18 January 2011
By Jason
In Arequipa, Peru
Main Cloister
The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is a cloistered convent in Arequipa, originally built in the 16th century. The founder of the monastery was a rich widow; The tradition of the time indicated that the second son or daughter of a family would enter religious service, and the convent accepted only women from high-class Spanish families. Each nun at Santa Catalina had between one and four servants or slaves, and the nuns invited musicians to perform in the convent, gave parties and generally lived a lavish lifestyle. Each family paid a dowry at their daughter’s entrance to the convent, and the dowry paid to gain the highest status was 2,400 silver coins (equivalent to around $50,000 today).
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Architecture, Arequipa, Monestario de Santa Catalina, Peru, Santa Catalina Monestary, South America
17 January 2011
By Jason
In Arequipa, Cañon del Colca, Trekking
Kevin Overlooking the Canyon
Colca cayon, about 150km north from Arequipa, is a large canyon which at 4,160 m deep is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States. Until a few years ago, this was believed to be the deepest canyon in the world: Now that title goes to the Cañon de Cotahuasi, just 100km to the west, which is deeper by some 150m or so. Still, Cañon del Colca was incredibly impressive in it’s own right; From tiny traditional villages, soaring condors overhead, and huge snow-capped mountains looming in the distance, to the backpacker-mecca of ‘The Oasis’ with its palm-shaded swimming pools in the bottom of the canyon- This was a great mix of rugged nature, culture, and relaxation.
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Arequipa, Cañon del Colca, Colca Canyon, Hiking, Peru, South America, Trek, Trekking
10 January 2011
By Lena
In Arequipa, Peru
Plaza de Armas at Night
Coming from the quiet, idyllic Lake Titicaca, we were not as prepared for Arequipa (Peru's second largest city) and the city hit us like a slap in the face. The gray smog clouds, which are so thick during the day, that it is hard to even see the outlines of the nearby volcano El Misti, are visible from far away: Coming from the mountains by bus, exhaust blew in through the open windows, and the air strongly reminded us of the pollution of Lima. When we were looking in the evening for something to eat, we were overwhelmed by the masses of people everywhere. We discovered, that one must re-learn, how to move through crowded streets, in order not to crash with a passerby every few seconds .
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Arequipa, City, Colonial, Peru, South America
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