Arequipa | Cusco

We had begun to feel a bit disheartened after the disastrous mountain bike excursion, but the last few days have been really lovely. I suppose traveling is always that way-- you have to be a bit resilient and just expect that some things will go wrong. Nonetheless, our last day in Arequipa was a good one. We spent the morning exploring the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, founded in 1580 by a wealthy widow who donated her riches and became a nun. She selected nuns from the best Spanish families who paid substantial dowries. For the next 3 centuries, the nuns kept servants, slaves, and their lavish Spanish lifestyle intact with fiestas, live music, etc. Finally in 1871, Pope Pius IX sent Sister Cadena to straighten things out. It's unbelievable and hilarious that they got away with it for so long. There are still 30 nuns living a cloistered life in a small, modern corner of the complex. We really enjoyed getting lost in the maze of archways, the orange groves, and connected cloisters. I am fascinated by the idea of living a life of silence and solitude--what an immense sacrifice that must be. It's hard for me to imagine because I don't exactly share their specific convictions, but making more time for silence and solitude amidst the madness of my normal life is something I hope to do this coming year.

That evening in Arequipa, on some small street with little shops we ran into an old acquaintance of mine...what a small small world! We later met him and some of his Peruvian friends out for drinks at a local bar. So fun!

And on to Cusco! We love Cusco! It reminds us a lot of Northern Vietnam, actually. Both cultures and landscapes have some remarkable similarities. One of the obvious similarities is the importance of textiles and the tradition of spinning thread, dyeing and weaving it into gorgeous patterns and cloths. I was in heaven at the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco Museo. They had local women weaving as part of the exhibition. My mother knows how to weave and I have wanted to learn for a long time. I hope we can do it together someday soon. I found this part of the exhibition to be very moving (from a placard): "The grandparents, and their memories, endure like the stones. The elders weave with their entire heart, spirit, and strength and the memory of many generations is woven into their cloth. This is why we must revere the cloth as much as we honor our elders."

The altitude has given us a little bit of trouble, but we are drinking plenty of coca tea and doing our best to rest up for the big trek. I have a terrible cold, which makes me furious, but hopefully we will both be ship shape by tomorrow when our guide picks us up at 4am for the Inca Trail!!!
Ciao for now!
xoxo
jesikah

Photos:
1-3: Monasterio
4: Arequipa at night
5-6: weavers at the centro de textiles, and image from the collection: little girl singing with her grandfather
7. Jon in front of the Sun Temple, Cusco
8. Me in rainy San Blas neighborhood
9-10. Plaza de Armas, Cusco