Lima is situated on the Pacific coast and most days is covered in this hazy fog which Peruvians call garúa. It seldom rains and total precipation in Lima is rarely more than 2 inches per year!
There were a few of the views we had on our one-1/2 hour flight from Lima to Arequipa.
There are about 400 volcanoes in Peru. I think we passed over several of them!
This is the view coming into Arequipa.
Once in Arequipa and our bags were loaded onto our bus, we headed off to lunch. The appetizers and dessert were the best part. I had the fried cheese and potatoes and Tobey had the avacado stuffed with chicken. His was better.
He did share with me!
After lunch we saw this girl dressed in costume, going to entertain at a child's birthday party being held at the restaurant.
Next we were off to Santa Catalina Monestery. It was beautiful and our guide told us the history of the monestary and the nuns that lived there. The monestery dates back to 1579AD. Families sent their daughters there about age 12 to learn and study and after a year, they were asked if they wanted to continue to becoming a nun. It was very expensive and the families had to pay a "dowry" of sorts for their daughters to be there. They also built the "house" that they would live in which became part of the convent. At its peak, there were about 450 nuns, of which 300 were considered servants, because their parents could not pay the full dowry. It was like a small city with streets and rooms coming off the corridors.
This area was the laundry.
In 1871, there was a reform led by the Mother Superior to get rid of the "servant" status. Several of the other nuns didn't like it and twice they tried to poison her! Today, there are only 15 nuns left at the convent.
We continued on the the main plaza. On the way we passed the first universtiy in Arequipo which was established in 1828.
He did share with me!
After lunch we saw this girl dressed in costume, going to entertain at a child's birthday party being held at the restaurant.
Next we were off to Santa Catalina Monestery. It was beautiful and our guide told us the history of the monestary and the nuns that lived there. The monestery dates back to 1579AD. Families sent their daughters there about age 12 to learn and study and after a year, they were asked if they wanted to continue to becoming a nun. It was very expensive and the families had to pay a "dowry" of sorts for their daughters to be there. They also built the "house" that they would live in which became part of the convent. At its peak, there were about 450 nuns, of which 300 were considered servants, because their parents could not pay the full dowry. It was like a small city with streets and rooms coming off the corridors.
This area was the laundry.
In 1871, there was a reform led by the Mother Superior to get rid of the "servant" status. Several of the other nuns didn't like it and twice they tried to poison her! Today, there are only 15 nuns left at the convent.
We continued on the the main plaza. On the way we passed the first universtiy in Arequipo which was established in 1828.
Another block down the street we came to Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa which was built in 1842 and has two large bell towers. In 2000 the historic center of Arequipo was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2001, an 8.1 earthquake destroyed the roof and left tower and damaged the right tower. It has since been restored in 2002.
The wooden altar is covered in gold leaf.
Around the square, we also saw lots of people selling souvenirs, shining shoes, and offering to have your picture taken with their alpacas.
We then headed to the oldest church in Arequipa which is just off the square, the Church of la Compania. This church has an amazaing facade and is made of finely carved stones. It has 3 naves with copulas and an altar covered with golden leaf. Inside, the San Ignacio Chapel was decorated with murals including flowers, fruits, birds, warriors and cherubs. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I can tell you for sure that it was amazing! They had mirrors set up so you could see the ceiling without falling over to look at it.
The exterior patio area inside the church is now a commerical center with lots of little shops selling everything from alpaca wool clothing to postcards.
We soon headed back to our bus for our hotel, arriving near 5:30 this evening. We had about an hour before we met for a lovely dinner at the hotel.
Tomorrow we have another early start as we head out to toward Colca.
The wooden altar is covered in gold leaf.
Around the square, we also saw lots of people selling souvenirs, shining shoes, and offering to have your picture taken with their alpacas.
We then headed to the oldest church in Arequipa which is just off the square, the Church of la Compania. This church has an amazaing facade and is made of finely carved stones. It has 3 naves with copulas and an altar covered with golden leaf. Inside, the San Ignacio Chapel was decorated with murals including flowers, fruits, birds, warriors and cherubs. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I can tell you for sure that it was amazing! They had mirrors set up so you could see the ceiling without falling over to look at it.
The exterior patio area inside the church is now a commerical center with lots of little shops selling everything from alpaca wool clothing to postcards.
We soon headed back to our bus for our hotel, arriving near 5:30 this evening. We had about an hour before we met for a lovely dinner at the hotel.
Tomorrow we have another early start as we head out to toward Colca.
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