Huanchaco/Trujillo

I have been having the most exasperating time with computers and the internet since I got to the northern part of Peru.  In Chiclayo, I had to use internet cafes, which took me forever to find and were just terrible!  No hookups for my camera, crummy keyboards that would go out and I´d find words and parts of sentences missing, a mouse that lost its roller ball, keys that didn´t work etc.... When I got to Huanchaco I was happy to find the hostel I was at had 2 computers but one broke down that first day and there were so many people wanting to use the one left, it was hard to get much time on. 

Caballitos de totora are reed watercrafts used by Peruvian fishermen, originally the Moche people, for the past 3,000 years, archaeologically evidenced from pottery shards.

Named for the way they are ridden, straddled ('little reed horses' in English), fishermen use them to transport their nets and collect fish in their inner cavity. The name is not the original name as horses were not introduced to South American until after the Spanish arrived in the 15th Century. They are made from the same reed, Scirpus californicus, used by the Los Uros people in the Lake Titicaca region.

Fishermen in the port town of Huanchaco famously still use these vessels to this day, riding the waves back into shore, and suggesting some of the first forms of wave riding. There is currently a minor debate in the surfing world as to whether or not this constitutes the first form of surfing.

Sunset in Huanchaco

Reed Fishing Boats or "Caballitos de totora"

I said goodbye to Huanchaco taking one last run on the beach this morning. there was a humungous dead sea lion on the beach, He must´ve been dead for a while because he was turned almost white. I didn´t even notice the stench till the second time running by it. 

I am now at an internet cafe in Trujillo. I, and my bags, took a collectivo here (s1.5)! The keyboard is giving me fits.....maybe it is the humid weather......part of it is that I type by sight with three fingers and half the keys are worn off.....

I got to Trujillo early in the afternoon and immediately upon going out for a walk, spotted the Museo Cassinelli only two blocks from my Hostel!  Upon getting to the door, I saw it was closed from 1 am to 3 pm then reopened til 6pm.  I went for a walk to a mall about 12 blocks away where I hung out for a couple hours.  Upon returning to the museum, I saw two tourists, a couple, in the lobby getting their picture taken with Mr. Cassinelli.  He was older and thinner but I recognised him from pictures i had seen of him on the internet.  I asked the ticket person how much a tour cost and he said s5.  I dug into my pockets and only came up with s4.90 .10 short but he would not let me in.  I told him I would be right back with more money.  As I was leaving to go get some more money I saw the two tourists outside talking excitedly with looks of wonder and amazement in their eyes.  I got back at 5:30 pm and the museum was closed!  They closed early!  I was very disappointed!

Chan Chan

Collectivo Bus

Collectivo busses are most often operated by two men; one being the driver and the other operates the sliding door to let people in and out, shouts out to people on the street the destinations, and takes the money.  The trip to Trujillo costs only s1.5 on a collectivo where the taxi driver may ask s50 and I paid one s25 the time I had to take one because I had no idea where I was or where to find a colletivo route.

This morning I caught a collectivo into Trujillo to buy my bus ticket to Lima.  It will be an 8 hr journey and I can either go over night and arrive at 6 am or go at 9 am the next day and arrive around 6pm.  As my plane does not leave until 12 am the next day I guess the overnight trip is out of the question.  I also walked around to find a place to stay overnight in trujillo and found one that looked good only two blocks from the bus station!

According to my city map in the guide book, I wasn´t too far from the "Museo Arqueológico Casinelli" which is a private museum that is situated in the basement of a gas station. Even though I did not have a street address, I thought I could find it because it was on a road that V´d off sharply from the road I was on, and I figured I would see it.  Well, I missed it and before I knew it i was on the edge of town.  Well, I thought, maybe I can walk to Chan Chan and before I knew it i was there. 

Chan Chan is an archeological site about 3 miles north of Trujillo which covers over 12 square miles.  The largest Pre-Colombian city in South America, Chan Chan was constructed by the Chimor (the kingdom of the Chimú), a late intermediate period civilization which grew out the remains of the Moche civilization. The city of Chan Chan was built around AD 850 of more than 100 million adobe bricks. It was the imperial capital of the Chimor and lasted until its conquest by the Inca Empire around AD 1470.  It is estimated that around 30,000 people lived in the city of Chan Chan.

Chan Chan is severely threatened by El Niño weather, which causes heavy rains and flooding on the Peruvian coast.  The city's ruins are also threatened by earthquakes and looters.  At present, there are many archeological and restorative projects going on at Chan Chan. Although the site does not get much rain, and most of the damage to the ruins have been caused by wind, El Nino rains dealt it some heavy blows in 1983 and 1986.  It was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1986 and preservation includes roofs over the most delicate parts of it to protect it from the rains. 

