C & C globetrotting around the world…

The bus ride from Tujillo to Huaraz took about 9 hours. It was a “Cruz del Sur” bus with semi-cama (half-reclining seats) and it was a comfortable overnight bus ride. We woke up to sunshine and high grasslands, which was a nice change from the arid landscape on the coast. After checking into our hostel, we spent the day acclimatizing to the altitude here and preparing for our trek the next day. Huaraz lies in the Cordillera Blanca of the Andes at an altitude of 3,100m.

The next day we went for a day trek to Laguna 69 in the Huascaran National Park. The park’s 3,000 km² contain 663 glaciers and nearly 300 lakes. We woke up very early and got on the mini-bus to the Huscaran National Park. The ride was bumpy and long, but we eventually got there, passing a pretty turquoise lake on the way. We hiked from 3,900, to 4,600m, where Laguna 69 is found. The hike was very exhausting as the air gets incredibly thin at this altitude. The way there and back took about 6 hours in total, with minimal breaks. Actually only Christoph made it to the top; Cecilia had to stop a bit lower because of stomach issues. The view all around was beautiful with many glaciers, waterfalls and snowy peaks around us. At the top Christoph was rewarded with the view of Laguna 69, but it would have been even nicer had the sun shone and the turquoise colour would have been revealed. Unfortunately on the way down it started to hail and rain, but it was a great hike nevertheless. On the way back to town, we drove by Huascaran mountain, the highest peak of Peru at 6,768m above sea level. The mountain was named after Huáscar, a 16th century Inca chieftain. It was a pretty sight with the later afternoon sun shining on it.

After 20 hours on the bus and 950km later, we finally arrived in Trujillo, Peru. We left at 9pm in Cuenca and arrived the next day in northern Peru’s largest city. The border formalities, performed in the middle of the night, were the weirdest ones we’ve ever been through. We arrived in Piura around 8am and were dropped off at the bus company’s terminal from where we had to take a taxi to the other bus company’s terminal. Very strange arrangement. At this bus terminal we bought our tickets to Trujillo on a semi-fancy bus. It turns out it was a good decision as it was very comfortable. Our seats were reclining, we had a toilet, A/C, DVD and even got breakfast and lunch. As we crossed over the border, the landscape changed dramatically. The fact that the roads were now straight was nice, but it was all surrounded by desert. There was lots of garbage lying around everywhere, it was dusty and we felt like in Afghanistan in the 1980’s. We passed through many ugly mud hut towns or piles of old mud bricks everywhere. It felt kind of depressing, on top of the fact that we were tired. We arrived in Trujillo and walked to our hostel.

We were extremely tired, but figured that if we went to bed now, it would be too difficult to wake up later to walk around. The town didn’t seem nice until we reached the big “Plaza de Armas” which has a few nice colonial buildings and the cathedral around it. Trujillo, founded by Pizarro in 1534 and named after his hometown in Spain. We walked around on the pedestrian street and took some pictures of the pastel-coloured houses with wrought-iron grillwork that typify the city. Although it is nicer than we first thought, the architecture is not even comparable with the colonial cities of Quito and Cuenca in Ecuador. After a nice dinner and shower, we fell into bed.

Due to the proximity of the city with the sea (4 km) and the danger of attack by pirates and privateers, a city wall was built during the colonial period. Its construction was based on the design by Leonardo Da Vinci to the Italian city of Florence. The wall was designed of elliptical shape to save costs in its construction and was completed in 1689. Later, Trujillo became a principle centre of Peruvian republican sentiments influenced by the liberal ideas of its educational institutions. Led by city major José Bernardo de Tagle, the city of Trujillo declared its independence from Spain on 29 December 1820. Between 1821 and 1825 the Trujillo region was the only stable and productive land within the nascent republic. In 1823 Trujillo took on the role of the first capital city of the Republic of Peru. It was from Trujillo on 19 July 1823 that the Peruvian Congress reiterated the invitation to Simon Bolivar to join the war of independence. In 1824 the city received the liberating army of Simon Bolivar, and became the seat of government once again, making it the only city to have twice been made capital of Peru. This city is also known as “La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera” (The City of Eternal Spring), because of its sunny and pleasant weather year-round. The irrigated lands of the Moche River Valley produce sugarcane, rice, and asparagus. Today, industries in the city include the sugar refineries, knitting mills, breweries and the shoe industry. Among the internationally known products of Trujillo, asparagus is exported to neighboring countries, Europe and the US. The areas around Trujillo are among the largest exporters of white asparagus in the world. Peru is the world’s leading exporter of asparagus, followed by China and Mexico.

