May 30, Saturday

We went to breakfast at 8:30 am and since the American breakfast is included in the price of the hotel we had it again. It consists of eggs, rolls, coffee or tea and juice. I am getting tired of eggs every day, but this time I was able to get them with a bit of ham and cheese, so it furnished a bit of variety. I had the papaya juice which I could drink every day. The fruit is so much more tasty here than in Corvallis.

We planned to visit two museums today if we don´t get too tired especially with Beth´s cold and Allen´s problems from the antibiotics and my infirmities in general. One is the Bruning Museum and the other is the Lord of Sipan Museum. They are about four block apart in a small town 11 km outside of Chiclayo called Leyesque or someting similar.

We walked about four blocks to a bus station and got on a van that holds about 12 passengers, the driver, and a young man who opens and closes the door and collected the ca. 40 cents from each of us for the fare. It was a chicken van,that is, it stunk of gasoline fumes, and the motor was loud and seemed like it was on its last legs, but we arrived at the two museums in the small town in about 15 minutes.

The Bruning museum showed all the different cultures in the area from about 10,000 years BCE to the Incas of the 14th and 15th century after Christ. The development of large organized societies began about the time of Christ. What was surprising to me was that the Moche, which were dominant in one area around Chiclayo from about the first to the eighth century after Christ were incredibly talented artists and craftsmen. Their ceramic works, and ornaments and jewelry they created would measure up to the finest artists of today.

Before the second museum we stopped for lunch and I had a turkey wing in a marvelous peanut flavored, mild curry sauce with rice on the side and we ordered a pitcher of that chicas morada (sp?) drink. Beth and Allen shared a great fruit salad and some meat with rice. Again, oo much food. And my turkey was a disapointment not becasue of the wonderful sauce, but I did not know I was getting a wing, and I struggled to get any meat off it.

The vast majority of the second museum, that of the Tomb of the Lord of Sipan contained the findings from that tomb and a few others, but dominated by the Lord's tomb. This tomb, discovered in 1987 rivals the finding of the King Tut tomb in Egypt in 1923, So one can say that the former is the most significant archeological discovery in the latter half of the 20th century.

This ruler lived about 1600 year ago, and from all the splendid artifacts they found buried with him, archeologists have deduced that he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ruler in many centuries. If you were lucky enough to see the King Tut exhibit that toured the U.S. about 30 years ago, you can get an idea of the splendor of this exhibit. The ceramics, gold, silver and copper ornaments and jewelry are bereathtaking. Photos of some of these artifacts can be seen on the following website.

And much of this would have been looted by grave robbers or taken away by the Peruvian government if the Peruvian archeologist, Walter Alve, had not taken charge and personally resisted the thieves, as well as the government.

After the two museums we were exhausted and hopped a taxi for the 7 milre ride back to the hotel for a cost of $3.33 U.S.

I mailed some postcards for all of us and we had dinner in the hotel, which was a bit more expensive, but we used a free drink coupon and Allen and I each had a Pisco Soue, which,if I have not mentioned it before, is the national drink of Peru. It was not as strong as the one I had before, but HEY, it was free,

Dinner for me was a national dish consistin fo a milky soup iith shrimp and langostino (tiny lobters). It was extremely taty, and my only hesitation to recommend it is thatit needed a wet cloth to clean the fingers, since one had to peel the langostino. Oh yes, I had a Cuscueño rubio beer.

Beth and Allen shared a mashed potato dish stuffed with chicken and other goodies, Both oor dishes are considered tradional dishes of Peru, the origin of the potato.

Then it was off to our separate rooms for R and R.


ALfredo

May 29, Friday

Today was another travel day. We had our breakfast and prepared to go to the bus station. This time the bus was not as well appointed, but since the ride was to be only three hours we were not concerned.

We boarded shortly before leaving at 11:30 a.m and this time we went upstairs to the front seats. This gave us a panoramic view of the countryside.

Once again we passed much desert and some sad little towns made of a mixture of adobe and regular bricks, but after about an hour it began to green up which made for much more pleasant viewing. We passed fields of corn and sugar cane, and palm trees as well as other trees and bushes. Still the small towns did not appear very prosperous. They were just dusty pueblos that one might see in a western movie taking place in northern Mexico.

Then we arrived in Chiclayo, and suddenly we were in a city that could have been in southern California. The hotel was definitely one of a better class. Beth and Allen have a jacuzzi in their room, and we both have air conditioning which is welcome as the afternoon temperature climbed to about 80 degrees.

