The Monastery of Santa Catalina

The monastery of Santa Helena in Arequipa is still a place of peace, contemplation and seclusion from the outside world. Walled off in the center of the city it offers a very welcome break from the constant noise, chaos and pollution that can become overwhelming at times. As soon as you step through the gates you are in a different world of quiet, coloured courtyards and shaded galleries. Manicured trees look resplendent against the bright blue sky and vibrantly painted walls, and plants grow in abundance in beautifully well kept gardens. The monastery, still in use in part but now with whole areas abandoned and opened to tourists, is a little village all of its own with twisting streets and tiny alleyways. Steps lead upwards onto the rooftops and down into kitchens and through archways and round endless corners. There are plenty of places to hide oneself away for hours on end. Ellen and I spend the majority of the day here enjoying the quiet, wandering from sun to shade and eating the resident nun's homemade shortbread. It is one of the most peaceful and most enjoyable buildings I have ever visited.