Day 3 - Travel to Arequipa
Heading to the airport this morning, we board our flight to the
'White City' of Arequipa, named so thanks to its myriad of white
buildings that seem to glow beguilingly in the sunlight. After
lunch at a local restaurant, we explore Arequipa on a guided
tour.
This includes the enormous complex of monastic buildings of the
Santa Catalina Convent. This complex was founded in 1580 and has
since been beautifully refurbished with period furniture and
paintings. Behind the closed doors the nuns - daughters of
aristocrats - paid little heed to the vows of poverty and silence.
Each had her own servant and porcelain plates, fine tablecloths and
silver cutlery.
The convent is a complete miniature walled colonial town in the
middle of the city and there are flower-filled gardens, spacious
patios, granite fountains as well as arches and narrow streets. The
tile-roofed buildings are painted in traditional white, brown and
blue, housing about 20 who nuns still live in a section of the
convent, much more piously, which was once home to as many as
500.
In the Iglesia de La Compañía, we see the San Ignacio de Loyola
Chapel, which is a marvel of color and beauty, with stunning murals
showcasing the incredible jungle flora and fauna of South America.
Overnight Arequipa.