4th April
Arequipa founded in 1540 has a skyline dominated by Mt Misti 5822 metres and flanked to the left is ragged Mt Chachani 6075 metres and to the right is Pichu Pichu 5571 metres.
It is also known as the white city because the buildings were made of pure white volcanic material , Sillar. The colonial architecture is magnificent.
The Plaza de Armas is impressive and is surrounded on 3 sides by arcaded buildings. We did a reality tour with Miguel. This tour was about seeing the real Peru. The Shantytowns. First stop was a stone quarry where we watched a man make white bricks. If the brick was perfect he would get 1.5 soles and if there were flawed he we get .50 soles. Hard labourious work. We gave the worker a tip for allowing us to observe him and his face just beamed with a smile from ear to ear. Then off to Wawa Wasi which was a child care centre for widowers. This was one room and up to twelve children. We also visited the communal kitchen where the children of the working mums, handicapped, or pregnant women ate. Between 3 and 5 the kitchen turned into a classroom for the less fortunate. Then back to the square for lunch at Pizza Hut. We went to the Santuarios Andino UCSM Musuem to see Juanita the Ice Princess. She is a 500 year old mummy from the Inca times that has been perfectly preserved. She was found in 1995 on the summit near Mt Ampato by anthropologist Dr Johan Reinhard. The guided tour started with an informative documentary video and then we entered the museum for a tour. We left here feeling really sad because Juanita was only 12 when she was sacrificed to the gods. A blow to her head with a hammer was cause of death. We then went to the Monasterio Santa Catalina which was founded in 1580 by a rich widow who was very selective in choosing her nuns. This monastery is 20,000 sq m complex -almost a city within a city. It was a beautiful place that allows you to step back in time to a forgotten world of narrow twisted streets, fruit filled plazas, false staircases, beautiful courtyards and simple living quarters. The living quarters were larger than I imagined with each cell having their own bedroom and cooking quarters with a small courtyard. There was a art gallery, orchard, fountains and chapels. The walls were washed down with a red dye and the streets were made of stones. Time for coffee at Starbucks. It's 5pm and La Catedral is now open. Built in 1612 and stretches the length of the Plaza. The interior is simple and airy. This basilica is entitled to fly the Vatican flag. Both the altar and the 12 columns ( depicting the 12 apostles) are made of Italian marble. We found a lovely balcony Restuarant in a cobbled street behind the Catedral where Jan and I had a lovely meal soaking up the ambiance of the area.