Arequipa
Hotels. Morosini Parodi, Grand Hotel Central, Royal Hotel, Hotel Europe.
ON THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY OF PERU
RELIGIOUS PROCESSION, EL MISTI AT THE RIGHT
At the bustling railway station, at the car windows, if not within, boys and men will appear who wish to seize your baggage and carry it to the trams. Hotel runners perhaps have previously entered the car. Behind the station a long row of tram cars drawn by little mules was formerly found, already probably superseded by the promised electrics. Before taking a car decision should be made as to what hotel will be patronized. The Morosini Parodi is by many called the best, but I was never so fortunate as to find there a vacant room. Their table is particularly commended; the main building containing the restaurant Venezia is on the west side of the Plaza de Armas, and there are several annexes. The Grand Hotel Central and the Royal Hotel, the first on the left, the second on the right of the calle Mercaderes a block or two from the Cathedral and Plaza are both fairly comfortable with perhaps a slight preference for the former, where electric lights and bells are in service and hot and cold baths announced, which does not mean private baths en suite. None of those will be found, so far as I am aware, after leaving the Maury until you arrive at Buenos Aires. From some of the upper rooms of the Central a fine view of Misti may be enjoyed. The prices at all three hotels range from four to six soles per day, according to room and bargaining ability. This includes everything but bath, which is with difficulty had at all. Hotel Europe, 67 Mercaderes, serves coffee and supper only. A block or two from the station is a clean and respectable hotel of lower price, convenient for one leaving by the early morning train; but for the few days desirable here, one of the hotels in the center of the city about a mile from the station is to be preferred.
Arequipa, at an altitude of 7549 feet (we are still within the tropics), has by day a climate of perennial June, by night one of October or November. The evening air in winter is chilly enough to make many men, even natives, wear a light overcoat and some ladies, furs; at the same time others appear on the street in thin summer clothing. The city, the second in Peru in size and in commercial importance, has a population of about 40,000. It was founded in 1540 by the Spaniards, though there was a pre-existing Indian settlement, a natural location on account of an ample water supply from the river Chili. A garden has been made here in the midst of the desert, in a spot sheltered from winds by the mountains, enjoying a delightful climate, and a very beautiful prospect.
Sight-seeing begins with the principal plaza which has the Cathedral on one side, and on the other three the finest stone portales in South America. Behind these are many of the principal shops, dry goods, confectioners’, etc. The Cathedral is a fine structure, with an interior more imposing than the outside view. Begun in 1612, it was constructed with great elaboration and contained many costly treasures. These with the interior were largely destroyed by fire in 1844. The rebuilding which consumed twenty years was hardly over when the great earthquake of 1868 occurred. Fortunately the work was too substantial to be overthrown. Splendid columns support the great arches of the three naves, producing an effect unusually noble and impressive. From the lower side of the Plaza, in the wonderfully clear atmosphere, the beautiful cone-shaped Misti presents an admirable picture with Chachani a trifle higher on the left and Pichu-Pichu a little lower on the right, in the moonlight a scene of rare loveliness.
Other noteworthy churches are those of Santo Domingo, and the Jesuits’, the latter, La Compañia, near a lower corner of the Plaza, having a noticeable carved stone façade and, an uncommon feature, an altar in the open air. The people are noted for their culture and for their devotion to the church, the city having the reputation of being the most bigoted in South America, a reputation shared by several others. There is no objection to one’s practicing his own religion in an inconspicuous manner, but there has been serious opposition to proselyting. Nevertheless, the Evangelical Mission of England is now carrying on a work, especially among the Indians, in which personal hygiene and sanitary modes of life are taught in connection with moral and religious instruction, with less friction on the part of the higher classes than formerly.
The fine new Public Market occupying a whole square, about two and a half acres, deserves a visit. The building which cost $280,000 is of a pink and white volcanic stone locally called sillar, with a roof of corrugated iron arranged to give good ventilation. At the four corners are four buildings, one a hotel and restaurant, the other three for storage of surplus stocks of fish, meat, and vegetables.
