Pullman Hotel Trujillo

... for the remainder of the day and also spent some time with the pet tortoises!

Trujillo is an important stop for us to explore one last bit of Peruvian history and culture before we leave. Even though we know nothing can be more impressive (to us) than the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, we want to see anyway.

The main attraction is the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon) which are PRE ...

... became water-logged and their crops failed. The Chimu people rose in the Moche's place and were then victims of El Nino themselves several hundred years later and were conquered by the Inca. Their capital was once covered in glittering gold and towering temples, but all that this gone now (the Spanish being especially thorough in search of treasure) and the remains of the city, millions of mud bricks, are slowly melting back into the sand.

That is, of course, with the exception of the ...

... the Linea station Andy and I came in on that morning. I picked up our bags (mine, Andy’s, and Jen’s) and muscled my way outside. I was really tempted to pay the $4 for a taxi, but instead walked down to the bus stop for Huanchaco - Andy’s last stop on the tour and a nice looking beach. I found a great hostel there and met up with Andy on very lucky timing. We bought a couple of beers and walked up and down the short beach until we got tired and went to bed.

... plank, cut through the sea like a hot knife through butter. Something to do with the shape and being very very light. Absolutely unique to this part of the world apparently. And when the fishermen come back in with a netful of fish, it would of course be rude to not partake of their catch... I've had the best ceviche ever in the past day or so. Truly worth coming to Peru for... fresh as its possible to have it and as zingy and spicy ...

... took ages to arrive, but was very tasty. After this I went to a money exchange and was informed that my $20 note was indeed a fake - bloody neon-clad Piura money vultures!

On a side-note, Me and Andy had had aspiration of surfing in Huanchaco, given the misleading impression by guidebooks that it would be another Montañita. Incorrect. It was quite cold most of the time, and we had no inclination to surf. It was also a very quiet place, evidenced ...

... and it´s just a big city so we´ve been just walking around and killing time.

the buildings are old and ancient and colonial though and are super cool. the computer is actually fast here but we forgot the usb adapter thing in the hotel so no pics yet, maybe tomorrow.

ps if anybody knows how to resize photos using just like ...

... Only thing that happened me was that the bank machine decided to eat my Visa card.



Main reason we stopped of here was to check out the remains of the Moche culture which existed around 400 AD. There was two main temples to visit, the Huanca del Sol and the Huanca de ...

... temple on top. 1500 years later, there were 5 temples on top of each other - the latest ones has perished with time hence the mud heap - when they excavated though they found perfectly preserved friezes and reliefs below - all in wonderfully vivid reds and yellows. Unfortunately the temples are pyramid shaped - the outer layer some 10 feet above the older layer - it is easiest to imagine it as a big onion - to get to the layer underneath you have to peel away ( and ...

... wants to get photos of sunset. We then visit Trujillo 's new mall, called Aventura Mall ( ! ) . The girls are thrilled and the children enjoy playing in " Coney Park ", which resembles a glorified Chuck E. Cheese. The locals are very proud of their mall, which opened just last year. To me a mall is a mall is a mall. They have tried to make it as American looking as is possible, even to the names.

... où j'ai dégusté la spécialité locale: le ceviche (petits dés de poisson cru accompagné d'oignons rouges et de gros grains de maïs doux).

Cela me frappe que quasi toutes les maisons ont des barreaux aux fenêtres. Même les petits magasins qui normalement ont toujours la porte ouverte, ici ressemblent à des prisons. Les commerçants nous servent à travers ces barreaux!!! Bien étrangement, je me sens relativement en sécurité en me promenant le soir dans les rues.