Today was a very long day. We went on an excursion for nearly 9 hours. We left the port of Matarani and immediately started climbing up the narrow, steep and winding roads in our bus. There were a couple of sharp curves where I though we might become permanent residents of the Peruvian mountains. As we passed a new housing development our guide told us that an individual can choose a plot of land and build a small house as long as the empty land is not already privately owned. After a few years the person can apply to the government to own the house and property. One major drawback, however, is that the residents are not allowed access to the city's water system until they own the land. That would make life quite difficult!!!!
As we proceeded deeper and higher into the mountains our guide told us that in the local area there are foxes, snakes, birds alpacas, llamas, vicuna, and guanaco. Consequently, a major export is woolen products. The land at the lower elevations appears quite parched, barren and unforgiving. The land is composed of volcanic rock since there are many active volcanoes in this region. As we continued to climb, the only visible landscape was desolate, dry mountains. It looked like we were on the moon. Very interesting but not terribly attractive.
Our guide shared with us that once we reach the valley at the higher elevations the soil becomes quite fertile and there are many large farms which produce crops such as avocados, red and white onions (which she told us are very strong), garlic, potatoes, corn, numerous types of fruit, including tropical fruits, and beautiful flowers. As we neared the top of the mountains we caught a glimpse of the magnificent Andes mountains. What an awe-inspiring site. We could also see the top of a 20,000 foot volcano. As promised, the landscape quickly transitioned to green valleys with small, gently sloping hills planted with an abundance of crops. Cows grazed on the green grass. It was quite startling to have such a complete change of scenery in such a short amount of time.
As we reached our destination, the lovely, delightful town of Arequipa, we learned it is the second largest city in Peru. The town was discovered and conquered by the Aztecs in the 1400's and then conquered again by the Spanish explorers in the 1500's. The charming town of Arequipa is graced with beautiful walls, delicate arches, and mighty turrets which overlook the hectic city square. Arequipa has been nicknamed the "white city" because its buildings were built with the volcanic rock, which is white. There is also black and pink volcanic rock but evidently the white rock is much harder so it is preferred in construction.
We had an opportunity to walk around the center of town and explore the university, churches, and government buildings. We visited a Jesuit university that was built in the early 1600's and now serves the local community in a number of ways, including concerts, lectures, classes, etc. In the past it served as a Jesuit school, a cloister for teachers, and a convent. Located on the grounds is a small chapel which has a very humble exterior but spectacular art on the interior, with every wall and ceiling exquisitely painted in intricate detail. The vibrant colors of the complex characters and designs are woven together to create a breathtaking tapestry. The chapel continues to be used for services by the local community and is sometimes referred to as the "Sistine Chapel of America."
Outside the chapel is a large peaceful courtyard overflowing with brightly colored flowers, including hydrangeas and roses. There was a large, three-tiered fountain with graceful streams of water flowing while children danced around it feeding the pigeons, which were everywhere!
Once we had the opportunity to enjoy the town square we walked to a nearby hotel to have lunch. Not sure what we ate, but it was quite delicious. However, the hit of the day was the discovery of the local alcoholic drink, the "Pisco Sour." Wow! Delicious. It is made with Pisco (similar to brandy), egg white, lime juice, sugar, and ice. It tastes similar to a whiskey sour or margarita. Everyone enjoyed this tasty and refreshing drink before we moved on to a magnificent monastery which is a city within the city. We strolled along narrow cobblestone streets and passed through arched colonnades. We saw courtyards, fountains, churches and plazas. The monastery continues to serve as a convent and currently there are twenty nuns living there. In the early years the nuns had servants who did the cooking, cleaning and other daily chores for them. However, after 1871 local church leaders felt the nuns should perform their own duties so they began cooking, cleaning, sewing, and doing laundry for themselves.
In order to enter the convent families were required to pay a large amount of silver. Therefore, only wealthy families were able to send their daughters. Their initial training lasted for four years and at the conclusion of this time they were asked to decide if they wanted to remain in the convent. They were free to go at that time, but if they elected to remain it was a lifelong commitment. Evidently, many young women opted to remain because if they left the convent their parents would select a marriage partner for them immediately (usually an older fellow, and not necessarily attractive)!!! Nuns were allowed only limited interaction with their families. They were not allowed to see them. Their only means of communication was behind two separate sets of wooden grates, with a space between them, so neither party could see through to the other side. As an extra precaution the nuns were required to cover their faces with a white cloth to ensure they were not seen or could not see "outsiders." The nuns were always accompanied during these family visits by a "listening nun." Her responsibility was to monitor the conversation between the family and nun. These family visits were allowed only a few times each year.
The ride back to the ship was even more "exciting" than this morning. In addition to the trucks in front of us suddenly throwing on their breaks or swerving all over the road, the trucks on the other side of the narrow, winding, two-lane road constantly barreled toward us on full throttle. Now, this afternoon, in addition to these thrills, we were driving through fog and clouds and it started to rain!!!! Yes, it certainly kept us on the edge of our seats.
Also on the ride back to the ship our guide supplied supplied a few more facts about Peru (maybe to keep our minds occupied). Some of the more interesting comments were:
Bullfighting is still big in Peru. Although cockfights are also popular, it is not practiced in this area.
The last major earthquake in this area was a magnitude 7.9. The local people on the coast did not know about tsunamis so when the ocean receded and the fish were laying on the beach, people ran down to the sand to collect them and hundreds of people were killed when the giant wave hit the shore. Now when an earthquake hits, they run for higher ground.
Bartering is still very common in Peru. Very often, there is no exchange of money between locals.
Schools are very bad in Peru. Teachers are paid very little. Their average pay per month is $275 dollars. However, politicians make $8,185 per month.
The unemployment rate in Peru is currently 22%.
She added more facts but the above are some of the more interesting ones. Well, that's it for tonight. Today was our last port in Peru. Tomorrow we will be in Chile and will be there for the next week or so.
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