Santa Rosa (Calen)
Name:Calen Robertson
Highlights:
1.Concepcion- Taylor, Kathy and I took a bus from Huancayo to Concepcion, a small town close by. Concepcion seemed to lack most of the hallmarks of western civilization present in Huancayo and Lima, but it was not completely absent. There were still ads for American products including the ever present Coca-cola.
2.Walk to the Monastery- From there, we decided to walk to the monastery instead of bus. This was a nice alternative cause it gave us the oppurtunity to ask the locals, who were eager to help, for directions.
3.Sun and Blue Sky- I can not emphasize this highlight enough. After living in the heavy smog of Lima, every moment under the sun and blue sky of Huancayo and Concepcion was cherished.
4.Exterior- The exterior of the monastery consisted of a large metal dome that reflected the sun light and brightly colored mosaics that lined the walls.
5.Interior- This was contrasted by the dimly lit interior that contained many 3-dimensional scenes inset into the walls. They were lovely to look at, but exceedingly difficult to take pictures of given the lighting.
6.Catacombs- Kathy asked a monk who was lighting candles if we could see the catacombs before we left. He nodded and lead us to a stair well that lead into a dank, poorly lit room. There we saw the tombs of many who had served the monastery. Some were from the early 1900s including one who had served as a jungle missionary.
7.Padre Pio Sarobe- In the front of the monastery there was a tomb for Padre Pio Sarobe. The walls were covered in the graffiti of his well wishers and those offering prayers in his honor.
8.Ice Cream- Outside the monastery we bought ice cream from a vendor and tried Lucama for the first time.
9.Monks- There were several monks walking around the grounds in their traditional garb, but one was carrying textbooks and another was wearing a base ball cap.
10.The bus ride back- rather than walk back, we took a bus from the monastery all the way back to Huancayo. There were too many people on the bus so I had to stand. I was too tall for the bus, so I had to crane my neck and shift from one awkward position to the next. It was an interesting experience because it is the only social setting I have been in where I felt my height was a handi-cap (I am roughly 5.8).
Additional Comments: The trip to the Santa Rosa monastery has been one of my highlights of the trip because it was an activity that the three of us choose together and made happen. That combined with the fresh air, blue sky, sun and the fact that we were surrounded by mountains made it truly a memorable experience!
Highlights:
1.Concepcion- Taylor, Kathy and I took a bus from Huancayo to Concepcion, a small town close by. Concepcion seemed to lack most of the hallmarks of western civilization present in Huancayo and Lima, but it was not completely absent. There were still ads for American products including the ever present Coca-cola.
2.Walk to the Monastery- From there, we decided to walk to the monastery instead of bus. This was a nice alternative cause it gave us the oppurtunity to ask the locals, who were eager to help, for directions.
3.Sun and Blue Sky- I can not emphasize this highlight enough. After living in the heavy smog of Lima, every moment under the sun and blue sky of Huancayo and Concepcion was cherished.
4.Exterior- The exterior of the monastery consisted of a large metal dome that reflected the sun light and brightly colored mosaics that lined the walls.
5.Interior- This was contrasted by the dimly lit interior that contained many 3-dimensional scenes inset into the walls. They were lovely to look at, but exceedingly difficult to take pictures of given the lighting.
6.Catacombs- Kathy asked a monk who was lighting candles if we could see the catacombs before we left. He nodded and lead us to a stair well that lead into a dank, poorly lit room. There we saw the tombs of many who had served the monastery. Some were from the early 1900s including one who had served as a jungle missionary.
7.Padre Pio Sarobe- In the front of the monastery there was a tomb for Padre Pio Sarobe. The walls were covered in the graffiti of his well wishers and those offering prayers in his honor.
8.Ice Cream- Outside the monastery we bought ice cream from a vendor and tried Lucama for the first time.
9.Monks- There were several monks walking around the grounds in their traditional garb, but one was carrying textbooks and another was wearing a base ball cap.
10.The bus ride back- rather than walk back, we took a bus from the monastery all the way back to Huancayo. There were too many people on the bus so I had to stand. I was too tall for the bus, so I had to crane my neck and shift from one awkward position to the next. It was an interesting experience because it is the only social setting I have been in where I felt my height was a handi-cap (I am roughly 5.8).
Additional Comments: The trip to the Santa Rosa monastery has been one of my highlights of the trip because it was an activity that the three of us choose together and made happen. That combined with the fresh air, blue sky, sun and the fact that we were surrounded by mountains made it truly a memorable experience!
posted by Carol | 5:45 PM
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