Our Final Beach and then Arequipa

Edible
Puerta Inca
Impressive
Challenge

Puerta Inca was our final 'official' beach stop of the trip; thankfully since I am doing the Uruguay add on I will be seeing more beaches, even if it will be out of season. We camped beside the Incan ruins of what used to be the main port of Cusco. The scenery was amazing, rock formations that took your breath away (especially in the falling light of sunset). Foolishly I took on the ocean, seeing as it was the last time we'll be beaching, and the ocean nearly won. Paralysing cold was how the water temperature was described, still yet I persevered. My first obstacle was the huge break in the waves that threatened, and succeeded, in tipping me on my arse. Once I managed to get past the break I had to keep moving as the water was bloody freezing, the cold literally took your breath away. Managed to swim about for a bit but then decided staying in any longer was lunacy (and I was already borderline). Getting out was my next challenge as again I had to get past the horrible break. Sadly there was no graceful way to do it, got my timings all wrong and was dutifully dumped on my arse again on exiting the water. Thankfully I had the wherewith all to leave my sunnies on the beach otherwise they would be long lost to the ocean and I would have been traumatised. Sand got absolutely everywhere but regardless of my rough treatment by the ocean, I just had to get one final swim in before leaving the beach. Others had similar longings and it was decided, after a few cans, that an epic sandcastle should be constructed. Unfortunately in the cold light of the next morning their attempts seemed rather pitiful.

Saying goodbye to the coast, next up was Peru's second largest city, the colonial town of Arequipa in the mountains, with a pretty snow capped volcano, El Misti, in the distance.

One of the main highlights of Arequipa is visiting Santa Catalina Monastery, a huge building where 450 nuns used to live in total isolation from the outside world. Tradition indicated that the second daughter of a family would enter a life of service in the Church (Mar you would have been scuppered!) and the monastery accepted only women from upper class Spanish families. Each family paid a dowry at their daughter's admission to the monastery. Each nun had many servants and their families built a home for their daughter within the monastery. In 1871 a strict Dominican nun, was sent by Pope Pius IX to reform the monastery. She sent the rich dowries back to Europe, and freed all the servants and slaves, giving them the choice of either remaining as nuns or leaving. From then on all the nuns had to fend for themselves. That's all the history jargon over with.

The site itself was absolutely stunning. The area is known as 'a city within a city' as the site is a complete miniature walled colonial town in the middle of the city. There are flower filled gardens, spacious patios, granite fountains as well as arches and narrow cobbled streets. Walls are painted in vibrant blues and terracotta. The arched courtyards are painted with murals with religious scenes depicted on them. The houses were quite large, usually containing sleeping quarters for the nun, and for her servants, as well as a kitchen. Worryingly we learned that girls would arrive at the monastery from as young as twelve years old, and then as a novice, were subjected to four years of isolation, living only in a little cell, spending most of their time reflecting, and only mixing with other nuns during mass.

All of us that did the tour thoroughly enjoyed our time ambling about the monastery. Afterwards we checked out the beautiful Plaza de Armas. On the north side of the Plaza is the impressive, twin-towered Cathedral. The Plaza is surrounded on its other three sides by colonial arcaded buildings with many cafes and restaurants.

While in Arequipa we headed to a typical Peruvian restaurant and I tried some Alpaca meat. It was very tasty, kinda similar to beef or lamb, but you knew it was an unknown, different, meat you were eating. It was succulently tender and had a weird liver-like taste. Not sure if I'll try it again, but it was edible and an experience, and that's the main thing.