The temple of moon and sun, the beach and taxes!
Trujillo
Huaca de la Luna y Sol
Huanchaco
Chan Chan
Day 212-213 Wed 30/3 and Thu 31/3 Trujillo
Arrived in Trujillo after 8 hours. The semi cama was surprisingly comfortable despite my neighbour being an idiot – he insited on playing his radio late into the night. Wish my Spanish were good enough to offer him a few choice words.
The day was spent at the very interesting site of Huaca de la Luna y sol and the museum. The museum gace an elaborate inrpduction to the Moche culture. It made the visit to the actual arqueological site much more interesting. I managed to spend nearly 4 hours there! After that, it was time to head back to the hostel and curl up in one of the hammocks with a book. An old John Grisham called The Firm. I faintly remember starting the book about 16 or 17 years ago. Guess that is not the advertsement that John Grisham wants for a book – took someone 18 years to read his book!
The morning of Thursday was spent walking around the city centre of Trujillo and visiting some of it’s free museums. The city centre is very colourful and attractive, though the city itself is large, daunting and not very pleasing.
I also managed to watch a performance of the Baila Marinera that afternoon. The marinera dance, typical of the region, resembled the Cueca I had seen in Chile. The audience consisted of me, a couple of Peruvians from Lima and an Argentine lady. I also had an interesting conversaion with the master of ceremonies, since I had arrived at the site about half an hour ago, having written down the time of the show wrong.
The other interesting thing that I remember from Truillo is the presence of black, hairless dogs! I have no idera what they are called, but I had never come across them in other parts of Peru that I had visited.
Day 214-216 Fri 1/4 – Sun 3/4 Huanchaco
Huanchaco used to be a small fishing village till surfers found out that it is a mecca. Now it is also a tourist hub. Most folks stay here instead of Trujillo and I can hardly fault them.
Friday was spent getting to Huanchaco, walking around the beach and town and arranging for my trip to Chachapoyas. A lot of tourists braved the sea in the caballitos, the kind of boat that the folks in Huanchaco have been using for centuries.
It was an extremely pleasant, albeit fairly lazy day in the sun. The hostel I stayed in, Hostal Naylamp, was extremely pleasant and cheap. It also helped that they have a good restaurant attached.
Sunday, I got up ealy and headed to Chan Chan. Chan CHan, the city of the Chimu people was extremely interesting and I had a nice visit as I was the first one in the doors, while the attached museum was an absolute disappointment.
The afternoon, after a good lunch, was spent figuring out what I owed Uncle Sam. Luckily for me, I get some money back. I reckon it means another week or so on the road, on Uncle Sam’s dough. Well, mine, but I had thought I had to give it to the old chap.
I am still enjoying myself opn the road, though I seem to have slowed down a bit. It is taking me longer to do things and I am staying longer in places, even when I am not entirely in love with the place.
Sunday, I had the morning to kill before my bus to Chachapoyas, and I spent it waching the waves and listening to the sound of waves washing up on the beach. I am not much of a beach person, but there is something extremely soothign about watching and listening to the waves. The death of each wave and the birth of a new one, the ever continuing circle of life and death. I reckon there is some kind of a metaphor there, but I am neither a writer nor a philosopher and enjpy them for what they are.
Tags: Travel
Damu