Some tourists may like to visit the splendid new hospital of Arequipa, called the finest of its kind in South America, named after the Goyeneche family, Arequipanians now resident in Paris, who have devoted the sum of $625,000 to the buildings and their equipment. The grounds embrace about eight acres of gently sloping land, with the main entrance at the head of a broad avenue. In front of the gate is a beautiful Gothic chapel, with Gothic administration buildings at each side of the entrance. Beyond the chapel are the wards, the men’s on the left including a military section; the women’s on the right, together with the residence for the nurses, who are Sisters of Charity. There are especial apartments for paying patients, with and without baths. Also there is a hydro-therapic building equipped for every sort of bath, available for use by outsiders: operating rooms, kitchen, laundry, morgue, disinfecting stoves, electric lights, and ample water supply. All the buildings are of stone, well ventilated, and a fine clock adorns a tower. The hospital was inaugurated January 20, 1912.
The Garden of Señor Leopoldo Lucioni is a picturesque spot to be visited by every stranger. Vine-covered walls, arbors of grapes, heavily laden fruit trees, an avenue of fine cedars, flower-bordered walks, roses, and carnations adorn the place; almost every variety of fruit and vegetable seems to grow in this delightful climate, and plants, seeds, and cuttings are yearly sent by the owner to European, and to other South American cities. Planted by the owner 26 years ago, it is now one of the attractions and benefactions of Arequipa.
Near the city, about two miles from the center, is a spot which is a strong reminder of home, the name Harvard being familiar to every American. This is the Observatory, one of the most important and best equipped in South America, established here in 1891 after considerable study of various locations along the West Coast in search of a site both fairly accessible and favored with clear skies. In addition to various other instruments there is a 24-inch Bruce photographic doublet, the largest and most powerful of the kind in the world, and a 13-inch Boyden telescope, which may be used for either visual or photographic work. More than 100,000 photographs of the Southern Heavens here made are now in the Harvard Observatory at Cambridge, many new stars have been discovered and magnitudes determined. Meteorological observations are taken twice daily, and were made for some years in other places, the most notable, on the summit of El Misti, 19,200 feet, the greatest altitude where a long series of observations has ever been recorded. The dwelling of the Director is a very homelike structure, from the veranda of which there is a beautiful view of Misti close at hand, of Chachani a little more distant, and over the city of Arequipa and the great desert beyond. Visitors are welcome in the afternoon, but the evenings are devoted to work.
Six miles beyond the Observatory, following the Chili river, is the Power Station of the Electric Society of Lima, a pleasant ride; but in the plant, only the specialist would have great interest.
Ascent of Misti, 19,200 feet. A unique possibility which may appeal to a few, to those who say that they like to climb mountains as far as they can ride, is presented by the beautiful Misti. For, years ago, when observations were to be made on the summit, a road was constructed, i. e., a narrow bridle path, to the very top of the mountain, and a stone hut was erected at about the altitude of the summit of Mont Blanc, where the observers might pass the night on the way. While it may not look very distant, the top of the mountain is 11 miles in a straight line from the Harvard Observatory, and 39 miles around by the road, which from there makes the complete circuit of the mountain before reaching the top. One desirous of making the trip should consult the Director of the Observatory, which may be done by telephone, to know if Francisco is available as guide and if he can provide mules. Having made the ascent more than 100 times Francisco may be relied upon. He may charge S.8 for each animal and as much more for himself, or he may have doubled his prices within the last ten years. He may indeed be dead, in which case probably there is another who may serve. Setting out by eight o’clock, with plenty of wraps and provisions, one will not be likely to arrive at the M. B. hut much before dark. The way goes to the right of the mountain up to the Plateau of the Bones, 13,300 feet, between Misti and Pichu-Pichu, where passed the ancient highway to Cuzco and Bolivia; then it turns directly towards the summit, to the M. B. hut at an altitude of 15,700 feet. One sleeps on the floor if at all. Some persons are here so affected with headache, fever, and nausea, the usual symptoms of soroche, mountain sickness, that they are unable to proceed. But if not too badly off, one with good grit is likely to feel better by day, and in the fresh morning air may pursue the journey. Some persons suffer no