We had the morning free so after breakfast we headed off to explore central Arequipa. I needed sunblocking lip balm as i had burnt my lips on Lake Titicaca. We then tried to find an Apple stockist to buy a SD cardreader for an iPad, but no joy. However it did lead us off into the back streets of Arequipa which was really interesting. It was like Ruwi in Muscat or Satwa in Dubai with dozens and dozens of little shops all seiing very similar things. Lots of repair shops for phones, TVs and even speakers! We had a coffee in a nice spot overlooking Plaza des Armes and then back to the hotel to have some lunch.
Our coffee stop overlooking the Cathedral
Peru’s very nice freshly made Lemonade
We had a 2pm city tour with Yarina. She talked 19 to the dozen and had some interesting pronunciations but had a huge amount of knowledge to impart. (During the tour we got word from Metropolitan that the Nazca lines trip we were investigating would cost an additional $680 person plus flight changes so we declined!)
We were taken to a viewpoint over looking the farms inside the city looking to the mountains...
...then a church with Inca symbols hidden in the designs,
and then to the main square, Plaza de Armes where we went to a Jesuit church. Once agin lots of Inca symbolism in the decoration to help the Incas accept this new Christian religion.
We wandered through the church and to the cloisters which now of course make great shops and coffee spots. Tomorrow. We then wandered back to the main square...
..and our tour ended at the convent of Saint Cataline where Yarina left us and we were guided round the convent by Alexandra. She was an excellent guide and the convent was fascinating.
The Nuns (or their servants) washing area
Their water filtration system - volcanic rock which the water dripped slowly through
Families would send their second daughters to the convent to be cloistered nuns i.e. cut off from the world. These were daughters of wealthy Spanish families who paid a large dowry so that they could join the convent and who seemed to see this as a fast track to Heaven. The daughters were allowed to have luxuries and servants. All of this changed in 1871 when the Pope decreed that all nuns were sisters and that they should work/eat/sleep together. A bit of a shock for the nuns who had been enjoying a comfortable life up till then.
We had dinner with Scott and Carol in Zig Zag, a nearby recommened restsurant. We all had various meats on a sizzling piece of volcanic rock, and then repaired to the hotel courtyard for a night cap. We say goodbye to Scott and Carole tomorrow as they head homeward and we have another day in Arequipa.
