I've given equal opportunity to the nuns and the monks here. Yesterday I went to visit the Santa Catalina Convent which they say is the most impressive religious site in all of S. America. I'm not sure I would say that, but it was pretty incredible. The convent was erected 40 years after the Spanish conquest and all of the sisters were from wealthy families. Each family had to pay a pretty hefty dowry. At the height there were 200 nuns living there. The convent is like a city within their high walls. There are a labryinth of streets, a clinic, a graveyard and many beautiful gardens. They lived in separate, plush and private quarters with servants. Right now there are abut 25 nuns still there. When they opened it up to the public, enrollment really decreased.
Today I went to the Recoleta Monastery, which has just four monks that live there now. The monastery was founded in the 1600's and has been remarkably kept up and restored after each earthquake. I was the only tourist there, so I was able to very leisurely stroll around. The monks had a weird collection of Amazonian animals, textiles and a room full of dolls (I'm not sure what those were all about). It was all pretty peaceful until I accidentally got locked in the cathedral. I was knocking on the door for about 15 minutes until I called them. Thank goodness for: my cheap Peruvian cell, having enough minutes, having the phone number and for someone who answered the phone. I did not want to spend the night in there.
Tomorrow I think I'll go explore a suburb and treat myself to a fancy dinner. The day after I'm going to do a tour of the Colca Canyons to see the great condors.
That is so neat. I remember when we to Salvador, Bahia. There was a church with a room full of dolls too. They said it was to represent all the miracles that people had received from the Saints. Really glad you had your cell phone on you and was able to get someone to open the door.
ReplyDeleteAll is well here. We went to see Heather and fireworks on the fourth, had a great time. Hey, don't forget to contact Patricia if you decide to go to Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Have fun at the Canyons!