More Arequipa

Arequipa was a kind of colonial religious center, and you can see wonderful architectural detail blending Incan & Christian themes.

Here's a stone carving on a church, showing Christ dressed as the supreme Inca.

Another detail from the same church. This religious figure is wearing a crown of feathers, which was the sign of supreme authority in the Inca culture.

Finally, here's a depiction of the Last Supper with Maize & Cuy (Guinea Pig) as the main course. Sorry it's such a poor photo due to not using the flash. Anyway, I just had to include it here!

On the theme of Cuy - yes, I did give it a try! It was fine, but very bony: more like eating the idea of meat than meat itself. Guinea pig has been a dietary staple in Peru for hundreds of years, as this story illustrates: while in Arequipa, I visited a colonial-era Convent that housed the daughters of the aristocracy. It was quite posh: each woman had her own private casita and multiple servants attending her. The casitas are 2 stories tall. Downstairs are the living quarters and kitchen, and upstairs is the terrace where they raised their own guinea pigs. Somehow the contrast between the luxurious religious retreat & cute little guinea pigs running around on the roof was really charming.

Here is a picture of that convent at nightfall, with the volcano Misti in the background.