inconvenience whatever. One should set out for the summit by daylight, as the ascent requires four hours or more and it is a long way down to the city. From the summit there is a splendid prospect of mountains near and remote, of the beautiful city and green valley just below, and of the desert stretching away to the ocean, which, alas! however clear the surrounding atmosphere, is likely to be hidden from view by the almost perpetual cloud of mist which overhangs the shore. Still more striking is the view of the great crater at one’s feet, a gulf half a mile in diameter and 800 feet deep, enclosed by almost vertical walls. In 1903 a lower cross wall separated the old from the new crater and it was possible at one point to the right to descend to the bottom of the former, climb up the cross wall and look down into the new crater, which was smoking slightly; then to continue along this wall to the edge of the crater above the M. B. hut, and to slip and slide down thither. Some changes have occurred in the crater since then and doubtless most persons will be satisfied with reaching the summit. Nowhere else in the world can so great an altitude be so easily attained: Misti is 5000 feet higher than Pike’s Peak and surpasses every mountain in North America save Mt. McKinley, possibly Mt. Logan. If the season has been unusually stormy and the mountain has a considerable covering of snow, the ascent on muleback might be impracticable. In 1903 there was but a small patch of snow on one side and not the slightest difficulty. The reason for the lack of snow at this altitude, when it is found on other mountains in Peru much lower down, is the slight precipitation which here occurs, varying with the year but always less than on most other mountains. No real eruption from this volcano has occurred since the Spaniards in 1549 founded the city, but El Misti is somehow held in a measure responsible for the earthquakes which from time to time have devastated the city, and the affectionate admiration with which the mountain is regarded is not unmixed with awe. Hence the two crosses which have been erected on the summit, standing near the little shelters for the Observatory instruments. Those of a self-registering character here placed were for a year or two read by an observer, not always the same person, who came up every two weeks. The effects of the severe earthquake of 1868 are still visible in the city. Slight shocks are common. For this reason dwellings of a single story are generally preferred, and few buildings have more than two.
Not far from Arequipa, as is natural in a volcanic region, are springs of great reputation. One situated about a league from the city produces an excellent table water, called the Agua de Jesus or de Misti, highly recommended for general use, good also for several ailments. It is a pleasant ride with a fine prospect all along the way, and with opportunity at the end for a bath in a clear, effervescent pool, where the water, charged with carbonic acid gas, rising from the gravel floor, seems to have a highly exhilarating effect.
In the opposite direction, 15 miles from Arequipa near the railway leading to Puno, are the Baths of Yura, a watering place of growing fame, with baths of sulphur and of iron. These may be enjoyed free of charge, as the Government has erected suitable buildings over the various springs; though in order to profit by them, unless camping out, one must pay a moderate board at one of the neighboring hotels. The Gran Hotel de las Termas, in a pretty garden, supplies comfortable quarters and food (bathing suits, etc.), at S. 2.50 a day. The waters are said to cure stomach troubles, skin diseases, rheumatism, etc.
CHAPTER XII
THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY—CUZCO
A tri-weekly train is now scheduled from Arequipa up over the mountains, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; the Wednesday only connects with an express to Cuzco. These trains, are provided with buffet chair cars, which make the long journey less wearisome. Persons who have suffered slight inconvenience on the trip to Oroya need not fear a repetition of unpleasant symptoms on this journey, the stay of a few days at Arequipa making the change in atmospheric pressure more gradual; also a second experience is generally less trying, and the top of the southern pass, 14,666 feet, is 1000 feet lower than that on the Central Railroad.
The scenery between Arequipa and Juliaca presents far less of grandeur than is witnessed on the Oroya road, though for a time it should keep the attention. The white city with the deep green of the Chili Valley, and graceful Misti with its more rugged sisters on either hand, for a half hour form a delightful picture, as the track winds along down, and later begins to climb around the other end of Chachani. The dry and channeled slopes of this mountain, the desert of volcanic sand and lava rock for a while may interest, but there is a good deal of sameness to the view, somewhat enlivened by two distant splendid snowclad massifs, Amfato and Coropuna.
