Exploring Huanchaco

The main reason for coming to Huanchaco was to visit the Chan Chan ruins and the Temples of the Sun and Moon. Those who wanted to should have been doing this independently today. However, it's Monday, and both of these sites are closed! So, it has been decided that we will visit these places on the truck tomorrow as we leave Huanchaco. This means that we have a free day in this Peruvian coastal town today.

Nikki did us a truck breakfast in the hostel kitchen at 8.30 this morning. She made potato cakes with leftover mashed potatoes and vegetables and topped them with fried eggs. Mark was in his element! It was a very relaxed morning with nobody in any great rush to go anywhere or do anything. We sat around chatting, and I caught up with my diary notes.

At about midday, we went out to explore the town. We took a couple of photos of the truck, which was parked on the seafront, just outside the hostel.

Huanchaco is a historic city. It was an important port in the region during the reigns of the Moche (2nd to 7th centuries AD) and Chimú (1000 to 1470 AD) cultures. Huanchaco was recognized as a World Surfing Reserve on October 26, 2013, becoming the first beach in Latin America and the fifth in the world to obtain this recognition. It is also the scene of international surfing competitions, especially the Longboard World Championship, which takes place during the summer season of each year. Huanchaco is also famous for the totora reed boats used for navigation and fishing since the time of the Moche. Even today, the fishermen of Huanchaco continue this ancient tradition.

We walked along the promenade and stopped to chat to Sam. He was sitting on the sea wall watching Megan have a surf lesson. She was doing really well! As we continued our walk, we bumped into many others from our group. It's difficult not to when there are so many of us wandering around the same few streets!

We stopped for coffee in the Chocolate Cafe, which Nikki had recommended. I had my first dessert in many a long month - an irresistible lime meringue pie. It tasted amazing!Read more