Where's Grayleen?

We spent the last few days in Arequipa, Peru’s second-largest city. It was a great stopping over point on the way to 3,326 meter (10,912 feet) high Cusco; with its elevation of 2,380 meters (7,800 feet), we could get started on acclimatization. It is extremely dry, and has three volcanoes towering over the relatively flat city. It is famous for its colonial architecture and the aforementioned volcanoes.

Mt Misti overlooking Arequipa

Since I was just getting over a bad cold, we laid low the first day or so. The second day, we made a trip to see Juanita, the Inca Ice Maiden. Juanita was 12 to 14 years old when she was sacrificed to the Volcano Ampato about 500 years ago. Apparently sacrifices of beautiful male and female virgins prevent volcanoes from erupting; the exact mechanism of this phenomenon is as yet undiscovered by scientists. She was very well preserved when she was found in 1995 due to how freakin’ cold it was on the top of the mountain, and was only found because ash from a neighboring volcano caused a lot of snow melt. Lest you worry that she was left to freeze to death, she was in fact killed by a sharp blow to her left brow. She was also buried with a bunch of artifacts, including bowls, llama figurines, and the coolest item: a Juanita action-figure doll that was dressed just like her. While I wouldn’t want to be sacrificed, it’d be pretty cool to have an action figure… just sayin’.

Now, this isn’t just any virgin Inca girl; apparently, even in her current state, she’s a babe. Now, I have to say that I can’t see it, but I’m not of the right sexual orientation to be a judge and many men have raved about her beauty: the museum had articles from male journalists who raved about her beauty and spoke of her “visiting in dreams”. Here’s what President Bill Clinton, perhaps America’s most famously heterosexual man, had to say: “If I were a single man, I might ask that mummy out. That’s a good looking mummy!”

Here's an official photo of Juanita so you can judge for yourself

Later that day, we visited the Santa Catalina Monastery, a large and colorful complex of rooms, picturesque plazas, and a maze of cobblestone streets. It was an absolutely delightful place that you could just get lost in. Built in 1580 and enlarged in the 17^th century, it only accepted very wealthy Spanish women, each of which brought with them a dowry, several servants, and beautiful objects like rugs, paintings, and china. These ladies, who had theoretically dedicated themselves to lives of privation and devotion, held big parties, invited musicians to play for them, and had a large group of servants to ensure they could continue to live in the style to which they were accustomed. More sorority than convent, if you ask me. In 1871, the pope sent a strict Dominican nun to put the kibosh on what he said was “an exclusive social club, not a convent”. She got rid of the servants and slaves as well as much of the money and finery, which actually led to much of the place being opened to the public for an admission fee, so the nuns could make a living.

One of the many beautiful inner courtyards of the monastery

After another day of wandering around the town and taking in hazy views of Mount Misti, we had an adventurous bus ride to Cusco¹ (more on that in another blog post). We’re now in the absolutely beautiful city of Cusco. Here’s a photo of the city from our hostel balcony at night.

Center of Cusco at night

More photos from Arequipa here.