The Case of "Misty" the Missing Dog and Other Arequipa Adventures

Arriving in Arequipa from Puno is always a blessing. Puno is a cold, high, somewhat dark city, whereas Arequipa is a beacon of good food, warmth, and things to do. The air is warm, the altitude is low (which means we aren't sick), and there is even a Dominos. The past few days have been full of adventure and exploration.

One of my favorite adventures in Peru thus far has actually been a visit to an art museum/monastery that was only recently opened to the public because of its need for restoration. The convent, “Santa Teresa,” might have been one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Our tour lasted 3 hours as we examined old art that had been donated and learned about how the monastery had been founded.

I was most fascinated by the lifestyles of the nuns who live there today. There are 21 full nuns, 4 “pre-nuns” (please excuse my lack of catholic vocab), and 1 student. The “pre-nuns” and the student are not yet committed to a life inside. They each spend periods of time at the convent and then are sent home to pray about their decision. The more questions we asked, the less we learned about the art and the more we learned about the daily drama at Santa Teresa.

Apparently, for the past three years the nuns have had a dog by the name of Misty. Since Misty grew up inside the walls of the convent, they (jokingly) consider him a member, and very integral part, of the church.

Three days ago, Misty walked right out of the convent and down the road.

In his entire life, he had never left the walls of Santa Teresa, but Friday Misty decided to take an afternoon constitutional and never returned. According to our guide, the nuns are less than pleased. They are threatening to close the museum if the management cannot find the dog. From what I hear, a search ensued, and a few leads (hehe) were found.

Someone reported that another museum guard found Misty and took him home for the weekend. Others saw Misty dodge traffic on a busy highway appearing as if he was heading towards the market.

Something to keep in mind: Misty is a hairless dog. People know Misty when they see him.

We continued with the tour, but were saddened to see Misty's little dog house and empty bowl. I hear the nuns are praying for his safe return.