Although the city is not that special, the surrounding areas have been ground zero for several civilizations prior to the Incas and the Spanish. We signed up for 2 tours around Trujillo. The first one was to visit “Huacas de Moche”, which are the remains of the ancient Moche capital city of “Cerro Blanco” (White Hill). These temples belonged to the Moche civilization which lived in Northern Peru between 100 AD to 800AD. Between the 2 temples, which served only for religious (Huaca de la Luna) and administrative (Huaca del Sol) purposes was located the city with a population of about 20,000 inhabitants. The tour began by visiting the museum where many artifacts found in the temples have been restored and exposed. The Moche people didn’t write, so it is believed that their paintings on pottery served didactic purposes as well. It also explained much about the Moche culture and was well made. The Huaca del Sol, a pyramidal adobe structure on the Rio Moche, is Peru’s largest pre-Columbian structure. However, it was partly destroyed when Spanish Conquistadores mined its graves for gold. It was built of 140 million adobe bricks, but it’s not yet open to the public. Fortunately the nearby Huaca de la Luna has remained largely intact; it contains many colourful murals with complex iconography. Their custom of “burying” old temples under new ones has facilitated preservation and archaeologists are peeling away the layers, which we visited and was beautiful and interesting.

Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous material (in this case ground sea shells), which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to mud brick buildings, which are still being built in the area today. Adobe buildings account for some of the oldest existing buildings in the world. In hot climates, compared with wooden buildings, adobe buildings offer significant advantages due to their greater thermal mass, but they are known to be particularly susceptible to earthquake damage. This is why high walls were built in a trapezoidal shape (larger at the base, narrower at the top).

The Moche, which co-existed with the Ica-Nazca culture in the South, was particularly known for its elaborately painted ceramics, gold work, monumental constructions (huacas) and irrigation systems. Moche society was agriculturally based, with a significant level of investment in the construction of a network of irrigation canals for the diversion of river water to supply their crops. Their culture was sophisticated; and their artifacts express their lives, with detailed scenes of hunting, fishing, fighting, sacrifice, sexual encounters and elaborate ceremonies. Although agriculture and fishing were the most important economic activities, the Moche had craftsmen dedicated to making pottery, gold, etc. Human sacrifice played a significant part in Moche religious practices: gladiators would fight and the losers would be tied by the hands and neck. They would then be prepared by the high priests for sacrifice. Their throats would be slit and the blood collected. With everyone watching, the high priest would perform a ceremony where he would sprinkle the blood of the victims on the ground to ensure agricultural fertility. This was also done to calm the anger of the gods who “demanded blood”. The demise of the Moche political structure is believed to have been caused by an environmental change: a super El Niño, that resulted in 30 years of intense rain and flooding followed by 30 years of drought. These weather events could have disrupted the Moche way of life and shattered their faith in their religion, which had promised stable weather through sacrifices. This is believed to have caused the people to move closer to the ocean and change to become the Chimu civilization.

The second tour brought us to Chan Chan, the largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, covering an area of approximately 20km². Chan Chan was constructed by the Chimor (the kingdom of the Chimú), a civilization which grew out of the remnants of the Moche civilization. But unlike the Moche, the Chimu was not a religious society, but was ruled by a powerful secular elite and king.

The vast adobe city of Chan Chan was built by the Chimu around AD 850 and lasted until its conquest by the Inca Empire in 1470AD. It was the imperial capital of the Chimor until it was conquered in the 15th century. It is estimated that around 30,000 people lived in the city of Chan Chan and must have been a dazzling site. Even today we were impressed by the vast area of crumbling mud walls stretching away into the distance. The city is composed of ten royal compounds (each new king built his own palace), which housed ceremonial rooms, burial chambers, temples, reservoirs and some royal residences. We visited the Tschudi complex, one of the later ones. Its walls once stood 10m high are were covered with impressive friezes of fish, waves & sea life. The Chimú resided on the North coast of Peru, a narrow strip of desert between the Pacific and the Western slopes of the Andes, crossed here and there by short rivers which start in the rainier mountains and provide a series of green and fertile oases. The valley plains are very flat and well-suited to irrigation, which is probably as old as agriculture here. Fishing was also very important and was almost considered as important as agriculture to the Chimu. The Chimú were known to have worshipped the moon, unlike the Inca, who worshipped the sun. The Chimu viewed the sun as a destroyer. This is likely due to the harshness of the sun in their desert environment. Offerings played an important role in religious rites. A common object for offerings, as well as one used by artisans, was the shell of the Spondylus shellfish, which live only in the warm coastal waters off present-day Ecuador. It was associated with the sea, rainfall, and fertility. Spondylus shells were also highly valued and traded by the Chimú. The Incas conquered the Chimu around 1460, causing the end of the civilization. When Pizarro discovered Chan Chan, he was followed by other Conquistadors who looted the city. Today, the city is threatened by erosion due to heavy rains, flooding and strong winds.

