytail on fire. Whatever the circumstance, be on your feet so you can say "OYE!" or "hey lady, your hair's on fire!"

Independence Day

If you happen to be downtown in "el centro" in the main park during independence day (July 28) while they are setting off fireworks, I would hide under the balcony like i did because when I went, they shot the fireworks from the balcony and big chunks of fireworks were falling on people. So that really freaked me out!! This was in 2000, I'm not sure if they still do this, but if they do remember what I told ya!

Run Doggies Run!!!

If you do go walking around other than downtown, and into a residential zone, you may notice that many people keep their dogs on their roofs. And some how, (and I dont know how those sneaky dogs), there are stray dogs on the street. Be weary of them!

Sunny Days...

One minute you can feel great, then the next lightheaded. That's what happened to me one day while taking a walk downtown, when i began to feel very lightheaded and had to stop in a random restaurant for some water. This could be contributed to the altitude, but mostly I believe it was dehydration because of the amount of sun I was receiving. Be sure to drink plenty of water as the sun is fierce. And wear sunblock!

Aquita?

It is advisable not to drink the tap water directly from the faucet. Instead buy bottled water or boil the water first. If you are particularly sensitive to this, it is best to avoid no-brand popsicles sold on the street or salads washed with tap.

Careful...

Even though this may be an obvious tip it is still good to keep in mind. Make sure that you have valuables well hidden, or not with you at all ( like necklaces,watches) especially at night. Robbers are often known to work in groups.

What IS that???

If you come across a menu and you see a dish with the name "cuy" in it and decide to order it, when the waiter comes back and brings you your order and you sit there thinking, "man that looks like a cooked up ol' guinea pig or something", that's because it IS! So if you're not the adventurous type, I would advise you to steer clear of the cuy menus. :P