Above: The Cathedral @ Plaza de Armas in Arequipa
Baptised the "White City" for the light-colo(u)red sillar (volcanic rock)-based colonial buildings, Arequipa hit a good note with me immediately upon arrival from Puno (a fairly easy 6-hour bus ride with views of the deserts and canyons).
Arequipa's main attraction is the Santa Catalina Convent (or Monasterio Santa Catalina), which was literally a "city within a city". After more than three hundred years of exclusivity and seclusion, the monastery was finally forced open to the public in 1970 - although the Dominican nuns still live, shrouded in mystery, in a small part of the complex that is closed to the public. For US$10, we get a ticket into the religious order of the Dominican nuns and their place of sanctuary. They live a simple religious life that includes prayers, meditations, charities, fasting and keeping silence. A novitiate (prospective nun) must first live in the complex for a minimum year and on completion of the year and with the Prioress' approval (with the Bishop informed), the novitiate will then take her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to be ordained a nun.
The 'citadel' was a peaceful retreat for me. Walking the narrow streets with soft religious music playing in the background brought me tranquility as I reflected on the lives of these nuns within these high walls, away from the "real world".
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Above left: Plaza de Armas; Above right: Ornate facade of the Jesuit Iglesia de La Compania
Above left: White volcanic sillar rock used in an old colonial building; Above right: Caldo de Gallina (6 soles or US$2)
Above left: Supposedly called "Tuna" (2 for 1 soles or US$0.30) - sweet, juicy with small seeds...tasted a bit like the other fruit, Pitaya;
Above right: Ceviche Pescado (7 soles or ~US$2.30) - sour-y raw fish with sweet potatoes, roasted kernels and vegetables
Above right: Ceviche Pescado (7 soles or ~US$2.30) - sour-y raw fish with sweet potatoes, roasted kernels and vegetables
Above: Spanish colonial architecture (seen above, large doors) remains in Peru's second-largest city
Arequipa's main attraction is the Santa Catalina Convent (or Monasterio Santa Catalina), which was literally a "city within a city". After more than three hundred years of exclusivity and seclusion, the monastery was finally forced open to the public in 1970 - although the Dominican nuns still live, shrouded in mystery, in a small part of the complex that is closed to the public. For US$10, we get a ticket into the religious order of the Dominican nuns and their place of sanctuary. They live a simple religious life that includes prayers, meditations, charities, fasting and keeping silence. A novitiate (prospective nun) must first live in the complex for a minimum year and on completion of the year and with the Prioress' approval (with the Bishop informed), the novitiate will then take her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to be ordained a nun.
The 'citadel' was a peaceful retreat for me. Walking the narrow streets with soft religious music playing in the background brought me tranquility as I reflected on the lives of these nuns within these high walls, away from the "real world".
Above: The high walls enclosing the Santa Catalina Convent from the outside world
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Above right: "Divine Soul and Love" canvas series in the Orange Tree Cloister
Above left: The Orange Tree Cloister
Above: Nuns from rich families used to live it up in the Monastery until the arrival of a strict Prioress who straightened things out
Above: The Eucharist Wafer - made in the Convent
Above left: Clay Jar Laundry
Above left: Typical Clay Oven
Above right: View of the 2 volcanoes: Chachani (left) & El Misti (I think)
Above left: Stone Fountain; Above right: In the cell of Sister Ana de Los Angeles Monteagudo - a nun who lived in the Convent until her death in 1686. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1985 as various miracles and predictions were attributed to her
Above left: Sister Ana's rosary; Above right: The Great Cloister
For the record, I highly recommend the Point Hostel in the relaxing suburb of Vallecito for: 1) great value for money (at just 24 soles or US$8/night), 2) free wifi, 3) a mere 15-minutes walk to the Plaza de Armas (center), 4) relaxing villa-like environs with backpackers' amenities such as a pool table, table tennis table and TV room, 5) clean toilets and 6) comfortable beds.
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