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Araquipa
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We arrived in Araquipa on a late night bus from Puno. The bus was scheduled to leave at around 8:00pm (a 5 hr ride) but they were having problems with the bus and we didn't actually leave until closer to 9:15pm. This made us all wonder if the person waiting to pick us up at the other end (from our hotel) was still going to be around when we arrived at about 2:00am. But hey, guess what...there he was with a sign and a van to collect us all and take our sorry asses back to his lovely hotel. The hotel is located on one of the main streets of this very busy city. We looked around a bit, it was beautiful, but all we wanted was our beds - we would see the rest in the morning. I don't think Gloria enjoyed the bus trip much as she isn't able to sleep on buses and so she spent her time..."trying"...to sleep, but it was no use. The rest of us had some sleep. Granny had no problem sleeping the whole way as she found two empty seats and made good use of the extra space. (besides that, anytime after 7:30pm and Granny is ready to sleep, no problem.)
Araquipa has one of the most beautiful parque central I have ever seen. It is loaded with big trees, green grass, lots of benches to mill around on, a beautiful fountain with gorgeous lights (for the nightime). All the while it is surrounded by a beautiful two tiered plaza area that houses many restaurants and shops overlooking the park and giving you a great view of the life of the city. The streets are also full of these tiny yellow cabs and so you think of a spanish New York City type thing with the hustle and the bustle - but it is really way more ...latin (casual). While Araquipa is the second largest city in Peru it has the sense of a real "working" city and not so tourist oriented as was Cuzco or Puno. There is lots to see and do here for tourists though. Baptized "the White City", and surrounded by three towering volcanoes, this city is built of stones made from light coloured volcanic rock called 'sillar' which really dazzles in the sun. Of all the places we visited here, without a doubt, the most interesting was the Monestario Santa Catalina.
This convent had one, (and probably the only one of it's kind in the world), of the strangest setups I have ever seen. First of all, the place is huge, it actually occupies an entire city block and is guarded by some very high walls. It was founded in 1580 by a wealthy widow who chose her nuns from only the most wealthy of Spanish families. It was a very prestigous appointment and as each of the nuns progressed to the next cloister they would be required (and their family would have to pay for) the construction of a house for them to live in on the premises - complete with quarters for their maids and cooks etc. Huh????? So this nunery was really a high end sanctuary where these girls came to become nuns "in a style to which they were accustomed".
Their families payed huge fees for the priveledge and the girls carried on in a style never before (or since) seen in a convent. The complex was shrouded in mystery up until 1970 when it was forced open to the public. The women here were allowed to live with all the finest artwork and tapestries from their homes - which are all on display in the museum. It was really the 'top of the pops' for the social conscious Peruvian at the time. We had a great tour of the place including a guide who explained it all. In its day it was a tiny town of mazelike streets with tiny fruit filled plazas, hidden staircases and beautiful courtyards with the word "silencio" stenciled everywhere to... calm the soul.
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