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Published: January 18th 2011
After spending our first weekend in Peru with the Cuba’s, Chuck and I spent 44 of the next 72 hours on a bus. First, we took an overnight bus from Lima to Huaraz. Next, we had a twelve hour bus tour to Yungay and a lagoon. The following day there was another 12 hour bus tour to another lagoon, through a mountain tunnel, and Chavin. Finally, we had another overnight bus from Huaraz to Trujillo where we toured the city and three nearby archaeological zones.
Huaraz, north of Lima, is situated between the cordillera blanca and negra. It was a nice town with beautiful views. Our only regret is that we didn’t have more time. It would have been nice to get to know the town itself, but there just was not enough time to do so.
The lagoons were pretty and peaceful, although I really don’t understand why they are considered lagoons and not lakes.
On our way we stopped in the town of Carhuaz for beer flavored ice cream, which was actually quite tasty.
Yungay was a town in a mountain valley that was buried by a landslide that was triggered by an earthquake back
in 1970. The few residents who survived did so by fleeing to the top of a hilltop cemetery, which was the only place in town high enough to not be buried. Where the town once stood there is now a memorial park dedicated to the lost town and the majority of its residents.
Our second day in Huaraz we travelled to the ruin site and museum focused on Chavin. To get there we travelled up and over a mountain, one side of which drains to the Pacific and the other side to Atlantic. Really we did not go over the mountain, but through the Cahuish tunnel. Interestingly, on our way to Cahvin it was sunny and warm while on our return trip it was raining, then snowing, then raining (depending upon altitude).
Chavin is one of the oldest cities and cultures in Peru. It dates to 1300 BCE. The ruins consisted of a handful of structures, two plazas, and the remains of an irrigation system. Within one of the structures remains a labyrinth and galleries featuring carved monuments. One feature I found particularly interesting was that one of the plazas resembles the circular kivas of the southwestern United
States. Most of the remaining statues, ceramics, and other pieces are on display at the nearby museum.
After Huaraz we took another overnight bus to Trujillo, a coastal town located to the north of Lima. Trujillo was founded in 1535 and named after the birthplace of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. There are many colonial houses and buildings with beautiful wooden balconies and window grills remaining in the center of town. One of the homes was home to Simon Bolivar and the town served as the seat of his revolutionary government.
While in Trujillo we visited the area archaeological site of Chan Chan and the Temples of the Rainbow and of the Sun and the Moon. The Temple of the Rainbow owes its name to the carvings of rainbows covering its inner walls. Chan Chan was the center of the Chimu culture, which thrived from the first to the 15th century. The site is very expansive covering 7 ½ square miles. The Temples of the Sun and the Moon were built by the Moche people. The Temple of the Moon is covered with beautifully carved and painted frescoes. Each of the sites was impressive and the guides were very
informative; certainly worth the visit.
From Trujillo, Chuck and I flew back to Lima to meet our friends Andy and Patti, who will travel with us for ten days visiting Lima, Ica, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. We are looking forward to their arrival and to sharing another vacation with them.
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Leila & Chuck
Marmie
non-member comment
Beautiful!