From TravelEssayist.com - The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena in Arequipa, Peru
What do you do when you feel like you are going to die from altitude sickness? You find just enough strength to go to the closest monastery... By the time I arrived in Arequipa, I was having a hard time breathing due to the high elevation, we were staying in town for a couple of days to acclimatize a bit more before heading to Machu Picchu. Yet, I was not sure I will make it through the day. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go (slowly) and visit The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena.
The place is beautiful! The Monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena is a large Dominican Second Order Monastery located in Arequipa, Peru, built beginning in 1579. It has a solid 4-meter-high wall surrounding it, and experienced destruction due to earthquakes in 1600 and 1604.
It is known for its architectural features such as flying buttresses and strong arches, and its art pieces such as Baroque altars and paintings from the Cusco School. It is also known for its cloisters, cells, and Bell Tower, which were modified and added to over time.
The monastery has suffered damage due to environmental pollution and seismic activity, so it was placed on the 2008 World Monuments Watch. A private group partnered with WMF to restore the mural paintings, walls, and roofs using traditional techniques, and the spaces were adapted for cultural programs. The monastery is still a functioning religious complex and tourist site, providing living quarters for the nuns and a destination for the community and tourists.
Nuns of white criollas and mestizas origin still inhabit the northern area, and a private company manages the monastery. It contains a large art gallery of 400 colonial art pieces, and is featured in the book 'The Book of Human Skin'.
After a couple of days in Arequipa I started to feel a bit better, but let's just say altitude sickness can be a serious issue and you need to give your body time to get used to higher elevations at its own pace. I managed it eventually but I would not do it again, it's the strangest feeling when you breathe normally yet you feel like you are suffocating. Maybe this visit to the monastery was so kind of Devine Intervention...
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