Arequipa

We caught a Cruz Del Sur posh bus with super reclining seats from Ica to Arequipa at about 8pm and arrived at 8am. I managed to sleep for about 11 hours which is a testament to how brilliant it was. I did wake up in the middle of the night and some idiot was whistling along to his ipod. Despite the other VIP passengers on the bottom floor of the bus turning around and tutting at him, noone actually said anything, so I leap frogged over a sleeping Paddy, told him to button it and went back to sleep. The buses are great here, like flying business class. They do drive a tad fast around hair-pin bends on mountain edges, but I find sleep is the best way combat this.

In Arequipa, I found a nice little hotel on tripadvisor called Casa De Avila which is very central but quiet. It has a lovely courtyard which has been converted in to garden and even a pet tortoise. People come to the hotel to have Spanish lessons so you see everyone out on the lawn in the sun practicing Spanish with their teacher. We merely observe this.

Smiling pet tortoise:

SANTA CATALINA MONASTERY

On our first day in Arequipa we went for a nose around the local market, where we got a nice fruit smoothie and then on to the famous Monastery, Santa Catalina.

The Monastery began in approximately 1580 and became a walled city within a city, housing some 400 nuns and their servants behind high walls. It was said that the second born child was sent to a Monastery and was cause of great pride for the family. The child was sent at about age 14 and was able to see their family, behind a wooden partition, once a month for the rest of their lives.

If the family was rich they would be able to afford to buy a house within the walled compund and their daughter’s status would be much greater. Those from poorer backgrounds had a house donated to them, which they shared with another nun. They would also have to work as servants for the other nuns, in addition to their religious duties.

The Monastery itself was really rather lovely,  painted in terracotta and blue which denoted public and private areas (blue for private). The walls are repainted each year as the rain washes the colour away. Religious murals adorn many of the walls and these are mostly original and have not been repaired.

We got a personal guide for about $10 which was really worthwhile as we would have had no idea what the different rooms were used for otherwise.  The washing area was particularly ingenious, utilizing water from the local river for bathing and clothes washing.

The terracotta pots were used by individual nuns or their servants to wash their clothes

We sat in the little coffee shop within the Monstaery, had a drink and watched an episode of Peep Show on my ipod. After the Monastery we got some food in a little local Moroccan restaurant and devoured some tagines, humous and falafels. We had to be in bed early as we were up at 2am the next day for a full day trip to the Colca Canyon. Yes, that was 2am.

More about the Nunnery here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/southamerica/peru/1963004/Arequipa-Peru-Get-thee-to-a-nunnery.html

COLCA CANYON

So we got picked up at our hotel at about 2.30am and were driven, in a minibus with 12 others to the Colca Canyon, which is sometimes referred to as the biggest Canyon in the world but sometimes it isn’t, it depends which guide book you’re reading. It is the main reason why people visit Arequipa. I wasn’t entirely sure exactly what a canyon was, other than a big hole, so I looked it up and basically, that’s all it is. I thought it might be something more specific or exciting, but other than the fact it is created by water erosion, it is essentially just a big hole.

Pads summery of the day at the Canyon was – ‘Saw some mountains and big birds.’ You can probably get the jist. We were driven to various points at the Canyon to get the best photos, rather than hiking it, like most people do. This was a trip for lazy people who like nice photos without getting too sweaty. We stopped at some nice little villages, one was having a wedding and another put on a little dancing show for us. I got to hold a Falcon.

Me and Kes

The weather was gorgeous and I burnt my face. We saw some Condors, who are huge. They have a wing span of up to 3m and live up to 80 years. Incredible.

We drove to the top of the highest peak which was about 6500m above sea level. It was hailing and freezing. Ice and snow covered the floor, dramatically different from what it was like 1,000ft lower.

All along the road side, the locals leave little rock piles as offerings of thanks to the heavens.

The tour finished and we headed back to the city, which was shrouded in rain. We are absolutely shattered after our early morning and so have ensconsed ourselves in a little cafe and eaten cake and hot chocolate while bumming off their wifi. Tomorrow we have a Peruvian cooking class with a crazy guy called Carlos from our hotel, he is the only reason we are doing it. After the cooking class we head back to Lima by bus… only 16hours!

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