Peru Trip Report Day 12: Yanque-Chivay-Arequipa Day 13: Arequipa

DAY 12, Dec 9, 2014: 

This is the concluding part with report on the white city, Arequipa.

I have already covered the early part of the day in the previous post. By noon we had made our way to Chivay, saw a parade and then boarded our van to Arequipa.

This is the rest stop on the way to Arequipa from Chivay on 4M Express bus.

 The big bus is the one we came in from Chivay to this rest stop. We were the only 2 passengers on the smaller van to our right to Arequipa. we were dropped straight to our hotel. AWESOME service from 4M Express. They gave us a discount too as we paid cash to Susannah when we boarded the bus from Chivay.

Casa Arequipa, our hotel...

It was the home of a neo colonial count.

Sillar, or crushed volcanic ash, from the surrounding volcanos for the walls; Marble and mahagony for the floors; Hand-crafted wrought iron for the interior fixtures.

In 2002, the house was transformed into a boutique bed and breakfast. Painstaking efforts were put into maintaining the original features of the building. Some modern features were added. The result is a mix of Old World grandeur and contemporary amenities.

These are sillar (volcanic ash) artefacts in our room.

Our antique bed...






The house is full of antiques, so it was lovely residing there and getting a close look at all the treasures.

Our room is the closed door at the left corner.

 We were the only guests at the hotel.... had the whole home to ourselves. 

Plaza de Armas:

We made our way to Plaza de Armas and this was our 1st stop....Basilica catedral of Arequipa.

Plaza de Armas Arequipa... live band.

After enjoying the ambience for a short while, we took a cab back to our hotel for 5 soles.

We would have normally walked but our hotel girl had told us to take a cab after night fall. In December 1st week, it became dark at 6PM.

DAY 13, DEC 10, 2014:

Had to pack up and check out; we were taking the 9.30 PM flight back to Lima and then onward to Houston.

7 AM...Time for our breakfast.

Terrace with view of the volcanoes. 





Breakfast was so so, surprising as this was the costliest room in our trip; everywhere else, food had been Yum!








 Kept our bags packed for our trip back home in the reception and walked to the city center.

We again visited the Basílica Catedral located in the "Plaza de Armas" . The imposing Arequipa Cathedral stretches the entire length of the north end of the Plaza de Armas in earthquake-prone Arequipa.

The cathedral has witnessed several demolitions...

1540 : started construction; built it using white petrified volcanic lava (sillar).

1583: An earthquake reduced the church to rubble.

1600: When construction was almost finished, the violent eruption of the Huaynaputina stratovolcano (also known as Quinistaquillas or Omate), together with several earthquakes and a rain of ash, destroyed part of the structure.

1604: Another earthquake completely destroyed what was remaining of the structure. 1656: The construction of the Cathedral was finished. It had 3 sections, 180 feet long by 84 feet wide (84.86 m by 25.6 m), 8 pillars, 5 chapels, 22 arcs, 15 brick vaults. 

withstood 4 earthquakes from 1666 to 1784.

1844: There was a big fire in the Cathedral. The fire destroyed several parts of the church and many paintings, sculptures and furniture pieces, as well as several vaults and pillars.

it was rebuilt and destroyed in the earthquake of 1868.

Again rebuilt, another earthquake in 2001. The left tower was destroyed and the right tower suffered major damage.

August 15, 2002: On the anniversary of its foundation, the Mayor finished the restoration of the towers.

San Augustin Cathedral of Arequipa/Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus:

This is a Cathedral made of Sillar (volcanic ash). The Church of San Agustin is a temple of Colonial origin. This church was built in the sixteenth century, but has undergone major changes.The earthquake of 1868 destroyed much of the religious structure; Currently,  only the facade of the eighteenth and the original sacristy is preserved. 

 The facade of this church, presents a typical baroque design-- a confluence of several reliefs that are carved in sillar.

The sacristy is covered by a beautiful dome and walls with beautiful paintings by members of the Cusco School

The main altar has a fine carved and is lined with applications made in gold.

Museo Santuarios Andinos:

Then we walked on to the Museum... this has the well preserved mummy of a young girl sacrificed during Incan times...

The Ice Maiden:

It can be seen only with a guide, we were the only ones and had an exclusive tour. The girl looks as if she's sleeping... everything is so well preserved... it was a heart rending sight! Here's a pic from the net

The Ice Maiden or Mummy Juanita was found on the top of Mount Ampato near Arequipa on 8 Sep1995 . A nearby volcano caused the snow-cap to melt. Her burial site had collapsed and gushed down the mountain slope. 3 more bodies were discovered later; along with pins, bowls, and golden, silver and shell figurines.

CT scans, dental analysis and biopsies show mummy Juanita was in good health. The Incan girl was killed when she was 11-15 years old as a religious sacrifice 1450-1480. 

When the volcano erupts, Incans believed their gods were angry at them. A human sacrifice and other offerings would placate the Gods. Juanita was killed by a blunt trauma to the head. This caused her brain to haemorrhage, filled her skull with blood, pushing her brain to the side of her skull. Her skin, stomach contents, blood, hair, garments and organs are very well preserved. she had eaten vegetables 6-8 hours before her death and given an alcoholic beverage whist walking up the mountain.

Her body is wrapped in Alpaca wool. All the precious offerings buried with her are on display.

The other mummies and the articles buried with them are also on display. It's tragic to hear the bodies bear signs of struggle after gaining consciousness... they were just knocked out unconscious and buried alive!

Next, We had a very interesting visit to an old monastery... each nook has a story!

