Historical Arequipa, Peru

We spent a few nights in the old city centre of Arequipa, Peru's second largest city, at 2400m altitude. It's known as the white city, due to the white volcanic stone used to construct buildings. The streets around the main Plaza are open only to pedestrians, so it's reasonably peaceful.

We enjoyed walking around checking things out. We bought fruit, veg, cheese & flowers at the market and watched stall-holders practising their dance moves for their upcoming anniversary celebration.

At the museum over the road Molly and I learnt about the 'ice maiden', mummy of a ~12 year old girl sacrificed on top of a mountain in around 1450. Her body had been frozen for centuries until volcanic/tectonic activity broke up the ice in 1995. She wasn't the only one; in the pre-Spanish cultures it was a tradition to sacrifice children to the gods, evidenced by the numerous mummies found in the Andes.

It was also interesting to walk around the Santa Catalina Monastery and learn about the life of Catholic nuns and their servants. It was founded in 1580 by a rich widow, and has had several makeovers due to earthquake damage and changes from communal living to individual living and back again. It's still an active monastery but most of the grounds now serve as a museum. Very photogenic!

Also stayed in a great hotel on a quiet pedestrian street, with big open lounge areas and a kitchen to cook vegetables! Czytaj więcej