The city is composed of ten walled citadels which housed ceremonial rooms, burial chambers, temples, reservoirs and some residences. Chan Chan is a triangular city surrounded by walls 50-60 feet high. A distinguishable aspect of Chan Chan is that there are no enclosures which open to the north. The tallest walls shelter against south-westerly winds from Peru's coast. Northern-facing walls gain the greatest exposure to the sun, serving both to block the wind and absorb sunlight where fog is frequent. The numerous walls throughout the city create labyrinth of passages.

 

There is still some archeological excavation going on

The walls themselves were constructed of adobe brick and were then covered with a smooth surface into which intricate designs were carved. There are two styles of design present in these carvings: one is a ‘realistic’ representation of subjects such as birds, fish, and small mammals; and the other is a more graphic, stylized representation of the same subjects. The carvings at Chan Chan depict crabs, turtles, and nets for catching various sea creatures. Chan Chan, unlike most other coastal ruins in Peru, is located extremely close to the Pacific Ocean

This man made pool was probably used as a pleasure garden by the elite

It´s hot out in this desert sun!

Huanchaco

I got up this morning and went for a run on the beach.  My ankle was more stiff than when I went running last night but it loosened up after a while.  I really did not do much today except enjoy the day, hang around and be lazy.  I went for a swim in the ocean in the afternoon and watched people a lot of the day.  I found a nice park with grass and no-one was around so I took a nap in the shade.  Being close to the equator during the summer, the sun can burn in a matter of 30 minutes or so without sun lotion.  I have some 50

A cemetary up by the church over the town

Huanchaco Beach and pier

Yesterday I went for the cheap food place and I think it made me sick.  I had my first case of dysentary since being in Peru.  Today I went to the more upscale Mochica restaurant where they had good service and good food.  I had Cabrito with Tacu Tacu.  It was braised goat with beans and rice.  The goat was nice and tender and had a spicy sauce with it.  With the tacu tacu, they mix the beans and rice with seasonings and then fry it a little to get it crisp on the outside.  It is the only bean dish I have run accross in Peru and I was kind of craving some beans.  I forgot to bring my camera with me so, I didn´t get a picture of my dinner.

Bus to Trujillo

Today I took the bus form Chiclayo to Trujillo which is about 3 hrs. south towards Lima.  It was actually a nice bus ride along the coast.  I was glad to get out of the hot dusty humidity of Chiclayo.  When I got into Trujillo I tried to find a collectivo going to Huanchaco, which is a beach town, and where I want to stay but I was not in the right area to be near the line.  I eventually flagged a cab and he first told me the price was cincuenta soles (s50) and I told him that was too much.  He asked me what I would pay and I said s25 and he agreed.  When I got to Huanchaco, I asked him to just drop me off but he insisted on helping me find a place.  We went to several hostels/hotels and they were very expensive.  We finally found one for s40 which I still thought was expensive for what I was getting but I took it.  I figured I can look around some more tomorrow and that is what I had to pay in Chiclayo. 

After getting situated in my room and walking about a bit, I went to get some food. I ended up on a 2nd floor balcony and, as I was eating a parade started.  I guess it was some kind of kids parade because all the little kids were dressed up and they were having a costume judging.  There were over 200 kids in the parade.  Later I went for a run on the beach and a swim in the ocean

Kids Parade

Chiclayo day 2

I switched hostels today and went over to the Hotel Sican.  They are the same price but include a continental breakfast.  After my success yesterday with the colectivos I decided to do the same thing today and visit the other two sites I want to see, the Tecume Pyramids and the Tumbas Reales de Sipan.

I took the collectivo to Lambayeque and the Museo Tumbas reales was incredible! I spent almost 3 hours there marvelling at the museum displays. The whole museum is dedicated to the discovery of The Lord of Sipán who was a very important Mochican warrior priest and ruler.

Huaca Rajada depiction

The tomb was found in Huaca Rajada by Dr. Walter Alva in 1987 were he discovered a great quantity of gold and silver objects, jewels, ceramics and carved wood. This investigation gave archaeologists the chance to know many more aspects of the Mochican Culture.  The museum is laid out so you can see the whole process the archeologists went through as they uncovered the Lord of Sipan layer by layer.  The museum is laid out like part of the pyramid and you go up a ramp, entering the top, and working your way down uncovering the layers of the excavation just as the archeologists did.

