Silencio!!
It was somewhat ironic that our hotel opposite the convent of Arequipa insisted on continuing its “building” development from the crack of dawn, bearing in mind that the sanctity of the convent opposite required silence both from the nuns that inhabit it and their guests that visit!
A trip to Arequipa is not complete without a wander through the enclosed village which is the convent built over four hundred years ago. It is the most important religious centre in Peru and an honour to spend a couple of hours admiring the frugal lifestyle that has existed here virtually unchanged for so many centuries.
With the nuns now living in just a fraction of the original walled enclave, visitors are permitted to wander through what was once their whole world, and from the moment you step off the street and into this time warp you immediately feel a sense of peace and tranquility descend on you.
It really is a maze inside, with tiny streets leading to many separate doorways and courtyards through which to explore. We wandered around, oblivious to the bustle of the city just a few metres away, exploring tiny chambers where the nuns would once have slept, worshipped, contemplated and cooked in peaceful solitude. Bright blues, oranges and yellows adorned the walls, highlighting the sillar stonework from which this sanctury is constructed, while inside the rooms small rooflights cast rays of sunshine across spartan walls and the odd alcove still containing religious icons hundreds of years old.
Our time over, we stepped back into the 21st century and planned our next part of our South American adventure.
Tags: Peruvian tales
mihai