Monasterio de Santa Catalina

                                                    

One of the more spectacular places we visited while in Arequipa, Peru was the Monasterio de Santa Catalina.  We went twice -- once during the day, and once at night when it was lit by candlelight -- and we've resisted tackling a blog entry because it was so big, so impressive, so overwhelming, and, as a result, we had so many photos.  Still not clear how best to present it, but here goes anyway...   

The monastery is only a few blocks off Arequipa's Plaza de Armas, its central plaza.  Dating from 1579 it encompasses an entire, extra large city block, covering 20,000 square meters.  It contains its own "streets," numerous courtyards, cells (private rooms) for, at its peak, about 150 nuns and 300 servants, and all the accessories needed to feed, bathe, entertain and spiritually serve the occupants.

While the monastery has been in continual use since it was established, it suffered during the mid-1900s, and, after two earthquakes devastated it in the 1960s, it was finally restored to its full splendor in 1970; electricity was added, and outsiders and tourists were welcomed.  A small section still functions as a cloistered monastery for about 20 nuns.

Malaga Street

Cordova Street

Zocodober Square.  The communal bath house with a moderately sized pool was in the doorway to the right.

More and more and more streets and plazas.

Silent Patio

Orange Tree Cloister

Great Cloister

 

Bright colors enlivened and demarcated.

Lots of vegetation throughout.

A quiet little corner of the convent, with flowered rooftops.

The monastery was founded by a rich widow, Maria de Guzman in 1579.  At the time it was traditional for a family's second child to enter a life of service in the Church.  The Monasterio de Santa Catalina accepted only women from the Spanish upper class, each family providing a dowry of 2,400 silver coins along with 25 valuable items such as paintings, lamps, statues, china, rugs, etc.  The wealthy novitiate built their own rooms in the monastery and brought elaborate furnishings and servants and/or slaves - their personal cells were quite comfortable, far from austere.  Most of the cells had in addition to a bedroom, their own privies, living rooms, and small kitchens.

examples of nun's personal cells

examples of nun's personal living rooms

imported musical instruments in one cell

Most nuns had small, private kitchens attached to their cells, where their servants would cook for them, and they'd bake special pastries and cookies to share and to sell.

baking oven in small, personal kitchen

The nuns lived luxurious and very social lives at the monastery until 1871 when a strict Dominican nun was sent by the Pope to reform foreign monasteries.  She freed their slaves, released their servants, and sent the rich dowries and extravagances to Rome.  This was happening in Catholic monasteries and convents all over the world in response to awareness of the indulgences and the excesses.  Needless to say, the local response was mixed.

There are still some nuns at the monastery today, considerably fewer than in its heyday, and wealth and Spanish heritage are no longer prerequisites.  Their living area is separated from the reconstructed tourist area, and inaccessible to tourists.

In addition to the squares, cloisters, and cells shown above, there are a number of other rooms, areas, and buildings for maintenance, feeding, washing, etc.:

Chapel Dome on the Great Cloister.

water troughs for washing

Ingenious washing system.  A soaking pool
in the back.

Gardens

Nuns' Chapel, different ends shown here and to the right

volcanic stone used as water filter

Refectory, dining area.  The head abbess would read from the elevated pulpit, center left, while the nuns ate.

Here and to the right, rooms in the Great Kitchen

 

View into Santa Catalina from one of its rooftop vantages.

More rooftop views from inside Santa Catalina; mountains - Misti in the left-hand picture, Chinchani in the right-hand.

And finally, some of the religious iconography.
 

example of cloister walkway murals

Last Supper hall mural (inset of the sinister Judas to the right)

El Senor de Los Milagros

Somehow we never got around to writing about the El Senor de Los Milagros events of Arequipa, which were rich and fascinating.  We're now in Portland, enjoying beervana immensely and doing a bit of Peruvian cleanup on photos and events -- this and a couple of others will have Peru well-enough covered, we think, to move on.

The month of October in Arequipa, as in most of Peru, is devoted to El Senor de Los Milagros, the Lord of the Miracles - a greatly beloved version of Jesus.  He became a favorite in part because this depiction of Jesus on the cross was one of the few things that survived a massive 18th century earthquake in Lima.  During the month of October there's lots of celebrating this Jesus. Colors are purple and white, ladies wear purple dresses with white ropes as belts, there are streamers around the churches and the streets, and there are frequent processions carrying this special statue of Jesus around the town.  There's lots of pomp and circumstance, quite a celebration.

We first saw a night procession through the old part of town, where we were staying.  It may have been his first outing, or could have been one of many.  Our photos are rather pathetic as always in catching the visuals, and the drumming and sounds of shuffling feet were pretty amazing, also uncaptured.  Nonetheless . . . here's the sacred statue (the actual one!) making its way up the street in front of our hostel.

The lace topped ladies in the lower right, and the men near the statue (and shown below) are all walking backwards up the street, facing El Senor.

These purple men carrying the statue are prominent businessmen, we later learned.