The next day Christoph visited the Museum of “El Señor de Sipán”, near the city of Chiclayo. The Lord of Sipán tomb is a Moche culture site and its discovery is considered comparable with that of Tutankhamun in Egypt. Some archaeologists hold it to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in this region of the world in the last 30 years, as the main tomb was found intact and untouched by thieves. The clothing of this warrior and ruler suggest he was approximately 1.67 m tall and probably died within three months of governing. His jewelry and ornaments indicate he was of the highest rank, and include pectoral, necklaces, nose rings, ear rings, helmets, falconry and bracelets. Most were made of gold, silver, copper and semi-precious stones. In his tomb were found more than 400 jewels. Because of his high rank, the ruler was buried with eight people, apparently his wife and two other women (possibly concubines), a military commander, a watchman, a banner holder and a child. Among the animals found were dogs and llamas. The warriors who were buried with him had amputated feet, as if to prevent them leaving the tomb. It was interesting to see all the riches of this royal tomb. Afterwards the tour continued to Tucume, which emcompasses 26 major adobe pyramids and mounds of the Lambayeque culture (later conquered by the Chimu). The area is referred to as Purgatorio by local people. This site was a major regional center, maybe even the capital of the successive occupations of the area by the Lambayeque/Sican (800-1350 AD), Chimú (1350–1450 AD) and Inca (1450–1532 AD). Local shaman healers invoke power of Tucume and La Raya Mountain in their rituals, and local people fear these sites. Hardly anyone other than healers venture out in this site at night. The pyramids are cool, but there is not much to see as they have not been opened (excavated). Overall these tours to the archeological sites were really interesting and a great way to learn about many of the pre-Inca cultures of Peru before going to visit the old Inca empire itself.

We also went to Huanchaco, a small fisher town close to Trujillo. It has evolved into a surfer’s destination due to great waves. They were indeed perfect and Cecilia would have loved to jump in, but there was no time. The fishermen in the area still use reed boats (“caballitos de totora”, literally “little reed horses” in English). These “little reed horses”, named for the way they are ridden, straddled, have been used by Peruvian fishermen for the past 3,000 years. They use them to transport their nets and collect fish in their inner cavity. Fishermen 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. The boats are kept on the beach and it’s a wonderful sight, especially at sunset.

Cuenca, named after the founder’s home town in Spain, is a small jewel in the Southern highlands at an altitude of 2,500m above sea level. The centre of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of its many historical buildings. Many people like to compare the architectural beauty of Quito and Cuenca. To us Quito was prettier, but Cuenca definitely has its charm and we spent 4 days there taking it in.

Cuenca was originally a Cañari settlement called Guapondeleg. It is believed to have been founded around 500 AD. Guapondeleg translates into “land as big as heaven.” Less than half a century before the conquistadors landed, the Incas, after a bitter struggle, conquered the Cañari and occupied Guapondeleg and the surrounding area. Though the Incas replaced the Cañari architecture with their own, they did not suppress the Cañari or their impressive achievements in astronomy and agriculture. As was customary for the Incas, they absorbed useful achievements into their culture. They renamed the city Tomebamba. The city became known as the second Cusco, a regional capital. After the defeat of the Cañari, the Inca commander, Tupac Yupanqui, ordered the construction of a grand city to be called Pumapungo, “the door of the Puma”. Its magnificence was to challenge that of the Inca capital of Cuzco. Indians told stories to the Spanish chroniclers of golden temples and other such wonders, but by the time the Spaniards found the legendary city, all that remained were ruins. We visited the ruins of Pumapungo which lie on a small hill between Calle Larga and the Tomebamba river. Today, the city’s full name is Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca.

