Peru without Marmalade!

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…… and here is that afore mentioned instalment.

Your correspondent arrived here via a bus and an article read in the Peruvian press by W. The article held promise of a relaxed city with a plaza surrounded by colourful town halls and cathedrals. The article was not without accuracy.

There are two main attractions here, one being Chan Chan , the other being Huaca de Luna. With names like these how could they be resisted. We asked our landlady who was attired in a luxurious velvety green dressing gown how to get to Chan Chan and she told us to leave the hostal, turn left and get a local bus. To the amazement of your correspondent, this proved a most correct set of directions.

Chan Chan is staggering. Although built much later than Chivan ( see previous blog) it was fascinating to see. Built from adobe ( sand, clay and water) it has stood many trials from the land, but serves as a reminder that there were many important cultures in this area. Your correspondent did wonder how all the local tribes were happy for one to be pre-eminently more important than another, but decided it was all decided by playing darts.

It is a stirring place to visit. Under the hot sun, we wandered around the areas so far discovered, as opposed to those not yet found. W had to drag me back as I wandered off in to the desert with a shovel in my paw determined to find more!! In fact, the resident archaeologists didn’t seem to be too keen on my arrival either – must have been my new deodorant !!!

Getting a bus there was easy, so I guessed it would be easy to get one back. Indeed there was a combi ( a small bus) ready and I asked if it was going to Trujillo. The driver nodded amicably so we jumped in. What I didn’t ask was if he was going anywhere close to the centre of town or of he was merely going round the suburbs and planning to leave us in an area so rough that even rough people wouldn’t go. I envisaged an area of cut throats and violent footpads who would politely ask if there was any possibility of removing our belongings from our persons.

In fact none of that happened as we got off the bus when we realised it were going in t‘wrong direction and had a leisurely stroll in to town.

That, however is not a very exciting story.

The day following, that would be the next one, we ventured to Huaca de Luna which is another ancient settlement nearby. I could bore you with another bus journey and going the wrong way, but that would be too much excitement for my dear readers. This settlement was in much better condition and had the most amazing remains of drawings on the walls. Sadly, we were guided around by a Peruvian lady who had learned her English via Hollywood. She also had shaved her eyebrows and replaced them with black mascara.

This took up the attention of your correspondent and so he cannot remember all the details that she told. That or the beer had taken effect.

After Trujillo, we travelled north and stayed a few days in the towns of Chicalayo and Piura. Nothing happens in these places and so do not get commented on apart from a great bar that served the most fantastic ceviche

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Comments

[Sandra]

Dominoes
what does it say about me that I thought they looked like shortbread biscuits? Oooh, giant shortbread....

[ola]

"no imagination these people ..."
Houses all looking the same reminded me of Coronation Street! lol Perhaps the lady with the shaved eye brows wanted her mascara to demonstrate her permanent state of shock - it's a very common phenomenon in Nigeria too.

[Kathy]

love the shoes!! p.s I'm a size 8 ;-) x