The Inca Maiden Rises.

What the ....?
I ask for a hen soup and I got an alien soup.
I was so hungry I ate the bastard anyway.
For all of those who wonder what alien taste like.
CHICKEN!!!

The fruit section at the mercado (market) in Arequipa.
Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru. At 2350 meters above sea level it's the perfect place to
tackle the Andes altitude before going on a 3 day  trekking down the Colca Canyon.

The girls sitting at the steps of the city's cathedral in Arequipa.
This city is been rocked by a major earthquake almost every century since the Spanish arrived in 1532.
Almost every colonial building in the town has been made from an off-white volcanic rock, as you can
see in the picture that's the reason the city is often called the White City.

The monastery of Santa Catalina.
Was build in 1579 in the city of Arequipa , since then women  from all backgrounds have entered the convent
to serve as cloistered nuns, never to return to their homes or families again.
The convent was only opened to the public in 1970.

Today there are about 40 nuns who continue to live the cloistered life in a far corner of the convent
while the rest is open to the public.

Gold plated china.
And they were supposed to live a simple life!!!
But for nearly 300 years  in this convent each nun had between one to four servants or slaves , they
also normally invite musicians and party until Pope Pius IX sent Sister Josefa Cadena  in 1871 to straighten
things up so the party stop and the slaves were freed .

Before the washing machine arrived this is how they used to wash their cloths.
To get water into the washing container all you have to do is stop the flow of water by placing
your hand or an object after the pipe as shown by our tour guide . Simple and clever laundry.

Apparently this is a washing machine.
But I can't see any power points around. Can someone find me the instructions?
I am tired of washing everybody's clothes by hand. No joke.

The kitchen.

Stone fountain, almost in the middle of this amazing 20,000 sq metre citadel.
You can easily get lost in here.

This photo is from the net . We were't allowed to take photos at the museum.
Her name is Juanita, she is a real Inca Maiden.
Unlike a mummy, her body was complete with organs and perfectly preserved by the icy temperatures
for more than 500 years near the summit of the snow covered volcano Ampato (6310m) to the northwest
of Arequipa.
According to the archeologist, anthropologist and forensic experts it's more than certain that she was
sacrificed to the gods at the summit . For the Incas, mountains were gods who could kill by volcanic
eruptions or avalanches and in order to ease the gods they would do the ultimate sacrifice in this case
of a noble 12 year old virgin.
For her and for her family been chosen a maiden was an honour thus she would become a goddess
in death.