Corriendo con el mundo: Nike 10K

I win!
Haha, well not exactly first place, but I did myself proud at the Nike Human Race 10K run in Lima this morning. After waking early, I headed out to meet up with my friend Mariane to warm up and get pumped for the big race. All the major streets of Miraflores were closed to traffic (which is a god-sent) and the only people out and about were fellow red-shirted racers. About 30 minutes before the race, three big-legged women on a massive stage led the crowd in a warm-up. Um, it was hilarious. Think Richard Simmons style aerobics warm up. I had a hard time going along because it was just too funny. This was only matched in awesomeness by the after-party band who sling-shot underwear into the crowd. I love this silly city.

According to my friend, about 8,000 people participated in the Lima version of this worldwide event. Lima is one of 30 cities across the globe that hosted this 10K race today. So I was involved in something truly global! Tada!

We got off on the run at about 9:10 and I was finished by 10:00. Woohoo! I ran the whole thing and even sprinted the last 1/2k or so. I felt quite accomplished because I was nearly certain I wasn't going to be able to run the whole thing. My lungs and my legs cooperated quite well and only the heat made this run challenging (um, the sun, who has been on extended vacation, decided to stop in this morning for the mere couple of hours during the run. It has since taken off again).

But it was great. I think the run was made possible by a nice music mix I compiled last night. So thanks Shakira, Talib, The Roots, Mos Def, Outcast, and Kanye. I was also inspired because I decided to dedicate my run to my dad, who is having some health issues right now. He and the musicians gave me Nike's wings. So now I feel good and happy and hope not to be too sore tomorrow... :)

Update:
If we were counting…this is how I fared in the race. I beat the average running time of 21 out of the 26 cities that participated in the race. (The best average was in Taipei) My time was 57: 54…not bad for not really training and loading up on pizza the night before the race.
The fastest time was 29:25, which is an average mile time of 4 minutes 45 seconds. That German dude is FAST. (None of the top ten fastest runners are from the US)
According to Nike, I am the 76,611th fastest person in the WHOLE WORLD. :)
The run benefitted three charities:
The World Wildlife Fund: whose goal is to create a world where people live in harmony with nature and, by 2020, to “conserve 19 of the world's most important natural places and significantly change global markets to protect the future of nature.”
Livestrong, The Lance Armstrong Foundation (their website lacks a mission statement)
Ninemillion.org: Part of the UN Refugee Agency; the “goal of the campaign is to give more than nine million children better access to education, sport and technology by 2010.”

Lima Update

Just some random mundane bits about life in Lima...

Well, it is slow going on catching up with my travel blogging...as you might notice by all of the empty entries below. I am working on it...but it is hard to find time between work and spanish lessons to sit and really write. I try to make an effort to get to the coffeeshop on Sundays to get some writing done. In the meantime, I thought I'd give a little update about life back in Lima after my travels, which concluded some weeks ago.

Life in Lima is good. It is the middle of the winter, which is pretty mild for the most part. While any Limeno will tell you it never rains in their fine city, it does get misty enough to feel like rain. The temperature hasnt gotten below the high 50s in my estimation. The sun peeked out for a few hours yesterday, but otherwise it has been nothing but Lima grey. I miss the sunshine for certain. A few more months and I will be enjoying the sunny summer in Peru.

Work has been going pretty well. I am transitioning into doing more writing for my company's art history website. I am really excited about this project because I get a chance to study and write about Art History, a subject I've always wished to know more about but never had a chance to study formally. My first artist is El Greco, a prolific painter/sculptor/architect on which volumes have been written. I am a bit nervous since have much to learn about art and how to write about it, but am excited with this new element of my job.

I also just got a new roommate, by best girl friend down here, Rachel, has moved into my place. I am stoked and look forward to cooking fun dinners with her and making our place awesome.

Admittedly, I am a bit homesick and find that some days here can be challenging because of the language and cultural barrier. One of my favorite things right now is discovering new restaurants (favorites are the San Isidro french restaurant Chez Phillippe, Magma Sushi down the street from my office, Si Senor an expensive but tasty mexican restaurant, and any place with a good pisco sour or copa de vino tinto).

My mom is coming to visit me in about three weeks, which I am extremely excited about. We have grand plans to go to the jungle, which is going to be amazing, I'm sure!

