Blogs from Trujillo, Peru, South America - page 12

Temple of the Sun and the Moon We left for our tour this morning with low expectations. If the temples were like yesterday, then we’d been disappointed by the amount of rebuilding that had been done. However, we were far from disappointed. Huacas del Sol and la Luna were outstanding. They dated as far back as the Moche period who adorned the walls of the temple in colourful symbolic patterns and since it had been covered by sand until 20 years ago they were really well preserved. Unlike at Chan Chan, they are only preserving the temple, not rebuilding it. Some parts were remarkably intact and the scale of the pyramid temple was immense. Our afternoon trip took us out to a a horse riding and dance show. There was only us and another couple watching ... read more

17.10.2009 Kaum zu glauben, dass ich nun schon seit fast einer Woche unterwegs bin. Es hat etwas gedauert, bis ich angekommen bin, und damit meine ich nicht nur den zweitaegigen Flug, der von einer Nacht in Newark/New Jersey unterbrochen wurde. Seit zwei Jahren habe ich diese Reise geplant, und trotzdem fuehlte ich mich ueberrumpelt, als ich in Limas naechtlichem Chaos landete: als sei ich ploetzlich von einem grossen Vogel verschlungen und eine Viertelumdrehung der Erde weiter in einer fremden Umgebung ausgespuckt worden. Von Lima habe ich nicht viel gesehen, zum einen, weil es eingehuellt war in dem undurchdringlichen feucht-kalten Garúa-Nebel, der fuer diese Zeit des Jahres charakteristisch ist fuer die peruanische Kueste, andererseits, weil ich mich muede und frierend unter den leicht muffigen Decken meines Bettes zusammenrollte und mich fragte, warum ich nicht einfach ma... read more

A tiny bridge across a small river forms the border between Ecuador and Peru. However, there seems to be a world of difference between the two countries, the most noticeable contrast so far. On the Ecuadorian side there were lush green fields on the Peruvian side its very dry and desert like. The villages in Peru are much scruffier, the vehicles a bit more battered, the rubbish dumps are at the side of the road with plastic bag blowing around and catching on all the bushes and fences - it definitely has a 'rough around the edges' feel to it. A few miles into Peru we hit the real desert and spend the next 2 days travelling through the vast flat expanse of the Sechura desert on long, long straight roads that disappear away into a ... read more

I spent my 20th birthday in a beachside town named Huanchaco, just 20 minutes outside of Trujillo. It was a strange feeling having a birthday with no friends or family around you. It didn't really feel like a birthday at all. I wonder how Christmas will feel? Huanchaco was pleasant enough there, but the sun just didn't want to show itself. The beach was more like a grey british seaside town! Nonetheless we saw some great sights in the area. We visited the ancient ruins of Chan Chan which are dated back around 2000 years to the Chimu people. The ruins were absolutely enormous! Palaces in England are like tiny dots in comparison. Just the function room was as big as the whole area of a normal British castle. I was totally blown away by the ... read more

Peru: 4th - 11th September 2009 Peru has been our first plunge into South America, and our pace has been much more frenetic than any stop so far. Anyone keeping up with our travels would agree that our trip to date would not necessarily be described as typical of the “backpacker scene.” It's true - we've turned away from the ways of the backpacker. It's just that when you get older, you start questioning things: is there wifi? What about a washing machine? Can I get Plummet Air Points for this purchase? While we carry guidebooks with us, we rarely referenced the section titled “Accommodation,” focusing more on the actual sights and tipping protocol. In Europe, it was easy to more or less create a mobile version of our prior domestic lifestyle. But, for South America, ... read more