In the city we visited the Old and the New Cathedrals, and admired the nice colonial houses. The Old Cathedral, built in the 16^th century has been converted into a museum. We got a guide who explained lots of interesting things about the building and the crypt. Eventually the cathedral was though to be too small for the congregation, so the New Cathedral (“Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción”) was built to accommodate 9,000 of the city’s 10,000 inhabitants at the time. Unfortunately the bell towers were never built because the architect miscalculated something and cracks started to appear in the foundation. So construction was stopped and the 2 bells were donated to the cathedral in Guayaquil, leaving this one with truncated towers. The 2 cathedrals are separated by Parque Calderon, a nice park with benches where lots of locals hang out.

One day we went to Ingapirca, an archeological site about 2 hours outside Cuenca. We took a guide to visit the sight and it was really interesting. Without the guide, just looking at a few old stones would have been boring, but the tour was great. The region was home to the Canari people from about 900BC and the Canari had a temple here. The matriarch society of the Canari worshipped the Moon as their God. When the Inca came, there were fierce fights between the two, but eventually they lived together in Ingapirca. This is why Ingapirca has 2 sections, one dedicated to the Moon (God of the Canari) and one dedicated to the Sun (God of the Inca). Slowly the Inca gained more power. The site is designed in such a way to portray this: Ingapirca is shaped like a puma with the Canari part at the feet since they were strong workers and warriors and the Inca at the head since they were the thinkers. Ingapirca, meaning “Inca Wall” sits at an altitude of 3,100m above sea level. Actually, all Inca temples are above 3,000m in order to be closer to the sun and hence God. The patriarch Inca worshipped the Sun as the supreme god with the Moon being a second God. On the site there are both sun and moon calenders with which they calculated harvests and other important dates. The coexistence of the 2 cultures with their 2 beliefs is also symbolized in the fact that the shape of the moon and the sun are both present in Ingapirca. Overall it was a really insightful tour where we learnt a lot about these old cultures.

While in Cuenca, Christoph took a quick Spanish course. Although his Spanish is very good, he wanted to freshen it up a little and took 3 times 2 hours. He had fun and we even went to a cooking class (in Spanish!) organized by the school. We made chicken empanadas and they were really delicious. It was a fun afternoon and we hope to get the recipe so we can make them at home as well. We also went to a free concert given by the Cuenca Symphonic Orchestra. The beginning was kind of slow, but it finished with some nice pieces and made for a nice evening out. One day we went to Plaza Rotary where a form of witchcraft is being done. People with bodily ailments, bad luck or those wishing for good luck go see old ladies for a cure. The old ladies use a bundle of herbs and magic spells to get rid of the bad spirits and cure the patient. It was fascinating to watch pregnant women, children and people of all sorts being treated. We also went to a market which was very rich and colourful. It was a pleasure to look at all the exotic fruit stands. At markets they always have a section where you can buy some food to eat there, so we had a choclo corn pancake and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Both were really yummy and a perfect snack.

Talking about food, Cuenca is a great place to eat. Next to our hostel we discovered 2 great places: “Broadway Grill” for lunch and “Le Cigale” for dinner. “Broadway Grill” was a small Ecuadorian place serving one set $2 menu per day. It changed every day, but it was always really good. Often we didn’t even know what was on the menu, but it was a pleasant surprise every time. Some of the menus included:

• potato soup, beef stew with rice & salad, juice & ice cream
• crab, fish & shrimp soup, tortilla omelet w/ guacamole and mixed rice (carrots, green beans, minced meat, peas, lentils, tamarindo juice and apple marinated in red wine as dessert
• soup, pork Stroganoff with veggies, baked potato with butter, salad, juice and fruit

Everything was really nicely presented and delicious, so we think the cook is a chef at some fancy restaurant in the evenings.

In the evenings, we went to different restaurants, but the one that we liked the most was “Le Cigale”, also a few doors down from our hostel. This place served more international food, but the prices were also accordingly. One dinner we had tilapia filet with garlic sauce and chicken with honey-mustard sauce everything served with potato gratin and salad. Their cordon bleu and grilled veggie sandwich were also delicious. The cheesecake and chocolate mousse also attracted us a few times. Our last evening in Cuenca we went for dinner with John to eat a South American speciality: guinea pig! It is roasted whole and served with potatoes and choclo, a sort of white corn. There is not much meat on it, mainly bones and crispy skin. It wasn’t bad and we were happy to have tried it, but we don’t necessarily need to eat it again.

Overall Cuenca was a great place to spend a few days and take in the atmosphere of this cute Ecuadorian town before continuing on to Peru.