Through the Incan ruins one can see the connection the Incans had with the natural world, and today we saw the connection Peruvians have with Catholicism through the adornment of the Monastery of Saint Francis in Lima. It is interesting to note that Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals and is famous for living at one with nature and that his brand of Catholicism seems to mesh well with the Peruvian culture.

One unusual sight we saw was the tomb of Pizarro, the conquistador of the Incans. Although this was a favorable depiction of Pizarro, many equate his actions in Peru as villainous.

Another interesting sight was the library, that had manuscripts hundreds of years old from the founding of the New World. Most of these documents were about the settlement of Peru and Mexico and were closely protected by the Catholic monks through the past five centuries.

The third interesting sight we saw was the catacombs under the monastery. Our class descended in small tight rooms leading into small tight hallways to see vats of bones of centuries dead Catholics. We looked down into a circular pit that had bones arranged in a fanning outward fashion. Perhaps the most eerie part of the catacombs was how you could hear the chanting of the faithful through vents above in the church while you were looking at a pile of femurs, making a strange juxtaposition of life and death.

After the conclusion of our tour we said our goodbyes in the Lima airport. Leaving was a bittersweet ordeal because although our Peruvian leg of this research trip has come to a close, we still have the upcoming Alaskan adventure in August.

SEE YOU IN JUNEAU