This weekend I went to the center of Lima again with my old roommate Evan and our Spanish teachers. We went to the Inquisition Museum (which would have been a much richer experience if I could understand what the guide was saying). We also went to the Congress building, which is a grand edifice where Classic Greek architecture abounds. After these little tours, we ate a nice Chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) lunch in Barrio Chino (Chinatown). I bought some DVDs (5 DVDs and 2 CDs for $5!!!!). Evan bought a guitar. The End.

Next weekend, I am running in the Nike HumanRace 10K in Lima. I should be training more than I am, but I think I am ready for this run. Perhaps more tales about my Peruvian run to follow.

That is all for now. Gonna close up the computer, grab an alfajor (a delicious Peruvian cookie), pay my coffeeshop bill, and head out to a flea market.

Hasta luego.

All about Coca...La Paz

A trip to the Museo de la Coca provided some of the most interesting cultural knowledge I gained on this unexpected trip to La Paz. The history of coca—arguably one of the most controversial plants on the planet—is so fascinating that I took vigorous notes (which I am known to do when traveling) at this museum. I shall relay my findings in what follows.

A Sacred and Social Symbol

The coca plant, from which cocaine is made, is a highly valued and sacred plant to the Andean people of Peru and Bolivia. In fact, it is considered a symbol of Andean identity. Though the entire plant is outlawed in the US, it is legal to use to plant parts here for teas, chews, and other purposes.

Coca leaves have served very important spiritual and cultural purposes for the indigenous people of these regions for over 4,500 years. Coca, a quintessential symbol of the sacred, is used in ceremonies, spiritual offerings, marriages, and more. It is considered a means of connecting to pachamama, or mother earth. The museum literature aptly equates this herb’s religious function to the wine of Christian traditions.

A brief timeline of the Coca plant

While this is an abbreviated (and by no means definitive) history of the illustrious and contentious coca plant, I hope I have chosen the some of most interesting parts to recount here.

2500 BC—first traces of coca leaf use discovered in Northern Peru date back to this year

1400s— With knowledge of this plant’s analgesic effects, the Incas use the coca plant to perform brain surgery.

1500—Western Christians declare coca to be diabolical and outlaw its use. They reverse this position after discovering that coca enables indigenous slave laborers to work longer hours before reaching exhaustion.

1860s—The beginning of the cocaine boom

1864—French winemaker Mariani adds cocaine to their wine. Its popularity rages for many years and inspires the creation of Coca Cola, first sold in 1886 in Georgia.

1884—Sigmund Freud, famous father of psychoanalysis, becomes the first (?) cocaine user. He produces a publication entitled “About Coca.” He later develops nasal cancer.

1880s—Parque Davis and Merck Pharmaceuticals produce cocaine


1914—Use of cocaine is prohibited in the United States

1964—A scientist by the name of Einhorn discovers how to make synthetic versions of cocaine for medical use.

1985—Coca Cola buys 204 tons of coca from Bolivia. Until 1903, the drink contained 60 mg of cocaine per serving. Coca leaves are still used to add flavor to this popular beverage.

US AND COKE: Though only accounting for 5% of the global population, the United States consumes 50% of all the world’s cocaine.

Scientifically Proven Effects of Coca:

--As mentioned above, coca consumption increases tolerance for physical labor and increases endurance

--Though consuming the plant does not increase lung capacity, coca does dilate the bronchioles, helping to increase oxygen absorption. This is an excellent attribute for a plant relied upon by people who dwell in one of the highest areas in the world. Also why coca leave tea is so highly recommended for travelers in acclimatizing to the altitude.

--Coca prevents the aggregation of blood platelets, thus decreasing the risk of thrombosis. (Perhaps this should be touted as a pre-flight beverage???)

--Has a diuretic effect on the body (as does high altitude I quickly discovered in Cuzco)

--Increases the body’s ability to regulate insulin levels

--When chewed, coca leaves act as a mild stimulant, suppressing hunger, thirst, pain, and fatigue.

Properties touted on my government-made Peruvian mate de coca tea bags:
--restorative and energetic
--excellent for diet
--good for digestion
--relieves tiredness of voice (I get a kick out of this one for some reason)
--regulates the metabolism of “carbohidrate”

I find the political implications and polar treatment of the coca plant remarkable. I personally regard coca tea as an enjoyable beverage and drink it regularly here. And, despite the US government’s reproachful attitude towards this plant (and inability to understand the distinction between a plant and drugs derived from a plant…duh), this doesn’t put me at risk or make me a druggie. The end.

Music Museum in La Paz

La Paz, Bolivia

Overlooking Plaza San Francisco, a chilly rainy day in the clouds...

