Museo de la Catedral de Arequipa

Yesterday we visited the Museo de la Catedral de Arequipa (Museum of the Cathedral of Arequipa).  For the first time I was tired out by something at this high elevation, the stairs up to the rooftop, but it was worth it.

The cathedral is located on the main square, just kitty-corner from the hotel.  It occupies the entire block facing the square and is a beautiful as you would expect.  For 10 soles a person (approx. $4, tip not included) you can take a tour of the museum and cathedral, with tours starting as soon as there are guests and a tour guide ready to go.  I saw at least three other guides, so there shouldn't be a long wait.  We did not have to wait at all.  Flora was our local, friendly and knowledgeable.

The cathedral has been partially or completely destroyed several times since the 1500's and the current building dates from the 19th century.  A candle was knocked over and an nearly all consuming fire took the somewhat smaller previous structure.  Several wealthy families made major donations at that time.  This incarnation is gorgeous with a high alter and Belgian built organ.

The museum houses vestments, various gold, silver and bronze religious items.  Photography was not allowed in the museum itself.  My most memorable items were the gold and jewel encrusted crown of thorns, tiny bowls that survived the fire (you can see where the host was in the bowls at the time of the fire, making a "hidden Mickey" in the bottom) and a cap given by a 20th century pope (can't remember which one) to a local family and eventually donated to the church.  There were other amazing pieces of gold and silver, with countless gems.  How I wish I could have taken photos!

Then we start the climb, first to the second floor observation walkway which overlooks the organ.  After that I remembered that I high in the mountains after so much time at sea level.  It is not that there are that many stairs to the roof, it is just that my legs were not quite ready for them.  But once you reach the time you forget the steps and take in the view of Misti, the city and the two bell towers.

There was an earthquake here about 10 years ago that toppled one of the towers and caused damage inside.  The tower was rebuilt in a matter of months.  The organ and statues inside are now reinforced and the cracks repaired.

We took our time up on the roof and shot many photos.  Flora was lovely and took some of us too.    It finally became time to descend.  It was a great hour and this is worth a visit!

Note the crack from the earthquake.

This one collapsed from the circle up.

Entering the Andes (Photos)

The photos can speak for themselves.   I will just say that these were taken on our Taca flight Lima to Arequipa.  It was amazing that when we broke through the heavy cloud blanket which hangs over Lima the sky was suddenly clear and bright.  We were unable to take photos near the end of the flight as the sun quickly set at that point.  

The Ice Maiden Mummy

Over 500 years ago a 14 year old girl was sacrificed for and by her people on the 20,000 foot peak Ampato in the Andes surrounded by Incan priests.  Her body was wrapped in a blanket, tied into a bundle and buried.  At that height she froze quickly, becoming a natural mummy.  In 1995 Johan Reinhard, a high altitude archaeologist, was climbing Ampato to view the eruption of a neighboring volcano when he and his climbing partner came upon the famed mummy bundle.  It was the eruption itself that melted the ice and freed "Juanita", the name given to her in honor of the man who found her (Johan in Spanish is Juan, the female variant being Juanita).

Years ago I watched a documentary about the Ice Maiden and have always hoped to see her.  This trip has brought me not only to the city with the Catholic University Museum holding the mummy bundle, but the hotel is just two blocks away.  For anyone traveling to Arequipa, this is a very easy museum to reach, but it can be a challenge to find the actual entrance.  In order to view the mummy you must take a guided tour, preceded by a 20 minute National Geographic movie about the expedition, preservation and looking back to the sacrifice ritual. 

I am very glad I saw the Ice Maiden and the museum, but it does leave a person a bit melancholy to look upon the face of a young girl whose entire life was waiting for the call to be sacrificed to appease the mountain gods. "Juanita" was sent to he world of the gods when the volcano was erupting and the priests were trying to make the gods once again happy with her people.  She was to go live with the gods and act as a messenger between the two worlds. 

