Monastery with a twist

I got my act together to research the schedules for our trip to Colca Canyon. The schedule for the times we required were very limited and would definitely require us taking a bus to the station to secure seats ASAP. We would need to book the 4 legs (to Chivay then to Cruz de Condor and back) on three different bus companies. It all seemed too difficult.

When we enquired on a tour, the price varied but the cheapest was 70 soles for an overnight. That’s only a tiny bit more than buying the bus tickets and getting one’s accommodation. And it includes the services of a guide who can give all the extra insight into Peruvian life.

We eventually sorted ourselves a non-standard itinerary of 2 nights (rather than the ardous day trip or short 1 night). We upgraded the accommodation by a notch and all-up, it was about the same as buying bus tickets and paying for the pre-booked accommodation that we had just cancelled. It appears, Colca is best done on a tour then. Next up, I collected our laundry while Kim made a deposit into the bank account of our first hotel in Peru; they had kindly forwarded his spectacles left behind to Cusco.

Before we knew it, half a day was gone. I normally plan everything before my travels as it take up a lot of time doing it on the road. Bad internet on the road makes it even worse. If I had looked into the detailed bus schedules beforehand, we could have avoided the stress and inconvenience of the morning.

Kim had a relapse and was feeling unwell again. We rested for a couple of hours before crossing the street to visit Juanita the ice maiden sacrificed to a volcano in Incan times. She was sacrificed and mummified by the elements, and found in very good condition about 30 years ago.

Next we visited the monastery of Santa Catalina. It was quite pricey and the guide was optional but very worthwhile. Without the guide, it would have been quite meaningless looking and the bricks, mortar and various displays.

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We learnt from the guide that families paid for their daughters to be in a convent. The families owned the apartment the nun lived in. It wasn’t a communal affair and the nuns lived separate lives and ate separately; some had servants and slaves to look after them. Nuns from poorer backgrounds didn’t have the same priviliges like voting for the mother superior and they had to do social work. What an eye-opener!  It’s certainly a convent (or monastery) with a twist!

Eventually when a new government took charge around 1860, there were reforms which disallowed private ownership in religious premises. Also, non-religious people (eg. Slaves, servants, refugees) weren’t permitted on site too. This meant that the convent became more like a normal communal-style convent from thereon.

We ended our sightseeing with the Jesuit church, taking a look at the frescoes in the chapel at the back. There was no better place to eat again but at one of the verandah restaurants. I opted for an economical menu del dia while Kim had a simple sandwich plus a drink for nearly the same amount!