The first thing they found in the main tomb with the Lord of Sipan was a guard, the skeleton of a young man with a golden shield and his feet cut off, sacrificed to guard the Lord in the afterlife. 
In the main tomb, "El Señor de Sipán" (The Lord of Sipan), was found in a sarcophagus made of wood (the first wooden sarcophogus found in America), next to his head were the skeletons of two young women, and at his sides a skeleton of a dog and two lamas.

A gold Collar

A collar with ten felines in gold with shell teeth

He was all covered with gold, silver and copper, chest protector with jewels and gold necklaces. His skull rested on a big golden plate. The amount of gold and the incredible craftsmanship were astounding!  He was buried with six ear plugs made of gold and turquoise.  He had six or eight breast plates made of coral beads, a death mask and a head dress all made of gold and superbly crafted.  One of the most interesting things was a golden collar of 10 faces that were spiders on a web, all made of gold.

Very close to this tomb in Huaca Rajada, in 1989, investigators of the Brüning Museum discovered the tombs of "El Sacerdote" (The Priest), and the tomb of "El Viejo Señor de Sipán" (The Old Lord of Sipan).  His tomb, with all of its accompanying object and layout were also in the museum.  It was not nearly as splendid but it was also pretty incredible!

Simple native fare

After the museum, on the same property, there were exhibits of modern Mochica pottery, weaving, print-making and food.  Of course, I had to try the food which was ceviche, corn pancakes, potato fritters and chicha, a fermented corn beverage. 

Model of how Tecume looked

How it looks now

recovered stonework

I next found another colectivo to Tecume.  In Tucume Peru, there are 26 pyramids that once were likely part of a major center of culture for the Lambayeque, Sican, Chimu and Inca peoples, all of which inhabited the region at different times. These pyramids are known as Purgatory, and the valley in which they are found is generally known as the Valley of the Pyramids.  All of the pyramids were made of adobe so, they have eroded pretty badly by this time.   

It´s hot out here!

Chiclayo

I got to Chiclayo and very quickly found out the guide books all need to be updated for this city.  The first two hostels I tried to go to were both closed and one of them had been gone a year and there is now a department store there.  My cab driver tried to get me to stay at a pretty iffy looking place and it was s65 which was much more than I was used to paying.  I told him I wanted a nice place for s30-s40 and he took me to a hotel which looked much better for s40.  

I got a room and had to tell them I would pay later as I was completely out of money.  They let me have the room and I set about getting to know the area a bit by walking around then got down to the business of getting some money which I finally accomplished around 1:30 pm.  I had to get an advance on my credit card because I lost my debit card by leaving it in the cash machine.

Founded as "Santa María de los Valles de Chiclayo" in the 1500s, the name was shortened to just Chiclayo around 1835. Chiclayo is one of the most important urban areas of Peru. It has grown to become the country's fourth largest city after Lima, Arequipa, and Trujillo, which I will be visiting next. The city has a population of 738, 000 with the metropolitan area reaching almost 1,000,000.

re-enactment of a Sican Tomb

showing what and who were in the tomb and the placement of bodies and objects

Depiction of anotrher tomb

A gold head dress

The museum I went to today was the Museo National Sican.  The Sican culture succeded the Moche culture in the area but they were no-where near as developed as a culture. 

The 'Moche civilization existed in the area from the years A.D. 100 to A.D. 800 occuping the territory which is now the northern coast of Peru in the Ancash, Lambayeque, and La Libertad regions of Peru. The area of current-day Chiclayo was part of this civilization.

I decided I would have to go on a shoestring budget from now on to try and conserve the rest of the cash I have in case I can´t get any more before leaving the country.  I decided to try and get to the museums and tourist sites outside of town on my own instead of taking a tour to save money. 
My plan is to take collectivos instead of the pricey tours.  The tour I wanted to take included the Museo National Tumbas Reales de Sipan, dedicated to the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, the Museo National Sican, and the Tecume Pyramids complex, all of which were up to 22 miles out of town.  One of the guide books, borrowed from my friend Mitchell, told me how to do it.  I would do it in two legs, two days.  Today was  Museo National Sican, which was in the outlying town of Ferrenafe.

I had to go to a an area where the collectivos congregated to pick up people going out of town to the Northeast.  The collectivos are vans that are operated like a bus without a schedule or an exact route that go to outlying areas for about s2, or abour .70 cents.  They try to get a full van of about 14-17 people plus they can put supplies on the roof.

