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Published: March 29th 2014
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DAYS 38 - 39 After our late arrival yesterday we had pretty much a normal sleep ready for another busy day. First off we hired a guide for a tour of the museum, Lords of Sipan (English translation). The museum is a new purpose built facility that specifically houses the remarkable treasures of gold, silver, copper, turquoise, artefacts, ceramics weapons etc which were found in burial sites all along the North Peruvian Coast. The findings belonged to a previously unknown Moche culture that preceded the Incas by several centuries.
The Sipan discoveries were the most lavish tombs found & only occurred in 1987 after one lesser tomb was plundered but others remained completely undisturbed & put under protection & intensive study by local & international experts. The tombs were much deeper than the Incas & probably the main reason they remained undetected by the Spanish. Over 5000 artefacts have been recovered & are in remarkable condition or subject to extensive restoration ( unfortunately no photography allowed.)
The findings were initially thought to be Inca sites but after more detailed study of the ceramics, it was found that all facits of their history, gods, and whole culture was represented on
Trujillo Plaza
Cathedral in background the intact ceramics and well preserved due to a lacquer like coating from the oil of a seed. These ceramic images were far more intricate than all other known iconography & a clue that they belonged to a different culture. The images were also used to enabled the restorers to accurately complete their work. The ceramics & all the other valuables of The Lords (including living & sacrificed concubines) were buried together to accompany them to the next life.
Conch & other mollusc shells were even more valuable than gold (as only found in The Lord's tomb) because they did not exist in Peru so when they arrived from Equador it meant that the summer rains were near & crops would be able to sustain life.
Early afternoon we had a brief tour of the witch's market before a 3 hr drive to Trujillo. The market supposedly has a potion for every condition known to man including medical, health, sexual function plus animal skins, talismans etc. most came in fancy printed boxes so not so sure of there effectiveness.
Friday
Today was a long day & night with a full day in the city & evening
in the nearby beach side town of Huanchaco before an 11 pm departure by overnight bus trip to arrive in Lima around 8 am.
Due to the long day we bypassed the optional morning tour of the Temple of the Sun & Temple of the Moon & believed to be the ceremonial & living centre of Moche culture. Saw some photo's of those in the group that went & certainly had some brilliantly frescoed tombs. The Sun temple is closed for study while in between the two are the remains of a town in the midst of excavation.
Instead we wandered down to the impressive centre of Trujillo with a long pedestrian mall bisecting the town leading to the Plaza de Armas ( or main square found in almost every South American City). The plaza is flanked by many elaborate colonial buildings including the obligatory cathedral which in this case had beautiful frescoed ceilings.
In the afternoon we toured around Chan Chan, a huge ruined capital city of the Chimu empire who conquered the Moche but who in turn were conquered by the Inca's. While the ruins have been badly eroded over time & subject to some
pretty ordinary renovations it's still possible to appreciate the immensity of the site ( one of 9 but the only one open to the public) and the complexity of the construction & some insight as to what the city might have looked like. The city was a vast maze of temples, palaces, living & storage sections, community rooms all reached by narrow pathways with the whole city surrounded by immense walls. A nearby museum of relics & artifacts were brought to life by the explanations of our local guide.
In the late afternoon we watched the sunset over the Pacific and had dinner at a local restaurant with loud Latin music before taxi back to Trujillo to pick-up luggage & head to the bus station.
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