Arequipa

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Monday 5th September

After another delicious breakfast of cereal and bread rolls, we set off in to town, not to do anything special, but just to have a look around. We ended up climbing to the top of the Morro where Arica flies their flag and also has their Christ the Redeemer Statue. It provides a magnificent view of the city and the ocean. The climb down is harder than the climb up, as it is so steep. You feel as though you could topple over at any second.

Tuesday 6th Sept
Arrived in Ariquipa this afternoon after an 8 hr bus ride that should have taken 6. We had a car take us to the border of Peru to do our paperwork, and then it dropped us at the bus station Tacna, where a very helpful lad from the bus company took us upstairs and processed our tickets.
No toilet on the bus – very handy. No food! No escape from the tardo’s in the seat next to us. Seriously, it was the window licker bus! The tardo’s couldn’t understand each other, they snored when they weren’t trying to talk to us and then ate with their mouths open so we could hear every single bite. EeWWWW! Luckily Shane was one the aisle seat so I could ignore them talking, but the nose picking I couldn’t ignore. It was all out there!
Having arrived in Arequipa we were a little apprehensive. The guy at the bus station had said he had lived there for 2 years and he knew it could be quite dangerous so we should always get taxi’s.
Having met Alex and checked in to our hotel, we felt really safe and comfortable. Its like being in any country, including at home - don’t flash your cash around and don’t walk around alone late at night or you’re asking for trouble. Simple.

Its quite late here so Alex has ordered us in some chinese, which came in a 44 gallon drum!! There was so much of it, we will able to eat it again tomorrow night, which will please Sixto no end. We are on a budget after all! LOL

Shane says: If only Sharl’s would adhere to it.

Sharls says: Whatever! When he gives up alcohol, I’ll think about a budget!


Wednesday 7th September

No tours on this stop over, just a nice relaxing time. We didn’t realize how buggered we were.
The main Plaza is about a 10 minute walk from us, and as we get to the first intersection, which I might add is buzzing with people, cars, taxi’s and traffic police, a local man in his late 20’s or so with solid build, and without any of his faculties or clothes, is walking straight toward us from around the corner! That’s right, he’s starkers, and he’s casually ambling his way through the people to go and sit in the squat position at the bus stop! No one even battered an eyelid, except for me of course!

Shane says: Sharl’s was trying to get the camera out real quick.

The main area is very beautiful and reminds me a lot of Salta. It also has a very Parisian feel to it. The people are very friendly and offer a hello if they make eye contact.
As I suggested earlier, we did have left over Chinese food tonight! Mucho tighto with a de walleto! :-)

Shane says: Hey we did buy our first thing for home today. A nice Incan blanket for the dining table. So not too tight.


Thursday 8th September

Have had a really full on day today. Our first stop was at the Museo Santuarios Andinos. The highlight here, in fact the museum is dedicated to, the Ice Princess they call 'Juanita'. Those of you who are old enough might remember that the remains of a young girl, frozen for over 550 years, were discovered in 1995.
The Ampato Volcano which sits at about 6,400 metres above sea level, sheltered this Inca girl who would have been about 12 – 14yrs old at the time of her death. She was offered to Apu Ampato, the volcano god, by the Inca priests of those days. The only reason she was discovered is because a neighbouring volcano erupted, and the volcanic ash from that eruption melted the ice she lay beneath, which meant she was exposed for the first time.
For the many rituals that took place, the girl had to travel from Cusco accompanied by a great court of many important people of her region. Apparently only the very beautiful were selected for this ritual at a young age. They selected a group of children every 4 -7 years and raised them, giving them the best food and clothing, and then when they needed to appease the god, they select the most perfect child of all for sacrifice. They all walked the hundreds of miles from Cusco to Arequipa, and then climb the thousands of feet up the volcano to perform the ritual. Juanita would have to have been put to sleep before a precise blow on her right eyebrow would cause her to die. The poor child would also have been hungry and almost on the brink of death from the cold. She would have been frightened but also resigned to her fate as a chosen one who would soon have her own place amongst the gods.
At the moment she is still being studied by the university here. She is not mummified, but a complete body – hair, brains, intestines etc. When they uncovered her, she also had with her all of her first baby hair and her umbilical cord wrapped in cloth. Mothers always kept the umbilical cords of their children in the event that they became ill. They would cut a piece off, and restore it in water for the child to eat and thus become well again. And here we are in the modern world just discovering the importance of umbilical cords to stem cell research!
Its fascinating stuff – sorry if I bored you with that! LOL

Off then to the Montesorio D Santa Catalina. It is a massive convent constructed by the Spanish in 1579. It is constructed from Sillar, a white volcanic rock, and today is considered the most important and impressive colonial structure in the city. From the time it was built women from all sorts of backgrounds have entered the convent to serve as cloistered nuns, never again to return to their homes and families.
The nuns lived in private cells within the convent where they could lead isolated lives, protected by the high walls that sheltered them from the surrounding city. It’s a maze of different streets and courtyards and cells, each one a little different from the other.
Sister Ana, who has a cult following here, lived at the convent until her death in 1686. In 1985, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II, as various miracles and predictions are attributed to her. She was almost burned at the stake as a witch back in the day because her predictions were so accurate, but the church stepped in to stop it from happening. Her cell and personal effects still exist inside the convent. Today we saw a jumper and the top of a small childs top at the foot of the bed. They have been placed there by someone hoping for another miracle for a sick relative.
I also took a tour of the Cathedral in the plaza, and ventured to the top of the bell tower with a guide. Shane says he’s over chuches so he has chosen to sit in the square with the trillion pidgeons shitting all over the place.
A wonderful day!!! Our buses and accommodation are now booked for the next week or so. Alex did a great job with that. She also did a great job of the laundry too. I really am getting used to having someone do that for me :=)

Shane says: She will get home and want a bloody maid. Lol. You do know we are on a budget? Sharl’s wouldn’t know that though. Street people everywhere and she wants to share the loving with them all. A coin here a coin there. Tipping like she is Donald Trump. Haha. A tour costs 10 Soles, so she tips them another 10 Soles. Have I taught her nothing?

Sharls says: 10 soles is $3 whole dollars!!! You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I gave the guide all the coins he gave me. He says “that means I’ve only got a fifty on me! Do you know how hard those things are to cash in?”. Well you hold on to that big spender – a fifty is about $17!! LOL
Cracks me up :-)

Had a beautiful dinner on the second floor of one of the buildings along the Plaza de Armas- well I did anyway. Shane has gone with one of the local Peruvian dishes. Guinea Pig. Oh, yes he did. The head was fried up and on the side of the plate. I tried to explain to him (as my guide from the church told me they do as locals) that he had to crack the skull of the head and remove the round brain casing, remove the inside of that and then remove the small bony piece inside. This apparently resembles a small fox. He is then supposed to swallow the fox with a beer and make a wish. He refuses…pffftt!

Shane says: Not a real lot of meat on the old guinea pig, but not too bad. As they say ‘When in Rome’. Had to give it a crack.

Off to Puno, on Lake Titicaca tomorrow morning on the fancy pants Cruz Del Sur bus. It better be good! xxxx

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Photos

Arequipa
The Cathedral

Arequipa
Of course I gave him coin!

Arequipa
Home Sweet Home

Arequipa
Inside the Monasteria

Arequipa
Inside the Walls of the Monasteria

Arequipa
Monasteria

Arequipa
Monasteria

Arequipa
A view from the Cathedral Bell Tower over the plaza

Arequipa
City Plaza at night

Arequipa
Poor Cyril!