After settling in we walked about a mile to the bus station to purchase our tickets for the return to Lima on Tuesday morning. This will give us three full days in the Chiclayo area. We plan to look at more spectacular ruins and museums full of artifacts from the early civilizations in the area. Many of the treasures in the museums are the direct result of the actions of a famous archeologist, Walter Alva, who, according to Allen, personally went to the local sites with a gun to stop the looting of the tombs in the area.

On Monday we will go to an ecological reserve, where we are assured that we will see spectacled bears, the smallest of the bear family and found only in the Andes region. we should have a good chance of spotting an Andean Condor or two and many other of the 143 bird species that have been seen in the area. Althuhg there are pumas (cougars) in the reserve, they are secretive and we most likely will not catch a glimpse of them.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped at a tour agency to get information about the next three days and at the main plaza to study the city map. Then it was off to a nearby restaurant where again we feasted for the total price for the three of us of $16.00 including a generous tip.

I had spaghetti alfredo while Beth and Allen split a mixed grill of chicken, beef and chorizo with fries as well as a salad containing lettuce, tomato, cucumber and about half a large avocado. We shared our dishes so I got to taste some of their food and they had some of the spaghetti. They drank water and coke and I had my Cusceño beer, this time a "rubio" color. Rubio means blonde, but I would call it an amber ale.

Then it was back to the hotel to get set up for tomorrow. We will take a bus to two of the mussums that Allen wants to visit and will require our getting an early start.

Allen's cough is mucho mejor, that is, much better, but the antibiotics have taken another toll on his system. Hopefully a good night´s rest will help.

Now I am off to watch a bit of TV or read. Sorry, that there are no photos. Maybe Beth can show me how to upload a couple mañana.

May 28, Trujillo

Another day starting with the same breakfast at 9:00 a.m. After our meal we walked about four blocks to a bus station to buy our tickets for the 3-1/2 hour, northward ride to Chiclaya.

After returning to the hotel and reading a bit, we went to lunch where again we had the menu of the day. I had fish la plancha, with a broccoli cake (very yummy) and rice and french fries. Of course, I added a beer from Cusco called Cusqueña. This brand comes in different darknesses and I tried the dark one this time. Dessert was a pudding with a bit of chocolate on top all for under $7.00 with tip.

After lunch we went to our rooms to wait for our guide. Just before 2:00 p.m. he showed up with a fancy van and we were off to the Temples of the Sun and of the Moon. These are actually called Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna are located a few kilometers south of Trujillo at the foot of Cerra Blanca (White Mountain)next to a tributary of the Moche River, named after the people who built them 1700 years previously.


It is difficult to describe these two immense structures 200 yweards apart separated by a level, open plain. The more interesting structure is Huaca de la Luna, in part, because the excavation has revealed incredibly beautiful friezes in relief with many still colored vividly. It was built from 140 million adobe bricks, and while some of it has been destroyed and looted over the centuries, excavations continue to expose more beautiful artifacts.


Evidence shows the sacrifice of large numbers of individuals at thee Huaca de la Luna. At one event, most likely connected to a very destructive El Niño, at least 34 adult males were sacrificed. They seened to do a lot of decapitation, as there are many depictions of someone, part god and part human, referred to by our guide as the "Decapitater."



The open space between the two temples showed evidence of a high level of manufacturing and industrial activity and a high population density.

After quite a bit of walking and the taking of a multitude of photos, we retunred to our hotel for a bit of a rest. I lay down and heard music outside. I thought it might be a parade, but I was too tired to rise for about one-half hour, so I listened in a state of half sleep. Since the music continued, I finally went to the front desk to ask aout it and was told that we were next door to a music college, and the band was practicing. Back in my room I read a bit more, and then we headed out for a bit of dinner. This time I ordered a small chorizo sandwich amd a beer for about $2.80 total. Allen and Beth split a club sandwich for about $4.00.

Afterwards they returned to the hotel and I walked to the main plaza (Plaza del Armes)hoping to find some music or other entertainment. But the plaza was quiet, so I walked back to the hotel, stopping in a couple of shops to look at the wares being sold.

Finally I wrote this blog and will now head up to pack and read a bit. I tried to add a photo or two, but I was not able to since Beth has retired and the room is quiet -- no coughing by Allen.