The children who were sacrificed were chosen by priests at birth and kept pure, being sacrificed when they were no more than 16 years of age.  Most of the ladies on the tour were wiping away tears (there were only two guys, both there at the behest of their own princesses). The photos I found online are a much better visual due to the triple layer of glass used to protect and maintain her frozen state and a very high humidity level. The case is a bit "cloudy", literally, which gives an eerie, mystical feel.  How appropriate. 

For more information about the Ice Maiden I suggest you read the book that I have been enjoying Ice Maiden written by Johan Reinhard, available in book and eBook form.

Getting to Arequipa

Today was mostly uneventful as travel days go.  The car was a little late picking us up at the hotel, but as I always plan to leave early it didn't matter.

Taca Airlines was wonderful.  They have a professional staff and new, very clean planes, with abundant back of the headrest entertainment.  I would recommend the airline to anyone flying one of their routes.  We landed at the Arequipa Airport early and were in the van heading to hotel within eight minutes of our original arrival time.

The flight itself was great, with an excellent empanada and cinnamon pastry snack and fabulous views.  I plan to write a separate post with photos of the beautiful clouds and Andes mountains.

The airport in Arequipa is adorable.  We deplaned down a set of stairs, just like they do for Air Force One I quipped.  I can't remember how long it has been since I have done that.  There is just one baggage carousel and our luggage came through within minutes and then we headed out to the taxi van.  It is a complimentary trip provided by the hotel.

I said earlier that the day was uneventful and it was, until the taxi ride.  New York cabbies have nothing on this guy.  We did the hurky-jerky down the main road leading from the airport.  At times it felt like a student driver who hasn't quite gotten the feel for the brake or how to ease onto the gas.  As with many roads around here, buildings are mini forts with high walls surrounding them.  These are covered with every imaginable advertisement from motor oil to soft drinks.  I tried to watch these in hopes of keeping my mind off the insane ride.

If you think the main road was bad, you should have been there when we entered the traffic of the city proper.  I lost count of the short stops and near read end, side impact and T-bone collisions.  At one point he was driving down the wrong side of the road, which I guess I fine here as other cabs were doing the same thing.

Looking back I was most thankful for my seat-belt, and the end of our journey in the magnificent main square of the old city.   Our hotel is on this square and tomorrow we get to explore it!

Cock a Doodle Doo!

On this trip I will only have two nights in Lima, one on each end.  For the first time ever for me, we stayed in a neighborhood other than Miraflores.  The hotel is fine, just what we need to an overnight stop on our way to Arequipa.  It is just a few blocks from the Magic Fountain Park that I will write about later, as well as the new stadium.  The trip to the airport was the usual length.

Last night my flight arrived about a half hour late due to a minor maintenance issue.  We thought it was going to be longer because as soon as we pushed back from the gate in Miami the plane turned off.  The lights went off, the engines shut down.  We learned at the end of this 10 minute delay that something was overheated from the first delay combined with time spent idling in the Miami heat.  This initiated an automatic shutdown.

Thankfully immigration was very fast. (The lady officer told me she liked my hair now better than my passport photo! This should not be a big surprise, my passport photo was taken after I battled through a rain and wind storm with no time for retakes in order to get my renewal back before my passport expired).  Baggage claim and customs were nearly as good.  But by the time we made it to the hotel I was exhausted.  The room could have been the size of a closet with a rock hard mattress and I would have slept just fine.  Sleep I did.

Early in the morning, before dawn I was awakened by a sound outside.  I couldn't place it at first, then I realized it was a rooster. Keeping chickens is becoming popular in the United States again and it always has been in Lima.  Two things struck me about my early, early, wake-up call: 1) roosters really do go "cock-a-doodle-doo!!!" and 2) they do not just crow once at dawn like in the corn flake commercials.  That rooster went on for a good hour, sometimes waiting as long as a couple minutes, giving me just enough time to start to fall back to sleep.