It's an honor to actually carry, but the businessmen line up to march, too., and to be ready to switch off.

There they go, bands, chanting, marching up the street to a special alter where they stopped for a bit, then took El Senor back home.

There may have been other processions in other parts of Arequipa, but on the final Sunday of the month El Senor de Los Milagros winds through the entire city.  We witnessed it passing through our little section of town.    

Street getting ready for the procession to come through.

The businessmen networking, in their purple robes (bright day, limited cameras make them look blue), awaiting their turn to carry the statue.

One of the street decorations (sawdust, sand, flower petals) awaiting the procession.  Those walking ahead of the statue would walk around it, and those carrying the statue would walk over and through it.  Another one below, sans flowers.

The procession, led by a man in his 40s who has Down syndrome; there were lots of  Downs and other challenged  people in the procession - miracles.  

Lots of backwards walkers again.

Glitter was big along the processional route - thrown on the statue as it passed.

We watched an exchange of carriers.  Well handled, well-timed, it was about 60 men out, another 60 in.

Special food carts followed the parade; these foods, we were told, were specific to the event.

Afterwards.  We stayed in one place, and the whole thing passed by us in about an hour.
The excitement and joy was palpable.

PNW and Vancouver

I started this last "international" entry before the arrival of the holidays, but obviously let it sit.  We've been having fun, playing hard, and getting to know Portland is taking time.  

 Hope the new year is good for you all!

We drove north from Seattle through Everett, WA to visit Alan, a librarian friend who's newly relocated here (lucky them, lucky him).  We stayed in Bellingham, WA -- beautiful little town -- for a couple of nights, then on to Vancouver. Our drive to Vancouver was on the day of the Newtown tragedy, stunned, and with the awareness of entering a country with far saner gun practices.  A few observations: 

Steve outside the Everett Public Library Main Branch.  Next door to the library is a new set of condos, called Library Place -- it is the condos that have proudly established this book sculpture.  

Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library -- Branch Manager Alan! --  standing in front of its cool brick mural.

     

In Bellingham, WA we stayed in a teeny airbnb apartment called the Hobbit Hideaway, and it included the first composting toilet I've ever lived with -- one deposited one's stuff (pre-selection of receptacles required, gotta let the composting toilet know what's coming), stirred it into the composting stuff (wood chips, sawdust, peat), paper in the trashcan (for which we'd been well trained in Ecuador and Peru).  Right off the kitchen here.  Interesting.

Our first draw from an ATM in Vancouver brought us unused  bills.  This is one of their 20s -- don't know if it's visible, but it's a plastic bill, with the shiny part on the right completely transparent (passing car showing through), two images of the queen -- lovely, complex currency.

Vancouver was celebrating holidays -- big caroling event, and this ice skating venue.

I really liked the supports available for novices.  Well used and popular, there were probably 20 on the little rink, and not just used by children.  

Saw this slightly angry Wall Street-similar on a walk.  No clear connection to surroundings.

Vancouver has a 1920s era 5-pin bowling establishment still in use. The bowler uses 3 balls (no finger holes, about 2 pounds each) for the 5  pins (valued as 5, 3 and 2 from the point of the triangle).  Not easy.  Notice the flatscreen tv is broadcasting curling -- for the whole 2 hours we were there.  And people were watching!

Probably my favorite thing about Vancouver is these little Aquabuses.  They are tiny boats that can carry  16 max, and travel a tiny part of the inner city waterway to downtown areas and the main market island nearby.  Adorable.  In another life I want to be an Aquabus captain.  They do summer hires.  Hmm.

We rented bikes in Vancouver and biked around Stanley Park, their version of Central Park.  There were biking and hiking paths,and the place was pretty wild.  Some views: 

The Vancouver (and PNW) squirrels are adorable, about 2/3 the size of ours, mostly black, so furry.

Finally, a Canada goose in the right place!

View from the bike path.  The yellow stuff is sulfur -- they're a big sulfur exporter.  

Steve was captivated by the large empty-vessel parking lot in the water.

The bike path lead followed the perimeter, and the water was huge, peaceful,, clean.  

I liked the explanation as to why to stay on the trails.  

Bald eagles in Vancouver's Stanley Park -- gun violence drove them north? 

Vancouver.  Nice.

We drove the highway north from Vancouver towards Whistler, along a magnificent highway by the water.  Wild and beautiful.  

Great, wild expanses of water and mountains along the road.

This tree was chosen by 9 bird families for nests, over both of its neighbors

The Squamish alphabet was interesting.  

 As we re-entered the US, we were greeted by the sculpture below -- magnificent, interesting -- as we were hurried through the entry gates.  Wish there's been time for an explanation or sculptor credit.  

This stunning sculpture greets folks at the US Canada border.  Wire, huge (60 feet by 40 feet?), of twisted wire - quite beautiful.

Detail of same.


We'll soon be posting a few delightful Peruvian things we missed including.  And, if you're interested, on Portland, which is feeling pretty much like a could-be home.