Getting High in Peru, Year 2: Archaeological Adventures: Getting High in Peru, Year 2: Arequipa Improvements

Arequipa Improvements at 8000 feet.

Sunday AM on the new bridge

El Presidente is not here yet to unveil the plaque.

Cops in riot gear (right) are here but not necesssary

The biggest building project completed here in Arequipa is a massive and long bridge spanning the Rio Chili not far from where we live and I bike. (It is said to be Peru’s longest bridge.) The signs said last year that it would be completed by December 2014, and Profe and I did not believe it. It goes over my biking, jogging, and cow path up the Rio Chili, and they built a tunnel for me under the bridge! Well, actually, it is for the cows and other critters, for people walking into the city, and me who likes to jog or bike alongside the Rio Chili.

View of the new bridge from my side of the river

The inauguration for the bridge’s opening was this past Sunday, November 23, and the President of Peru flew in for the dedication. I rode my bike up to the bridge (only 6 minutes away) two times Sunday morning but missed him. Later, Profe and I rode our bikes onto the bridge and joined 1000s of locals walking across the bridge. There are no new roads on our side of the river, and the new road on the other side is a bit more than 1 k long, so I do not know how effective this new crossing over the river will be in diverting the massive traffic over the Puente Grau Bridge, a very polluted crossing due to all the cars, combis, and buses that the people ride to get to work and back home on the outskirts of Arequipa.

On the bridge with our bikes

Behind me is our street above and below

View of Chachani from the bridge

The dedication plaque

Yesterday, Wednesday, while on my bike ride, I drove through ‘my’ tunnel under the new road. Workers were making improvements plus a fixing a failure in planning for the ancient and current water channels from Chachani/Misti. The workers helped me across (all the workers and police have consistently been helpful and polite) the broken channel and I continued up Rio Chile. Once I returned along the other side, the police were again helpful and just asked me to watch out for the fresh paint striping on the access points to the new bridge and I was able to ride my bike across the new bridge. I noticed several related improvement projects to the area and had a pleasant 45-minute bike ride here in the countryside of Arequipa. Alas, I am leaving Arequipa too soon (in less than 2 weeks).

From our apartment and from various points on my bike ride and now from the bridge I am able to get excellent shots of Chachani, Misti, and Pichu Pichu. I have added some of my recent shots.