I think it is great that these animals give families access to fresh eggs and poultry, it's just that I have now added another must to my house hunting list for Lima: a no chicken neighborhood!

The next trip . . . not to Lima this time.

For the past few months I have been watching the airfares to Lima, watching them climb higher and higher.  There had been hopes for a June visit, but with fares nearing $1300 it was not to be.  Two weeks ago we happened upon a much better fare in early July and I snapped it up.

It turned out that the dates of the flights corresponded with the new vacation dates for my special someone.  It was suggested that this time we get out of Lima and see more of what Peru has to offer.  The first thought was Cusco, high in the Andes and the gateway to Machu Pichu.  But the airfares were once again a brick wall we could not climb and the 22 hour bus trip in the mountains was something I am not prepared to do. 

Next thought was Paracas, which is approximately 235 km south of Lima and part of the South Coast of Peru.  The National Reserve is often given the appellation the Galapagos of Peru.  It is in this region that you can also visit the Nasca Lines, the town of Pisco and I have been told lovely beaches.  Though I won't be visiting any of these in July.

It was finally decided that the destination of choice for our holiday will be . . . Arequipa! 

Dubbed the White City, a reference to the volcanic sillar rock used to build most colonial buildings, Arequipa is located 766 km southeast of Lima.  The second largest city in Peru is 2380 meters above sea level and surrounded by three magnificent volcanoes.  I look forward to exploring the city and taking a hike or possibly a horse back ride in the hills.  I have read that the Canon del Colca (100 miles from the city and a top tourist attraction) is the second deepest in the world, twice as deep as our own Grand Canyon. 

There is still much planning to do, and of course I have to decide what to pack.  (I was advised yesterday that I can't take as much as I usually do. This is going to be challenge.)

Please check back here in July for pictures and reviews of Arequipa, museums, restaurants and the activities in the surrounding area.

Miraflores and Mirabus

The City of Kings is comprised of 43 districts, each a unique municipality of its own with a mayor and city hall.   The Metropolitan Lima Municipal Council and mayor of Lima have overarching authority.  One of my favorite districts is Miraflores, literally ‘look at the flowers’.  A high end shopping and residential district, it is situated along the Pacific coast and surrounded by the other districts of San Isidro, Surquillo, Santiago de Surco and Barranco.  I will write about a few of these in later postings. 

Flowers can be seen everywhere, in apartment window boxes, on rooftop gardens and planted in its 70+ public parks.  Most parks in Lima offer free wi-fi!  The first parks I visited and have come back to many times (just three blocks from my hotel) are Parque Kennedy and the ajoining Parque Central/7 de Junio.  They are directly across from the Palacio Municipal and the beautiful Virgen Milagrosa Church. There is a small amphitheater, a play park and any number of stray cats.  You can also find the Mirabus here.  It is a red double-decker bus with an open air top.  Several times a day a one hour tour, with English and Spanish narration by a tour guide, leaves from this location and showcases the top attractions of the district.  It is a great deal at only 10 soles per person. 

Below are several pictures from the tour I took one afternoon.  Actually, they are from the second tour I took because the first day it was very sunny and I couldn’t travel on the open air top deck for fear of sunburn.  Unfortunately the bus is wrapped in a huge Mirabus ad, including over the windows, so all my photos from that first tour came out blurry.  The second time around it was overcast and I was freezing in the damp breeze, but my photos were ever so such better.  

Parque Kennedy (see my favourite little restaurant Cafe de la Paz in the red building).



Huaca Pucllana - Lima Culture Clay Pyramid and Ritual Site, circa 200-700 AD. 

The Peruvian Kiss in the Parque del Amor

Taxi stand (safe cabs to take) in front of Larcomar

Site of the Battle of Miraflores 1881 -
According to the tour guide everyone, including old men, women and children defended Miraflores on the battle field.