May 27, Trujillo

I woke up today in a pretty good mood. The three of us had our usual breakfast of scrambled eggs, pineapple juice, rolls with butter and marmelade and coffee.

After breakfast, Allen went back to the doctor whilc Beth and I walked to the Archeological Museum. A young man at the museum entrance asked if we wanted a guide, but Beth's Spanish, with a bit of help from my dictionary got us through very nicely.

We learned about a number of cultures, the most important being the Mochi, the Chimu and the Inca. The Mochi ceramics were as fine as any produced today by accomplished artists. We also saw some dioramas and models of Chan Chan, the largest prehispanic city in the new world.

Afterwards we picked up Allen aand went to lunch. We all ordered an exquisite soup of creamed flounder, and I got an avocado salad with an entire huge avocado which we shared while they ordered some chicken which we also shared. We split a pitcher of a drink called chicha morada which seemed to taste a bit like plums but with other freuity tastes also. It was quite yummy. My entire cost for the lunch with tip wa about $7.00

After lunch we were picked up by a guide from Trujillo Tours and first taken to the Rainbow Temple. The drive through the city was difficult for me because of the excessive pollution to the point I had to wear my charcoal mask the entire time and still by the end of the day my chest was sore from breathing the filth in the air, primarily ozone. The Temple which covered at least a city block was quite impresive with its several levels, and wall decorations of sea otters, and other creatures in relief. We reached the top level by a combination of steps and ramps, where we saw a sacrifical alter.


Next we went to Chan Chan. This city, built around the year 1400 by the Chimu, and consisting of 140 million bricks, was awe inspiring in its gegraphic scope and complexity. The small part we saw had nine palaces, storage rooms, wells, burial places and much more. Although a great deal of the structures have been worn away by periodic floods and rains resulting from the periodic El Ninos, the remains still inspire awe, with some walls 30 feet high and 8 feet thick and decorated with friezes in relief. We probably walked about a mile through some of the city, but I think the guide said that the ciy covered an area of 20 square kilometers in its heyday so there was much more to it, and much of it has yeat to be excavated.

After Chan Chan we drove to an ocean vilage where we saw several dozen reed fishing boats standing on end in the sand next to the street. These boats which are the size of a kayak can be built in a couple of hours and last about a month before they become too waterlogged and are discarded. Fishermen often go out a couple of miles into the ocean on these boats which to me seems quite dangerous, but I guess they have been doing it this way for a thousand years or maybe much longer. I was not sure of the time they were first used.

After this tour we returned to the Karianka Hotel for a bit of a rest and then went out for a simple dinner. It turned out that the hamburgers we ordered were immense, and along with that Beth ordered some fruit salad in yogurt which we shared. Then we returned to the hotel to await the morrow when we will take another tour, this time to the Temples of the Sun and Moon.

Tuesday, May 26 in Trujillo

I woke up feeling refreshed, and after the morning ablutions met Allen and Beth for a delicious breakfast in our hotel (Karianka). I had pineapple juice, coffee, rolls with butter and marmelade, and scrambled eggs.

Allen had not slept well and was still coughing, so he went to the doctor while Beth and I walked around town looking for the office of Trujillo Tours. After a few wrong turns we found the office and got the information we needed to arrange tours for the next day or two.

We returned to the hotel to find Allen lying down- He had been given three prescriptions by the doc, and was relaxing. I went to my room with his Lonely Planet guide book and chose three possible restaurants. We walked about two blocks to one where I had a Pisco drink (Pisco is the national liquor of Peru and is about 84% alohol.) I then ordered the menu of the day which was both very tasty and cheap. First a salad with avacado, then chicken with rice nicely flavored and a dessert with pears and apple juice.

Allen returned to the hotel and relaxed while Beth and I searched for the Archeological Museum.
Unfortunately the museum was closing for the day, so we wandered to the main plaza and then returned to the hotel.

After a bit of a rest, Beth and I went to the El Carmen Monasterywhich was suposed to have 150 paintings and was supposed to be open. It was closed for restoration due to a 1970 eathquake, but we were let in and given a tour by a nice young man and were able to view part of the collection as well as the church proper.

From there we headed toward the cathedral, stopping in the courtyard of the bishop´s palace, and then on to the cathedral and its museum on the main palza (Plaza del Armes) but again we were not able to see the museum, but we did go through the church. Much of the architecture wa baroque to the nth degree. It was all very beautiful.

It s now about 6 pm and getting dark. I am not sure what we will do for supper. Let´s wait and see.