Day 294 - Chimbote

(Ursula) The archeological site Cerro Sechín was built around 1,600 BC. It is believed to have been the capital of the Sechín culture.

Its temple was a heap of rubble but had over 150 large rock slabs engraved with monster depictions of mutilated warriors. Some slabs were 16 feet tall. Depictions included cut-off heads, arms, legs, and ears. Some of them also illustrated the human spine, stomach, and intestines. No guide was available, but the free brochure gave us a historical overview. The engraved plates and the stairs and murals were reasonably well preserved. We assumed the reason was the desert climate.

After a few miles, we reached Chimbote, where we enjoyed freshly squeezed carrot juice at the open market and said goodbye to Russell. Then we found a repair shop to have them fix the cracked aluminum and oil leak. The boss shook his head and said he couldn’t weld the aluminum. But he was quite resourceful and installed a heavy-duty oil plug from a truck with an oversized flange and seal covering the damaged area. Everything looks OK again, and no charge. We will soon find out if the repair job holds. We have a long way to go, and keeping our fingers crossed.

We continued driving north, along the Pacific coast all day, and reached the city of Trujillo after dark. Someone we met back in Rio de Janeiro had given us the name of a Restaurant Huanchaco near the beach that supposedly has good fish and allows campers to park overnight. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find in the dark, and by the time we finally got there, it was about to close. The manager said he couldn’t accommodate us and we should come back the next day around 1 PM.

We found a public park not too far away and camped there for the night. Ursula served a quick soup and bread for dinner. Tomorrow, we plan to visit the archeological site, Chan Chan.

Stats: Miles 141, Expenses $0.00Read more