Ayacucho (day 5)

Wednesday night involved a bit of stomach ache for Thor, so I headed out on my own early Thursday morning to check out the churches of Ayacucho (there are over 30 in this small city). They are usually open during morning mass (between 6 and 7:30) and I snuck a peek at one of the beautiful carved wood altars at San Francisco de Paula, as well as some of the intricate facades on other churches around the plaza.


Some of the old colonial houses on the plaza (now a government office and a bank) are open to the public; they have attractive Spanish-style courtyards and gardens.


In the afternoon I had an awkward private tour, in Spanish, of the Museo Andres Caceres. Caceres was a celebrated Peruvian general during the War of the Pacific. This museum is situated in Caceres' colonial home and contains a large amount of colonial furniture, petacas (sacks carried by mules, used for clothing and other supplies), and mediocre paintings from the Cusco School. Not really my thing, and it was made more awkward by the fact that a member of the museum staff was lecturing to me in Spanish (I understood maybe one out of ten words). I then headed up to the Barrio Santa Ana which is suposed to be the artisan center of town. Unfortunately it was siesta time and the only (once) living thing I saw on the deserted streets was a dead dog lying in the sand.

In the evening we had soup at the Hostal Santa Maria in their pricey cafe/restaurant. The food was remarkably good, if expensive.

Overall Opinions:
Ayacucho early morning church walking tour: 7. I found it difficult to barge in on morning mass to see the beautiful churches and altars, and I got some funny looks. What I did see of these churches was very impressive.
Museo Andres Caceres: 6. A good museum if you are interested in petacas and numerous paintings of Jesus and Mary, including one image of the Last Supper with cuy (guinea pig).
Barrio Santa Ana: 4. I couldn't find a soul to ask where the artisan workshops were. When I did find a gallery, the works were less than impressive and seemed geared towards tourists. My suggestion would be to ask at the tourist information office or a hotel for the exact addresses of the real artisans.
Restaurant at Hostal Santa Maria: 8. Excellent food but not a great value. Price for 2 for a small dinner: 18 soles.