Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 773

founded in 1648 by Franciscan friars. If
you duck into the rooms leading off the
cloisters, you will come across a collection
of art and ceramics made by pre-Inca
cultures, as well as trepanned skulls and
several mummies.
Bibliophiles will appreciate the impressive
library on the second floor, housing more
than 20,000 antique books and maps,
which are only used by researchers with
special permission from the Father. You
can visit the library for fifteen minutes,
at 45 minutes past the hour.
he Amazonian section of the museum
is a must-see; one room houses jungle
jewellery collected by the Franciscan
monks on their early missions, as well as
photographs of their first encounters with
the “natives”. The second room displays a
large variety of stuffed birds and animals
from the Amazon, as well as traditional
weapons, some still used today, and maps
of early exploration of the Manu and
Madre de Dios areas.

girl sacrificed to a mountain deity around
five hundred years ago - the superb little
Museo Santuarios Andinos lies just off
the plaza at Calle La Merced 110
(Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 9am-3pm;
S20). After a dramatic twenty-minute
National Geographic video about the
discovery of Juanita, a multilingual guide
talks you through the exhibits related to
the sacrificial and burial practices of the
Incas before finally unveiling the museum's
star attraction. The intricate tiny offerings
to the gods, made of gold and precious
stones, are particularly fine and ice-covered
Juanita is very well preserved. Bring warm
clothes, as it's rather cold inside, and don't
forget to tip the guide.

9

Museo Arqueológico UNSA
A block and a half south of the Plaza
along Álvarez Thomas, you'll find the
small yet fascinating archeological
museum (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; S2),
which gives a glimspe into the local
pre-Inca culture. The displays, labelled in
Spanish only, feature Nazca, Chiribaya
and Wari pottery; Nazca mummies and
ritually deformed skulls; fine cloaks
adorned with parrot feathers; and Inca
and Spanish weaponry.

Museo Santuarios Andinos
Often referred to as the “Juanita” or
“Ice Princess” museum after its most
famous exhibit - the immaculately
preserved mummy of a 12- to 14-year-old

TOURS, TREKKING AND CLIMBING AROUND AREQUIPA
Most companies offer trips of one to three days out to the Colca Canyon for S90-250
(sometimes with very early morning starts) or to the petroglyphs at Toro Muerto for S60-120.
Trips to the Valley of the Volcanoes , as well as specialist adventure activities (such as rafting
in the Colca Canyon, mountaineering or multi-day trekking), can cost anything from S180 up
to S1200 for a three- to six-day outing.
TOUR OPERATORS
Carlos Zarate Adventures Santa Catalina 204
T 054 202 461, W zarateadventures.com. Knowledge-
able guide Carlos offers climbs of nearby peaks,
canyoning, and cycling excursions, as well as archeo-
logical tours.
Colca Trek Jerusalén 401b T 054 206 217,
W colcatrek.com.pe. An excellent trekking, climbing,
mountain-biking and canoeing operator that special-
izes in customized tours permitting a mix of these,
as well as three-day tours of the Colca Canyon. Also
sells maps and has equipment rental for independent
trekkers.
Expediciones y Aventuras Santa Catalina 219
T 054 221 653, W expedicionesyaventuras.com.

Specialists in rafting and kayaking trips along the
Chili River, the Canyon del Colca and Cotahuasi. They
also offer personalized tours.
Pablo Tour Jerusalén 400 T 054 203 737, W pablo
tour.com. Run by friendly multilingual Edwin who
took over the family business from his father Pablo,
this company runs all manner of tours, from 4WD trips
to the salt lake Laguna de Salinas, to trekking and
cultural trips into the Colca Canyon using new alter-
native routes, thereby avoiding the crowds.
Sacred Road Jerusalén 400 T 054 330 408, W sacred
road.com. This company offers a wide range of tours
to satisfy all tastes: mountain biking, canyoning, rock
climbing, trekking and mountaineering, as well as the
standard Colca Canyon tours.