Peruvian nights

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Here I am, my last night in Peru. I got into Arequipa yesterday morning at 5:30am on a night bus from Cuzco. I waited around the bus station for a few hours, waiting for it to be a respectable hour before hitting the hostels. I ended up going with the second hostel. The first only had dorm rooms available, and I felt that I needed a room to myself and a good night´s sleep before heading off the next night (tonight) to Tacna, the southernmost city in Peru and the last brief stop before catching a bus to Arica, Chile. I went to another hostel and it was perfect - relatively cheap and my own room with hot shower. It was also bright, sunny, and super quiet. The old man that runs it ws really nice and accomodating. He let me keep my things there today after noon check-out since my bus isn´t leaving until 10pm. Yesterday I went to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a severl centuries old nunnery where nuns have been cloistered and hidden from the public for centuries. I t has been recently opened for touring - though I still didn´t see any nuns. I was there for over two hours. It is about a city block in size and has streets, many buildings, and is overall enormous. I took about two rolls of film just on doorways and window sills that were pretty and framed other shots. Last night I took it easy and got some sleep, and today I went to an Andean Museum that specializes in old Incan traditions of giving beautiful young girls as sacrifices to the mountain gods. They have amazingly preserved artifacts and one frozen mummy on display. It was really interesting, and scary. Off to catch my bus, more to come soon.

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