We enjoyed our stay in Huanchaco over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Huanchaco is a few miles north of Trujillo, close to the airport.
It is a fishing village where fishermen still ride their ìCaballitos
de totori ì (reed fishing boats that look like kayaks with
the back end left off) and surfers tote boards along the malecon.
Itís the best beach in the vicinity of Trujillo, but has
retained its village feel. In short, we thought it a great place
for home base while visiting Trujillo and Chiclayo.
A short block away from the ocean (the PACIFIC Ocean, a taxi
driver was proud to point out), the hostel Bracamonte was a very
clean, quiet, reasonably priced venue. Their small restaurant
(there are several good eateries in Huanchaco) served simple,
but delicious meals that you could opt to have on the patio or
by the pool. Camping is available on an upper terrace offering
the best surf views.
A ten sole taxi-ride gets you into Trujillo to see its famously
commodious and busy Plaza de Armas, the colonial houses (now mostly
banks) arrayed around it, and the majestic cathedral that anchors
the plaza. Just a few blocks from the plaza is the toy museum
that houses a charming collection of classic dolls, trucks, trains,
and games. Downstairs is a cozy wood-paneled coffee shop blasting
opera. Trujillo has a host of small museums donít miss
the Casenelli in the basement of a Mobil gas station!
Between Huanchaco and Trujillo lie the ruins of the once spectacular,
Chan Chan, city of sand. Well, adobe, really, but it has suffered
the centuries of rain and erosion and is now reduced to one palace
compound (they built a new one for every successive king). It,
though, is well worth the visit and retains some of the mysterious
presence of its former majesty. To the south of Trujillo, the
pyramids (or ruins thereof) of the sun and the moon are a major
relic, but didnít find a slot on our itinerary.
We caught the early bus to Chiclayo one morning three hours;
ten soles each. Not a bad ride even considering they showed the
latest Brittany spears classic-to-be on the way north and the
latest ìChuckieî on the way back. Sex, violence,
perversion, and ride for ten soles how can you miss?
We refused to hire a Tico outside the bus station in Chiclayo
until we realized they were the only choice. We found a freshly-painted
one with an eager driver who promised to drive slowly sesenta
soles. We Tico-ed first to the town of Lambayeque where a brand
new museum housing many of the astounding treasures of Sipan.
It is modern, air-conditioned and truly world-class, but one can
tour it extensively in 90 minutes or less. Next to every display
of gold or silver or shell ornaments and burial treasures are
high-quality photos of the excavation of each site. Itís
the first time Iíve seen this carried out so extensively.
The effect is to give context to the multitudinous objects and
to provide a glimpse into the working world of archaeology.
Back in the Tico; off to Tecume and the ruins of the pyramids
dotted over a flat, fertile plain. In their prime, these pyramids
(now easily mistaken for hills of muddy sand) could have been
designed by a ultra-modern Danish architect. We climbed the one
behind the small museum for a view out over the plain. Should
we return to earth as pre-Incans, we voted three to none that
Tecume would be a far better venue (it has trees) for royal or
peon than Chan Chan. Then we drove to Sipan. By this time we were
staring our 4:30 bus departure in the face and urged more speed
from our Tico driver who happily obliged.
The ruins of Sipan are far from the museum of artifacts. Probably
this is because there is not much else to see out by Sipan. They
are, once again, hills of eroded sand which even the grave-robbers
didn't recognize as the big pay-off until the late 1980ís.
Tired by our busy day, however, we found driving (swiftly, by
this time) through the sugar cane estates a good way to taste
the rural life. There are a few ancient graves left open by the
authorities, but otherwise Sipan (the ruins not the treasures)
is perhaps better left out of hurried agendas.
All this and we were back in the hotel pool by eight in the evening.
It's time to put Trujillo back on the map and not just for the
8th grade field trip--for your pleasure! Aerocontinente
offers good airfares and the flight is only one hour. Trujillo
is a great place to get souvenirs, from earth tone pottery to
the reed boats. Pay only 5 soles for a taxi from the airport
to the center of town.
A comfortable, affordable place to stay is the Hostal Solari,
about 3 blocks off the main square, on Jr. Diego de Almagro 715;
phone 044-243909; fax 258959; www.hostal
solari.com; hsolari@solari.com; 70 soles a night for a single;
80 soles for a double.
On Plaza de Armas, there is a local pizzeria on the corner, where
you can grab a late breakfast or quick lunch.
To get to the Chan Chan ruins, you can rent a cab from
Trujillo for 15 soles per hour; let the cab wait until your tour
is finished then go to "Arco Iris," another ruin, only 5 minutes
away. Ask for M. Hernandez as your guide at Chan Chan (20
soles + tip=entrance price and tour).
Other ruins include Huaca del Sol y Luna. Again,
rent a cab from Trujillo; you can arrange to take a guide with
you from City Tours around the corner from the cathedral on Plaza
de Armas. The brujo ruin is an hour away and often closed
to visitors. Huanchaco can be tacked on to a ruin tour- reed boats
and seafood. The Museo de Casinelli on 2 Orbegosa, near
the Pan American and Huanchaco intersection, offers a great pottery
collection and guided tour in the basement of a Mobil gas station
(5 soles + tip).
Don't forget to seek out the marinera dances, caballos de paso,
colonial homes, churches, and cathedrals. Treat yourself
to the northern wonders of Peru.
