I arrived in Arequipa, Peru this morning. This is the beginning of my traveling journey around different parts of South America. Arequipa is located in Southern Peru and is an hour and a half from the coast. It is the second largest city in Peru with a population of over one million people. I plan on heading to the beach tomorrow, to enjoy the ocean and the sun. In the past month, Cusco has been inundated with rain. So severely that homes were completely destroyed, mudslides were rampant, bridges collapsed, and much more. There was an intense effort in Cusco to provide supplies and assistance to the flood victims. There were some days in Cusco with no water, because a main water line broke. Furthermore, thousands of tourists and Peruvians were trapped in Machu Picchu because the floods severly damaged the railway to get there. People had to take a pricey helicopter back to Cusco. Machu Picchu will be closed for the next two months. This is really bad news for Cusco since tourism is their main industry. Hotels and restaurants are being closed for the lack of tourists.
Well back to Arequipa. This morning I visited the Monastery of Santa Catalina. It is known to be ¨the city within the city¨ of Arequipa. It once was the home to hundreds of cloistered Dominican nuns. It is a large facility now that is a museum with a ton of paintings from the Cusquean School of Art. The nuns that lived in the Monastery were from rich families, so they did not live like typical nuns. They had their own rooms, kitchens, and servants. Also, their families could give them equisite presents for their rooms. However, that all changed during the reformation in the 1800s. Then they needed to convert the place into a typical convent where they shared a kitchen, rooms, and got rid of the servants. The convent is still active today. However, now there are only 20 cloistered nuns and they live in a modern part of the monastery.
I ate lunch in the Main Square then headed to a little suburb northwest of Arequipa called Yanahuara. It is very close to the city and has some amazing views. At the lookout, you find beautifully constructed stone arches, and can see the three large volcanos that surround the city-El Misti, Chachani, and Picchu. It was awesome!
Well back to Arequipa. This morning I visited the Monastery of Santa Catalina. It is known to be ¨the city within the city¨ of Arequipa. It once was the home to hundreds of cloistered Dominican nuns. It is a large facility now that is a museum with a ton of paintings from the Cusquean School of Art. The nuns that lived in the Monastery were from rich families, so they did not live like typical nuns. They had their own rooms, kitchens, and servants. Also, their families could give them equisite presents for their rooms. However, that all changed during the reformation in the 1800s. Then they needed to convert the place into a typical convent where they shared a kitchen, rooms, and got rid of the servants. The convent is still active today. However, now there are only 20 cloistered nuns and they live in a modern part of the monastery.
I ate lunch in the Main Square then headed to a little suburb northwest of Arequipa called Yanahuara. It is very close to the city and has some amazing views. At the lookout, you find beautifully constructed stone arches, and can see the three large volcanos that surround the city-El Misti, Chachani, and Picchu. It was awesome!
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