If its Thursday – it must be Trujillo.
This morning I had a quick tour of Arequipa – second largest city in Peru. Pop over 1 million.
Visited the “Monasterio de Santa Catalina” . This used to house over 100 nuns. But now only 12 – in a new modern section – away from the public viewing place. Funny that for years I always thought that Nuns were poor. Not so.
Story goes that the first daugther had to get married to have plenty of children. Second daughter was sent to become a Nun at aged 12. Her first 4 years – she was a novice and lived with the other novices. At age 16 she became a nun and the family would pay for her to have her our house (within the walled Monasterio). One of these houses was huge – oh and they had “slaves” to do all their meals and housekeeping. When the nun died – the family sold the house to another new nuns family. And when the girl became a nun she never got to go out to her family. She could talk to them thru a wooden trellis once a week. Her slave could go out to shop and contact her family.
Oh and what happened to the third daughter – it was her job to take care of the family. Only the first daughter got married. Bit sad for all the other daughters who were never allowed to marry.
After some more photos of the city and the mountains – it was off to the aeropuerto for my flight to Trujillo.
I got here at 5.00 – rush hour traffic. It was 7 years ago when i was here last – and they were rebuilding the road from the airport to the main plaza because of Apec 2008. Well that road now has potholes again.
My translator was waiting for me when i arrived at my apartment. His name is Roberto. We have the next three days planned.. can’t wait to meet the children. Roselinda on Friday, Diego on Saturday and if they can arrange it Betsy on Sunday.
Time for bed.
Chau