Santa Catalina

We started getting all touristy for our last few days. Among the magical things to do in Arequipa is a tour of the Santa Catalina convent. When established in 1579, it was built from the finical support of rich Spanish families who would give their second daughters to the church to win favour in heaven. In the case of this convent, the girls were required to provide a substantial dowry of cash and furnishings to be accepted. On completion of their noviciate, they would move into a house shared with one other affluent nun. The house would be home to one or more poor nuns as well. These nuns, accepted without dowry, acted as servants. The convent also kept slaves who could be sold if times were tough. The convent was literally a cloistered city within Arequipa, with streets, embroidery workshops, and a bakery. Life changed dramatically in 1871 when the pope ordered the nuns to relinquish their wealth, release the slaves and live as equals in dormitories. About 20 nuns still live in an area of the convent inaccessible to the public. The rest of the approximately 20,000-square-meters (about the size of two large supermarkets) is now a museum.

Introduction

Sunny Rancagua

Season’s greetings

New Years Eve, 2012

En route to Talca

New home

The ocean

Our first empanadas

Ellas & Ellos

Lolol

Lucretia et al.

Lolol, 6:00 pm

Houses, post earthquake

Señor Cyclist

Functional and directional chaos

Chez casa rodante

Lapostolle winery

Off-roading with the casa rodante

Favourite spot

Viu Manent

Nancagua

Summer church

Little wool shop

Juan y Medio

Beach talk

A fence and the ocean

We love things that start with S

Airing our laundry in public

The quake

What a night

Ovalle arts festival

The next stage

Commune with nature

A writer’s haven

Shopping trip

Update

Thrashing grain, 2013

Invited for asado (barbecue)

Tranquilo

Visiting the alpacas

Un-ending adventure

One-day wonder

We will leave this valley Wednesday

Ray-Bans

Brown toes

View from my desk

He’s done!

Adobe

Questionable sanity, unquestionable heroics

Fish market

Good Friday, pt. l

Good Friday, pt. ll

Good Friday, pt. lll

Pisco

Aguas Calientes

Hikes around the Aguas

Arequipa

Exploring Arequipa

Santa Catalina

Parade

Final post