Tag Archives: arequipa

Arequipa

Santa Catalina – A City in a City

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It’s hard to believe we have been in Arequipa over two months. I really don’t know where the time goes and really don’t know how I ever found the hours to work full-time when I did!  Once again, I will try to put some effort into this blog now that things have settled down a bit.santa_cantalina19

Anyone who visits this city notices a few huge landmarks as soon as they have been here a few hours, both natural and man-made. A series of volcanic cones dominate the city skyline; Misti, and the extinct volcanic groups Pikchu Pikchu and Chachani. The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa takes up one complete side of the massive Plaza de Armas, the main city square. Its twin towers are visible from many points in the city. But the massive Santa Catalina Monastery has occupied an entire city block since the 17th century. The original structure was started in 1579.

It is literally a five-minute walk from our condo and on our daily trek to check out what is happening in the Plaza de Armas. We have been walking by the place every day since we arrived and finally took a couple of hour to check it out. It was well worth it. It really is a city in a city. Read More

ArequipaBlog

Heading to Arequipa, Peru!!

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After almost ten years in Asia, we are making the move to South America. In two weeks, we will be leaving China and moving to Arequipa, Peru with a quick stop in Madrid along the way. We have had a good run in China (6 years) and Thailand (3 years) but would like to be somewhere with a warm climate and more permanency.

After three years of blissful retirement in Thailand, I was convinced to return to China for a four-month teaching sojourn. The four months are already over and we are starting to pack for this next move. After being away from Canada for almost ten years, we have now decreased our life’s belongings to a couple of carry-ons each and about three suitcases. It is great not having oodles of stuff!

As much as we liked Thailand, you need to keep renewing your visa every year and becoming a permanent resident is next to impossible for most people. In most Central and South American countries, it doesn’t take many years before you can apply for permanent residency. Along with residency comes all the benefits such as cheaper health care, the ability to work part-time and the end of the annual visa renewal process.

Our first step will be a one-month visit in July. We’ll take a two week trip to Canada in August and begin the Rentista Visa process when we return to Peru later that month. This only requires a monthly income from outside the country of $1000USD and another 500USD for each dependent. We’ll need to visit the Peruvian consulate this summer while in Ottawa to get “proof of pension” documents certified and then we’ll be good to go to start the application process. Within a few weeks after moving, if all goes well, we should obtain these first visas.

We have been doing our homework and research for the last few months and Arequipa looks like a good fit. The average daily temperature is around 22C and there are about 300 days of sunshine per year. It sounds good in theory but if we hate the place we can always move on!

Stay tuned for more about our new adventure!

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