Day Five

Hola desde Peru!

Today, started with another early morning run, school and lunch like always. Everything was great until we all learned that everyone has a test tomorrow, and to make it even worse, we have to go to school an entire half hour early in order to take it. Yay. 

Right after school, we hopped on the bus and headed to the center of Lima. We visited a couple of nights on the Marabous tour, but during the day we were able to appreciate the venerable details of the architecture and the beauty of the city in its entirety. 

The first stop was El Congreso de la Republica (the Congress building). Overall, it was pretty similar to the capitol building in Boston. There were still the regal painting in gilded frames, the congress floor and the frantic interns running around in their business casual attire, only this time they are all Peruvian.

The next stop was the Afro-Peruana museum. Here, we learned about the lives of slaves in Peru and a great deal of Peruvian history in general (most of which I did not know or expect). For example, Peru had very detailed caste systems regarding heritage and what ethnicity the Peruvians were. Although the museum was relatively small, it not only contained a plethora of information, but it was also beautiful, with carved dark wood doors and elegant, wrought-iron frames. 

The final stop today was La Iglesia San Franciso. Of course, like everything in the city center, the church was beautiful with its extravagant details, breathtaking artwork and courtyard filled with various types of greenery. The library, though archaic, was one of my favorite parts. It reminded me of something out of Harry Potter with tattered books, which were all in Latin, covering the mahogany shelves, and the two spiral stair cases that connected the two floors. As if was not enough, we headed downstairs where we found the entrance to the catacombs. I was not a huge fan of the idea of going into a church basement, especially knowing that I was on my way to see dismembered skeletons, but once we crawled through the small doorway (I swear it was the door from Alice in Wonderland), I loved the eerie feeling. There was something exhilarating about wondering through the maze-like pathway with bones of those who died long ago surrounding you. Unlike a few of my classmates, I was careful not to "accidentally" touch the bones as I did not want to entice any ancient Peruvian spirits to haunt me. I guess we'll see what happens. 

Once again, we boarded the bus and walked home (after I bought a duffle bag to bring to Ica on Friday). Now, it is time to study for my test tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Nos vemos!