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Previous: Ecuador (2)
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Capital: Lima
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In my opinion Peru is by far
the most interesting of South American countries but unfortunately it is
not the most attractive to tourists for the following reasons:
That is really a pity for Peru has so much to offer! That is where where most of the pre-Columbian history occurred. Peru's archaeological sites and museums reveal advanced pre-Inca civilisations going back to more than 1000 years before Christ. Geographically, the country is quite diverse and often of stunning beauty as one goes from the coastal deserts across the high valleys of the snow capped Andes and down to the lush green a hell of Amazonia on the other side. After their conquest of the Inca empire, the conquistadors founded Lima to replace the old capital Cuzco. In 1570 it became the seat of the Lima Viceroyalty created by Spain to rule over all its South American possessions except Venezuela. Lima was a center of great power for almost two centuries before the creation of the Viceroyalty of New Grenada amputated it of Colombia and Ecuador in 1739. Its importance was further reduced in 1776 by the loss of what was to become Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to the newly created Viceroyalty of La Plata. Attached to its past, conservative Lima was liberated from Spain, not by Peruvians, but by General San Martin from Argentina in 1821 and by Marshal Sucre from Colombia in 1824. Later, when it chose to support Bolivia in the War of the Pacific for the control of the Atacama nitrate mines, Peru was severely trounced by Chile in 1883, loosing Arica in the process. It regained face however in 1941 by invading weaker Ecuador and annexing 200 000 sq kms of its lowlands. |
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Most of the Ecuadorian coast is covered with rain forest. The Pacific coast gets dryer towards the south and after the Peruvian border, it becomes a desert that stretches almost to Santiago in Chile. Here, between Piura and Chiclayo it is called the Sechura desert.
Chiclayo is a modern city of little historical or cultural interest. It is however a good place to stay in order to visit the Brunning Museum in the older nearby town of Lambayeque where most of the artefacts discovered in 1987 in an intact Moche tomb near Sipán are kept.
A visit to that museum is really worthwhile. The discovery was considered so important that the National Geographic Magazine described it in its October 98 issue and presented a second article on the 2000 year old Moche Civilisation in its June 1990 issue.
After Chiclayo my friends went east and I came south to lovely colonial Trujillo whose Plaza de Independencia can be seen here.
The banks of the Moche river that flows down from the Andes to the Pacific have been inhabited continuously for 5000 years and are said to hold more than 2000 archaeological sites. The most important of these are the 13th century Chan Chan ruins of the Chimú Civilisation, 5 kms west of Trujillo and two 2500 year old Moche Huacas (adobe brick burial mounds), 5 kms east of the city.
I had a room with bath at the Hotel Sudamericano for 6$ a night.
The Chimú capital Chan Chan covered an area of 36 square kms with a central area of 6 square kms containing a dozen large compounds, called ciudadelas, surrounded by 30 foot high adobe walls. These citadels were the dwellings of the ruling classes and their courts, each successive ruler building his own new citadel that was maintained by his descendants like those of deceased Incas would later be in Cuzco. In between the citadels and elsewhere in the city, are large areas of dwellings, irrigated areas, and cemeteries.
It was Christmas eve when I visited Chan Chan and the place was completely deserted except for Maria and Christina Diaz Arellano who were visiting with their uncle Aristides who told me that he was glad to have another man along because the ruins were not safe for isolated visitors. They were pleasant company and later showed me the beach at Huanchaco.
We paid particular attention to the Tschudi citadel for which the girls had a map. Here is one of the labyrinth like corridors separating the various parts of the citadel.
The northern part had this very large ceremonial square and several smaller courts leading to densely built areas filled with small rooms. The central part had a smaller entrance square leading to several courts occupied by storerooms. The southern part was an open area with a large reservoir and a great burial platform.
Archaeologists will tell you these reed boats called caballitos (small horses), are identical to those used by Moche fishermen 2500 years ago.
My Peruvian friends had warned me against visiting this Moche pyramid alone, but they could not come on Christmas day so I had to go by myself.
I would have loved to climb all over and explore these 2500 year old clay monuments. The mouths of tunnels that huaqueros (grave robbers), had dug to reach the internal rooms of the Huaca de la Luna were particularly tempting but I prudently stayed out in the open where I could see anyone approaching from a distance.
I enjoyed my visit and marvelled how mud bricks could have lasted so long (it does not rain), but I did not linger. Only the next day did I realise that my apprehension had been without basis because, in this country, everyone would be enjoying Christmas dinner with his family, including any potential mugger!
The road from Trujillo to Chimbote reminded me of the Sahara with the Pacific Ocean on the right replacing the occasional oasis.
Chimbote is one of Peru's largest ports (fish, iron ore and steel). Fishing, fishmeal plants and steel mills are the main industries here. The smell of rotting fish is so overpowering that even the strongest winds can not dissipate it.
Apart from the smell, I did not particularly care for Chimbote for my sensitive psychic antennas were telling me that I was not welcome there. I stayed at the Los Angeles Hotel for only 4 $. It was a dive but the manager was friendly and he told me to watch out for thieves as I went out for dinner. Nothing happened and I came back late after having a few drinks in the local bar.
That night, two plain-clothes policemen knocked on my door at around 1 a.m. asking to check my passport. I told them to wait for me to get dressed and to get the manager for I would not open without the presence of a witness. The manager and his wife both came, I showed my papers and the policemen left.
To this day, I don't know whether they were bona fide policemen doing their job or real but corrupt policeman attempting a scam or just crooks. I guess I will never know but the experience gave me the willies about personal safety in Peru.
The next morning, I boarded a bus for what was to be one of the highlights of my South America adventure, the spectacular 200 km drive up this canyon to Caraz and Huaraz.
It was just fabulous, the scenery was fantastic all way and the road was hair raising here and there.
The bus did not stop so I had to stick my hand out of the window and aim my camera as best I could without looking through the viewer. I call that shooting from the hip!
At one point the road was blocked by a rock slide and everyone had to get out to clear a way for the bus.
We lost a couple of hours doing this and by the time we had finished, the bus doing the same route in the other direction arrived. Instead of switching passengers with each bus returning where it came from, both drivers insisted in crossing in spite of the real risk of destabilising the rock pile or of tipping into the canyon on the right in this photo. Of course, no one but the drivers dared to stay on the busses. If you are a mountain bus driver in Peru you've got to have cojones enough for all of your passengers!
There were many tunnels and the road had been literally carved out of the cliff face in many places. A magnificent road indeed, it kept your bum muscles tight most of the time as you can see below!
White coal, one of Peru's abundant resources.
Here is the Huallanca hydro power station high up in the Andes that powers Chimbote's industries.
The Plaza de Armas of Carhuaz at 3000 metres is a convenient meeting place for hikers crossing the Cordillera Blanca by the Quebrada Honda Trail at the foot of the 6768 metre Huascarán.