The Moche culture had a high understanding of hydraulic engineering as evidenced by their canal system which allowed them to use rivers to irrigate their land. This allowed them to have a surplus of crops and a solid economy allowing their society to develop. The Mochicans also used copper in the fabrication of weapons, tools, and ornamental objects and are considered the best producers of ceramic artifacts because of the elaborate designs of their pottery. These designs represent religious themes, humans, animals, and scenes of ceremonies and myths reflecting their perception of the world. They are noted for their expressiveness, perfection, and realism. I really got interested in the Moche culture and civilization when I went to the Rafael Herrera Museum in Lima and wanted to see more of what their culture was about.  Besides, there is supposed to be an awesome museum here dedicated to the Lord of Sipan, a tomb to rival King Tut.

Back in Lima

Time to say goodby to Cusco and Hospedaje Turistico Recoleta.  This was one of the nicest Hostel's I have stayed at with a very friendly staff especially Cathy, who always had a smile and was eager to be helpful. 

Lobby Area

Breakfast Area

It was about a 15 minute walk to the plaza from Hostal Recoleta but it was a nice walk. The rooms and the hostel were always kept clean, a small continental breakfast was provided and there was always hot water for a shower. There are several lounge areas to relax with a book or watch TV and one has a ping pong and foos ball table.  A great deal for only $10.00 per night!

My buddy Mitchell who was my first room mate at Hostel Ricoleta.  He is from Las Vegas and although we never hung out or did things together, we always compared our experiences, especially the food at the end of the day. 

I got to Lima about 2pm and it was hot and hazy.  I got a cab outside the airport and found my way to my hostel.  Luckily, I had written down the directions from the internet because the taxi driver had no idea where it was at.  The ad on the internet said it was near the airport and it was not too far away but it was not in the best neighborhood.  All the businesses around had bars accross them and some you even had to get your purchase through the bars.  After checking in, and checking some things on the internet, I asked about a good place to get some cheviche and he told me about a place down the road that was very good and told me how to get there.   

Hostel Victor

Out my window at Hostel Victor

I went out to walk the 5 blocks or so to the Cevicheria, called Rey del Pacifico, and was happy when I saw they accepted Visa because I was running a little low on cash. I got a black conch ceviche and a beer called Pilsen which apparently is locally made and has been since 1860.  Another fine Peruvian Beer!

  The ceviche was good and quite spicy and refreshing and the beer was the perfect thing to wash it down!  Just what I needed!  The restaurant had an American Rock radio station on with Led Zeppelin and John Fogherty which was competing with the noisy ceiling fans.  It was near the end of business hours for the day and the owner was over at a corner table doing his books. 

I have to get up early tomorrow to catch my plane which departs at 6:30 am to Chiclayo.

Back in Cusco

It was nice to be back in Cusco where it was dry and warm this afternoon. I went back to my hostel and worked on my blog posts from my days in the jungle and researched the next leg of my Peru trip.

I will be going to the northern part of the country along the coast. I am interested in the Mocha civilization which I learned about at the Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Herera in Lima and want to see more of their culture and ruins in the north where they originated.

I will be going to Chiclayo, which is on the northern coast and then south to Trujillo before finishing in Lima for my trip home.

I made one more walk about Cusco today and bought three tourist t-shirts for about $4 each.  I was feeling like eating some of my own cooking so I bought some ingredients at the store and made a mushroom and spinach omlette for dinner.

Goodby to Sandoval Lake

Overlooking Sandoval Lake

Today I said goodby to Sandoval Lake. It has been so peaceful here with no city sounds, only the sounds of the jungle which I have become accustomed to and attuned to. At any time I can pick out at least half a dozen bird calls and my favorite sound which I am listening to one last time, the howler monkeys.

The rainforest has a vast diversity of plants, animals, birds, insects and reptiles and visitors come to see them all but I have really enjoyed the sounds of the jungle. In our noisy city lives, I think we tend to tune out sounds and come to focus on more of what we see than what we hear. Over the past several days, I have come to focus more on sounds because there are so many new sounds to hear. As I look out over Sandoval Lake one last time from the lodge, I listen to all the jungle sounds, the cicadas, rain dripping through the leaves, howler monkeys in the distance, Macaws calling back and forth in the trees and many other birds calling through the forest.

Jungle from my bedroom window

We will take the boat back to Puerto Maldonado and the plane back to Cusco, and I will be glad to get out of the wetness and humidity, but part of the jungle will stay with me, the sights, the smells and especially the jungle sounds. I enjoyed my time in the Amazon Jungle. The mosquitos seemed almost non-existent, although I did get a few bites. The humidity was bearable once the sun went down and the closeness with nature was inescapable as it was constantly closing you in from all sides and through all your senses.