Day 6 (14-Dec-15) Arequipa

No rest for the wicked! Although today’s programme wasn’t jam packed originally, it turned out to be a rather eventful and busy day. Fortunately, we wouldn’t be meeting Christian, our guide in Arequipa, until 9 o’clock, which afforded us the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing breakfast before setting off on today’s sightseeing tour. Our first stop was a lookout point at the outskirts of the city, from which we had a panoramic view of the magnificent valleys and volcanos cradling the city to the south beneath Azul blue skies. The city is flanked by three massive volcanoes. Misti at 5825m has a classical cone structure, and is easily summited without need for special climbing equipment or skills. The volcano is currently dormant, with the last major eruption occurring before the Conquistadores arrived. However, from the summit, it is possible to look down into the crater and see superheated steam pouring from numerous vents, with the smell of hydrogen sulphide gas permeating the air. Misti is also now unequivocally recognised as the source of the mighty Amazon river, with water emerging from a fissure in the side of a steep cliff at 5170m. At 6075m Chachani is much bigger and slightly taller, and has acquired a reputation for being the simplest climb of any summit above 6000m anywhere in the world. This is because you drive to base camp at just over 5000m, sleep until midnight, then embark on an alpine ascent up the last 1075m to arrive at the summit just after dawn. Pichu Pichu at 5664m is farthest from Arequipe, but affords the most spectacular views of the Altiplano plateau from the summit. 

Normally, summer in Peru heralds the wet season, with the summits of the volcanoes usually blanketed in snow. This snow is the source of the drinking water for the city and also irrigates the many fields and terraces in the valley that yield 2-3 vegetable crops a year. This year however, because of the El Niño effect, there is no snow cover whatsoever, with the people of Arequipa already on water rations. With El Niño expected to last 2-3 years, there is much anguish among the farmers for their future livelihoods. The lack of rain has also been accompanied by a lack of wind, with a brown haze very evident over the city centre, made worse by extensive copper mining operations in the hill country to the east of the city.

 

After soaking in the sights and sounds of this tranquil spot we headed to another vantage point in town affording views of the city centre and its famous colonial cathedral. By now, even though it was still only 10:00hrs, the intense sunlight was brutal. While the air temperature was a pleasant 20C, the high altitude, low latitude and the presence of a large hole in the ozone layer over this part of the world meant UV levels were off the chart. We thus had to cover up as much as possible and slather on liquid lead over any remaining exposed skin. Despite these precautions, I still ended the day with chapped lips and a very red neck.
 

We then headed down town, where we visited Arequipa’s oldest church, Iglesia La Compania de Jesus. This Jesuit church is famous for its front façade, an intricately carved masterpiece of the churrigueresque style (think baroque and then some). The equally detailed altar, completely covered in gold leaf, takes the style further and is eerily familiar to anyone who has visited the cathedral in Seville. To the left of the altar is the San Ignacio Chapel which has a cupola smothered in jungle murals of flowers, fruits and birds, mingled with warriors and angels, dating back four centuries. The walls of the main church were at one time similarly covered, but the porous volcanic stone used to construct the church would allow moisture through during the wet season, causing the murals to fade and eventually fall off.
 
Following this visual feast we then made our way over the town centre, the Plaza de Armas, which is dominated on its northern end by La Catedral. The original structure, dating from 1656, was gutted by fire in 1844. Consequently rebuilt, it was then flattened shortly thereafter by the earthquake of 1868. Having been rebuilt a 3^rd time, the massive 8.1 earthquake of 2001 toppled one of the enormous spires and caused the other to topple precariously. Astonishingly, following feverish repair work, with many of the city inhabitants contributing their time and labour for free, the cathedral looked as good as new, in its current form, within just 10 months; such is the passion for the Catholic church in this part of the New World. Indeed, Arequipa is as much famous for its many religious street processions as it is for its colonial history and surrounding landscapes. The cathedral is the only one in Peru that stretches the length of a plaza. The interior is simple and airy, with a luminous quality, and the high vaults are uncluttered. It is one of less than 100 basilicas in the world entitled to display the Vatican flag (following the hugely popular visit by Pope John Paul II in 1985). Both the altar and the 12 columns (symbolizing the 12 Apostles) are made of Italian marble. The huge Byzantine-style brass lamp hanging in front of the altar is from Spain and the pulpit was carved in France. In 1870, Belgium provided the very impressive organ, the largest in South America.

 

Suitably impressed we then headed over to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. This convent, a 20,000 meter complex is almost a citadel within the city, occupies a whole block and, guarded by imposing high walls, is one of the most fascinating religious buildings in Peru. It was founded in 1580 by a rich widow, and comprises three main cloisters. The Novice Cloister housed new entrants, often the 2^nd daughters of nobility, committed at the age 12 to a vow of solemn silence and a life of work and prayer. These poor girls would stay in this Cloister for four years, spending 20hrs a day in their room, and praying for 7hrs a day. At the end of this four years they had the choice between taking their vows and entering into religious service or leaving the convent, though this latter choice would bring great shame upon their family. Graduated novices moved onto the Orange Cloister, named for the orange trees in the centre, symbolising renewal and eternal life. This part of the convent houses the cell of Sor Ana, a nun renowned for her eerily accurate predictions of the future and the miracles she is said to have performed until her death in 1868. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II as part of his 1985 visit. The Great Clositer was used for communal events and is now flanked on one side by an art gallery housing many great religious treasures.

 

Suffering from cultural overload we then headed for lunch to sample the famous Chupe de Camerones, which is not too dissimilar to Laksa, but not as spicy. Very delicious. We then strolled the streets, to buy provisions for the days ahead in the Alto Plano and Colca Canyon. We then detoured for an obligatory Starbucks coffee to recharge caffeine levels before heading off to visit Juanita – the famous ‘Ice Maiden’. This for me was the highlight of our stay in Arequipa, as I remember being amazed by her story in National Geographic many years ago. In 1992 a local mountaineer came across Inca religious artefacts on a guided expedition to the summit of Nevado Ampato (6310m). In 1995 he convinced America climber and archaeologist Johan Reinhard to return to the volcano, sponsored by National Geographic. At that time the nearby Sabancaya volcano had erupted, spewing ash that melted the snow covered peak of Ampato. Upon arrival at the summit they immediately found a statue and other offerings, but the burial site had collapsed and there was no sign of a body. Ingeniously, the team rolled rocks down the crater and, by following them, they spotted a bundled mummy of an Inca girl, which had been perfectly preserved by ice for close to 500 years. Her body and other artefacts are now on display in the Museo Santuarios Andinos. What is truly fascinating are the shoes, made of grass and Alpaca wool only, worn by the young girl and the priests as they climbed the mountain. Today we would not think of undertaking such a climb without strong plastic boots with felt linings and crampons. By contrast, the Incas were scaling peaks 2km higher than Mont Blanc, 300 years before the first successful ascent of Mont Blanc.

 

Suitably impressed, we decided to watch the sunset from a roof top restaurant, with the hike up the stairs leaving us breathless. In the fading sunlight the volcanoes revealed their subtle hues and intricate lines, with the bottle of wine adding to the serenity. Simon then headed off to fix his feet, subjecting some poor local girl to the sight and smell of pigmy trotters with red varnished nails. Astrid and I opted for a snooze instead, ahead of another sumptuous feast at ZigZag. An enjoyable day had by all!