Monastery of Saint Catherine (Santa Catalina):

Monastery of Saint Catherine ( Santa Catalina) is a monastery of nuns of the Dominican Second Order. It was built in 1579 and was enlarged in the 17th century.

At its height, the monastery housed approximately 450 people (about a third of them nuns and the rest servants) in a cloistered community.

Currently, there are 20 nuns living in the northern corner of the complex; the rest of the monastery is open to the public. It's so lovely... The 20,000-square-meter monastery was built predominantly in the Mudéjar style, and is characterized by its vividly painted walls. It is a city within a city.

We opted for a guide and waited at the entrance for another person to join us for the tour in English. 

Great details about the volcanic ash, sillar.

Oranges in the tree...

  

 The tradition of the time was that the second son or daughter of a family would enter a life of service in the Church, and the monastery accepted only women from upper class Spanish families.  

Each family paid a dowry at their daughter's admission to the monastery. The dowry expected of a woman who wished to enter as a choir nun--indicated by wearing a black veil—and who thereby accepted the duty of the daily recitation of the Divine Office, was 2,400 silver coins, equivalent to about $150,000 (U.S.) today. 

The nuns were also required to bring 25 listed items, including a statue, a painting, a lamp and clothes. The wealthiest nuns brought fine English china and silk curtains and rugs.

The relatives of the nuns built private cells for them, because the common dormitory was damaged and was also too small for the increasing number of nuns.

It was possible for poorer nuns to enter the convent without paying a dowry.

In 1871, a strict Dominican nun, was sent by Pope Pius IX to reform the monastery. She sent the rich dowries back to Europe, and freed all the servants and slaves, giving them the choice of either remaining as nuns or leaving.

Each room has an interesting story. 

Parlor: 

The nuns communicated with the outside world through these double windows in this parlor.

 In the ceiling there is a semi-penumbra for light through alabaster.

Workroom:

  Diorama of Last Supper.

 workroom: sample of needlework by the nuns.

 Capilla del noviciado... chapel of the novices

Flaggelated Christ. 

Kitchens and the equipment used those days are all on display.

Flour mill... grain is ground to flour in this contraption to the right. Washstand to the left


Water filter. 

Grinding stone. 

Kitchen

Now for some serious bling... gold, diamonds, rubies et al...Gape at this Monstrance. 

 

This Madonna's eyes follow us as we move...

The monastery nuns made these robes for the priests... with gold thread...

God creating the Universe in the top panel

Adam and Eve in the bottom panel.

The refectory...community dining area.

From this pulpit, stories about the lives of saints were read out . during meals. WOW... Talk of 24x7 devotion!!


Here are the confession rooms...

Chapel

A nun's room...

Depending on the affluence of the family, the rooms were stark or luxurious as rich parents spared no expense.

Saint Ana was a famous nun from this Convent... this is her room...

In 1607, Ana was delivered to the Catalina nuns when she was three years old, to be educated; in those days mainly moral and religious teaching. Her parents took her from the Monastery when she was 10 with the intention to marry her when she reached 14, the minimum age for a valid marriage.

While she was at home, she had a vision of Santa Catalina of Siena, showing her the habit of the Domenican nuns. she decided to return to the Monastery, being led by a small boy called Domingo.

Her parents tried to dissuade her by offering her jewels, but she kept firm in her decision. Ana took her vows, taking the name of "de los Angeles".

Sor Ana imposed rules of austerity during her charge, obliging the nuns to wear the habits without gold ornaments. Other nuns on three occasions tried to poison her. Those attempts failed!

The close relationship between Sor Ana with the souls in Purgatory, helped her to make predictions, which were generally related to death.

She predicted diseases for some of her friends, sometimes predicted healing and in some others death.

There was a total of sixty-eight predictions, all which came true.

This venerable Catalina nun was blind in her last years. She had great difficulty walking. However, she never complained. She was a model of total confidence in God.

Before she was buried, a painter was able to reproduce her face in a portrait. The painter had gone to the Monastery in spite of being afflicted with great pains and a swelling over all his body. As soon as he finished painting the portrait on a small canvas and while he was going out, he became completely healed.

Sor Ana de los Angeles died on the 10th. of January 1686. It was not necessary to embalm her body, because of a good odor it gave off. She was buried in the earthen floor of the Choir of the temple at the Monastery. Ten months afterwards, her body was exhumed and it was found fresh, without any foul smell and with proved flexibility of muscles and joints. 

After her death, there were more miracles. There were many cases of people who were suffering a disease and were healed after commending themselves to Sor Ana, or after touching some object belonging to her. All these happenings made the nuns of the Monastery write testimonies and present a petition on July the tenth 1686, six months after her death, to make of her the first Saint from Arequipa. The process is still continuing.

This is Zocodober square... stone fountain.

Laundry area... GREAT arrangement for water supply and drainage...

Here's some fine china used by the nuns 

Had a slice of chocolate and carrot cake made by the nuns... delish! 

Visited the Souvenir shop.

Then walked back to our hotel

This is the ripe tuna/prickly pear fruit we ate in Colca Canyon... very yum

Had some food at the hotel reception area before taking a taxi to the airport.

Here's nativity scene at the airport.

It had been a terrific vacation... it had been like traveling back in time. The places we had visited are pretty harsh terrain at very high altitude. But still the people have harnessed the mountains and continue cultivating on the incan terraces with the help of Llamas and donkeys quite the time tested way. The local food products are awesome and the people so warm and friendly!

Will put in videos later.

UK visit report starts here:

http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2017/08/how-to-plan-trip-to-uk-london-trip.html