The simple things

Who would ever think a walk to work each morning would be such a source of joy? But every Monday through Saturday I stroll down Calle Bolivar and Calle Sucre to the Institute del Sur, where I teach English to college students, and it's the most pleasant and relaxing 25 minutes of my day. Bolivar and Sucre are actually one street that has been turned into a pedestrian walkway that cuts through the center of central Arequipa. But since this is Peru, taxis and a few cars "somehow end up there." It doesn't happen that often though, so it's not really an issue. My walk starts in the oldest part of Arequipa where I live, and it's here the walkway is called Bolivar. In three blocks I'm next to the Santa Catalina Monastery, which was built in 1580, and was home to some wild and crazy nuns until 1871, when the Vatican cleaned house, so to speak. I go past another church that I haven't learned about yet, but it's quite impressive looking (it's on my list of things to do). There are hostels and shops along the way. There's also a Crustaceo Cascarudo, which is modeled after the Krusty Krab on Spongebob Squarepants. It serves Krabby Patties. My walk starts at 7 a.m. when the usually nasty air of the city is actually crisp and clear.  It's cool with the temperature in the high 50s. The skies are clear and the mountains and volcanoes are always visible. School children in uniforms, some street dogs, a couple of cops and a few folk on their way to work are on the path as well. Still, it's just so much more mellow than midday Arequipa, where everyone's in a crazy rush and trying to make a sol (or buck). I'm posting pictures of what I see on the walk and maybe you'll see why I like it so much. Sometimes I walk back home, but it's not the same at 11 a.m. (when my classes end Monday, Wednesday and Friday)  or 2 p.m. (when my classes end Tuesday and Thursday).
I feel fairly safe here, but my students are constantly warning me of the dangers of the city. They say the cabs are very risky. They say robbery at knifepoint is commonplace on the combis and buses. They say walking through the city is also extremely dangerous, especially for gringos. I say: How do you get around town if you don't walk, or take a combi, bus, or taxi? I don't aimlessly wander the streets at night looking to get assaulted, and I'm alert. But I don't care to live in fear, so I don't live in fear. I do what's necessary to get to where I need to be, and that's by walking, combi or bus.
Found an OK gimnasio to work out in. It's pretty old school, with lots of free weights and dumb bells. It cost 1 sol to get in, which is pretty cheap. Place is dark as hell, but does the job.