Trujillo and Chan Chan, Peru

Jan 2002

Trujillo - the last stop for Jeremy and I on the gringo trail in Peru.  Trujillo is situated on the north coast of Peru and home to Chan Chan - the huge ruined capital of the Chimu Empire.  Also in the area are several temples built by the Chimu and the earlier Moche. 

Feeling slightly intimidated by all the ruins, we ended hiring a local guide called Michael White to take us around all the major ruins and the Archaeological Museum.  Have to say he is one of the best guides we encountered in Peru - his knowledge of the area being almost encyclopaedic right down to the measurements of various walls and other structures.  Wow!  So if you go there ... pay the extra money and get Michael to take you around.  He's recommended in the Lonely Planet and most of the local travel agencies will be able to put you in touch with him.  He definitely made our visit.

Chan Chan Ruins

Chan Chan was built by the Chimu culture around 1300AD.  Covering 28sq km, it is the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas and the largest mud city in the world.  At the height of the Chimu Empire, it housed an estimated 60,000 inhabitants and contained a vast wealth of gold, silver and ceramics.  Most of this treasure remained intact after the Chimu's conquest by the Incas.  It was only after the Spaniards arrived that the looting began and the place was comprehensively cleared out.  After centuries of pillaging by huaqueros (literally means robbers of temples), only the walls remain.  Even these are under threat due to El Nino, devastating floods and heavy rainfalls.  It's not easy being a mud brick city.

Have to say, what remains (and has been partially restored) is still pretty impressive.  We saw the Tschudi Complex, the most complete of the nine royal palaces in the city.  It was amazing walking around and seeing the molded decorations on walls depicting with monkeys, fish, pelicans (complete with fish inside bill!) and other motifs. 

Also cool was the smell of salt in the air - a little reminder of Chan Chan being close to the coast.

Central plaza or parade ground.

Pond.

Ruins

More ruins.

Apparently, they inject a mixture of cactus juice into the walls to keep them preserved against the elements. 

La Huaca Arco Iris (or Rainbow Temple aka Huaca del Dragon)

Probably the best preserved temple in the area, the Rainbow Temple was definitely the most spectacular from my point of view.  It was covered in sand until the 1960s so this explains it's state of preservation.  The friezes are absolutely amazing.

Love this photo and the one below.  They've come out really well.

Closer baby!

Frieze

Close up of friezes.  Ramp leads up to the top of the pyramid.

Close up of frieze.  Note little Tumi knife style weapon.

Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (Temples of the Sun and the Moon)

The Temples of the Sun and the Moon were built by a pre-Chimu people called the Moche and are over 700 years older than Chan Chan. The Huaca del Sol was the largest pre-Columbian structure in Peru although experts estimate that one third of it has been washed away (same old mud brick problem). 

Of the two temples, the Huaca de la Luna was more interesting because it was riddled with rooms and beautiful polychrome freizes for which the Moche were apparently famous (they also have some pretty cool erotic pottery if you're into that kinda thing - see it at the Pottery Museum in Lima).

Huaca del Sol viewed from the Huaca de la Luna 500m away.

Mountain behind the Temple of the Moon

Layout of the Huaca de la Luna

Frieze. 

Some god dude.

Warrior straining on the toilet.  Mmmm ... probably not.

Same god dude.

Museo Cassinelli

Museo Cassinelli is a private museum of pottery under a gas station.  Blink and you might miss it.  The old guy who runs the place lets you hold the pottery, touch it ... and with the musical pieces ... blow into it to make sounds.  Worth the visit alone.

Jeremy and I with two girls we met at Huanchaco, a fishing village / very low key beach resort 12km from Trujillo where we were staying.  Girls names are Daisy and Monica.  Both are studying to be english teachers.

Trujillo

Monica and Jeremy at a bar.

Monica and I in front of the main statue in the Plaza de Armas.

Sunset from the bus on the overnight bus back to Lima and home.