Day 295 - Chan Chan, Trujillo

Today was a busy day.

We visited Chan Chan and Citadela Tschudi, named after a Swiss naturalist who excavated part of the Archeological site. It was built by the Chimú culture in 900AD and later conquered by the Incas in 1470. The entire area covered 10 square miles. An estimated 20,000 people were living there at the time.

Nobody was at the admission office, so we walked right in.

Only smaller sections of the site were excavated and restored; most of it is still covered with sand. What we saw was exciting and different from other sites we visited before. The structures were built with mud bricks, covered by thick layers of plaster. Some of the plaster had color-painted ornaments. Other structures were decorated with plaster ornaments of pelicans, sea otters, cormorants, and fish or geometric patterns.

Afterward, we wanted to visit the Archaeological Museum, but it was closed. A nice off-duty policeman accompanied us to a private museum with a pottery collection from various pre-Columbian cultures. Then he showed us to the open market, where we bought fresh vegetables and fruits. Later we drove to Trujillo 5 miles away, for lunch and stocked up on spare parts from Volkswagen.

Returning to Chan Chan, we paid the entrance fee we had skipped earlier. While there, we met an archeology guide working there for many years. He knew the area well and showed us places that regular tourists seldom see (at least, that's what he claimed). How fortunate - that was special.

Then he invited us to his home, where he presented us with prints on rice paper of Chan Chan motifs that he handcrafted. We were not obligated, but Ursula purchased three pieces from him for his kindness. Later on, we visited the "El Dragon" temple. It was built during the same period; part had to be reconstructed.

As we drove back and forth between sites today, I heard an unusual rattling noise that seemed to come from below the camper. When I followed up on it, I noticed the bolts holding the transmission to the engine were loose. I tightened them as best as I could. Surely, that must have resulted from the bumpy dirt roads during the past month. I need to have them appropriately tightened by a professional with a torque wrench on the next occasion.

Late afternoon, we returned to Huanchaco and ordered a large cerveza and coke in the restaurant by the sea. It had been hot and dry all day. We were probably a little dehydrated. The fried fish we ordered for dinner was indeed delicious. We stayed overnight in the restaurant's parking lot.

Stats: Miles 39, Expenses $14.45Read more