The Baths of Yura, an hour from Arequipa, are invisible from its station: a glimpse of the green cañon may be had later. Presently Chachani and Misti are seen from the rear, appearing considerably lower from the increased elevation. On the Pampa de Arrieros, a bleak, grass-covered plateau, the highest point of the divide is passed at Crucero Alto. Beyond is the breakfast station, Lagunillas, near which among the graceful rounded hills are two romantic lakes, Saracocha, and Cachipascana, one on each side of the track. In spite of these and the lines of beauty in the contour of the hills, the plateau is rather dreary: to live happily at any of these stations, one must needs be a true lover of solitude. With good fortune one may descry in the distance a few vicuñas, cousin to the llama, but with much finer wool, often called fur, of a tawny shade, as light in weight as chinchilla; perhaps a drove of the almost equally rare alpacas; the former in a wild state, the latter under care and cultivation.
Juliaca, the junction, is a busy place, always thronged with Indians and a scattering of white people. From here to Puno the train is generally crowded; but if on the way to Cuzco, you will not mind, as this is the junction where the roads divide. Probably you must descend here to spend the night. Passing through the station on the right of the track, you will find a plaza, on the left side of which is a hotel providing clean beds and enough to eat, with no display of elegance. The next morning at 9.15 you may set out for Cuzco, if Thursday arriving there at 7.40 p.m. If Tuesday or Saturday it will be necessary to spend a night at Sicuani, the journey by slow train consuming two days.
At Juliaca are many men and women, venders of a great variety of foods and of merchandise. Many others will be seen at the stations on the road to Cuzco, women wearing odd stiff hats, flat as the proverbial pancake, short skirts, and shawls, men with short trousers and ponchos. Pottery in curious shapes, jars, water bottles, and ornaments may be purchased, match safes, tooth-pick holders, etc. The Indians are industrious, generally occupied with spinning, even while walking and carrying on the back heavy burdens.
Tirapata, where there may be a pause of twenty minutes for breakfast, is a place of considerable importance, headquarters for the Inca Mining and Rubber Companies, where their wagon road begins towards the Santo Domingo gold mines, their mining property at an altitude of 7000 feet, and their rubber lands beyond. Eight thousand acres of land were presented by the Government to this company for every mile of road opened to traffic; and one was made across the plateau northeasterly, as far as the mountains. Over the Aricoma Pass, 16,500 feet, and down the steep slopes through ravines and gorges on the other side, a trail for mules is still the only pathway. Recently a concession has been granted to the Peruvian Corporation to build a railroad from Tirapata or from Urcos to navigation on the Madre de Dios, not to really deep water, but to a point accessible to boats of two feet draught, perhaps at Tahuantinsuyo. This is likely to be the third or fourth important route across Peru from the Pacific to navigation on a tributary of the Amazon.
La Raya, the highest point between Juliaca and Cuzco, with an altitude of 14,150 feet, is on the dividing line of the watershed between the Amazon system and that of Lake Titicaca. Here is the knot of Vilcanota where the Coast and the Eastern Cordilleras unite, and where the sacred river, Vilcamayu, takes its origin in a little sacred lake lying at the foot of a snowy peak visible from Cuzco. Now, leaving the bleak plateau region, the train descends the Vilcamayu Valley to a milder region.
Sicuani, 2500 feet below, the most important place along the road, was for some years the terminus of the railway line. It boasts therefore of a good hotel, the Lafayette. Here the night was formerly spent, the remainder of the journey to Cuzco being by diligence, certainly an advantage as far as enjoying the scenery is concerned. The Sicuani market place is noted for its extraordinarily picturesque appearance, the Indians coming for miles around to make their purchases, largely by barter. Journeying by accommodation train, which has some advantages, one spends the night here and arrives the next afternoon in Cuzco.
The train passes many historic sites and ancient ruins, just out of view the famed Lake Urcos into which, the story goes, was thrown the wonderful gold chain of the Prince Huascar. This was said to be long enough to encircle the great plaza of Cuzco, with each link weighing 100 lbs. Projects have been formed to drain this lake in the hope of finding here much ancient treasure, but though small the lake is very deep and no real effort has been made.