Llama fetuses at the Witches Market-- supposedly the locals bury these under their new homes for luck and good fortune.

Typical stall at the Mercado Hechiceria (Witches Market)

Palacio Legislativo...next to bullet-riddled Palacio Presidential






Tales to come...

Isla Del Sol...minus El Sol

Accompanying words to follow...

Copacabana, Bolivia

The only picture I have from our short time in Copacabana...stories to follow...



Sunset arrival into Bolivia.

Bolivian Border Drama

I have been lagging on updating this story, but do so now after just reading a very interesting story about Bolivia-US relations and learning of the current turmoil in Bolivia. This drama, so so so much bigger than my brief border hassles, includes a recent massive protest (20,000 strong) at the US Embassy in La Paz, which was supported by Moralez, the Bolivian president), the expulsion of the US Embassadors from both Venezuela and Bolivia this week (I write this on September 13), and the murderous riots breaking out in parts of Bolivia as I write this. Yikes. I worry that something more serious is to unfold in the coming weeks.



When I arrived at the Bolivian border at beginning of August (coincidentally, Bolivia's Independence Day), I received a lot of strife from the border agents, who said that because I was from the US (I was the only American on the bus and the only person hassled and made to pay to cross the border) I had to pay $100 at the border, provide them with 3 copies of my passport, show proof of my vaccinations, and provide a letter from someone in Bolivia saying that I was coming to visit them there. Talk about a sign that I was not wanted in their country! This completely floored me because I had heard nothing--even after working with at least 4 different travel agents in the 72 hours prior--about such a requirement upon reaching the border. When I asked them why I was being singled out, they only said, in broken English, "Your country gives us trouble, we give you trouble."

When I heard this, I assumed it meant that our country makes it difficult for Bolivians to enter the US, thus they would give me a hard time in a gesture of misdirected hostility. It was a frustrating few hours. After much difficulty, I ended up having to pay $155 (who knows the final destination of that extra $55 I was required to pay between the Peruvian and Bolivian border agents).

Now, as I am learning a bit more about the uneasy relations between the US and Bolivia, I realize their policies and hostility stem from a situation much more complex and dangerous than I had thought. It seems to me now that it didn't really much have to do with border relations at all, rather that these hurdles are a symbolic retaliation against the US presence and policies in Bolivia. According to the article below, Bolivia depends a great deal on US aid. However, the US is also seen as having an imperialistic influence on the nation, particularly in their efforts to curb coca production in Bolivia as part of the US War on Drugs (see my post on Coca to learn more about this plant's storied past).

More information about this issue to come...If you, my dear readers, are at all interested in this issue (which is a fascinating case story of US foreign relations and handling of the so-called War on Drugs), here is the article that has renewed my interest in US - Bolivian relations...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/americas/29bolivia.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin

Lake Titicaca: Islas Flotantes

Cuzco 2: Horseback to Templos

Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

Whirlwind Machu Picchu Trip: 4 de Agosto 2008

I woke early this Monday with excitement about venturing to Machu Picchu. It felt like a holiday. There are a couple of ways to do the adventure to Machu Picchu. Basically, you can walk there (and by walk I mean hike through the Sacred Valley for days) or you can take a train. As for the hiking option, one can either take the popular Inca trail, a 4-day trek, or one of a few alternative trails, which take anywhere from 2 to 7 days. For the Inca trail, you have to reserve a pass up to eight months in advance. Being a lover of good hikes, I always envisioned arrival to Machu Picchu would be by foot; but, alas, since my trip was totally unplanned and I had only a few days in the Sacred Valley, the only option was to go by train. While not my personal ideal, I cannot complain because I still had the opportunity to visit this amazing place. Yey me!

So Jamie and I took advantage of our free breakfast at the hotel (consisting of coffee, mate de coco, orange juice, a piece of white bread and one single slice of cheese) and headed out for the 15 minute walk to the train station. We arrived at the station at 7:15 am, hoping to hop on one of the few trains leaving between 8 and 10. The train from Cuzco takes about 4 hours, so this would put us into Aguas Calientes (the little town which serves as the base to Machu Picchu) in the late morning/ early afternoon. Sounded simple enough.

In Peru….getting there is…90% of the battle…

Alas, Peru always seems have plans different from what you have envisioned. We met with a long line at the train station. After about 20 minutes, we arrived at the front of this line only to have to take a number and wait some more. It took over THREE hours for them to get to our number. We didn’t understand how on earth it could take so freaking long just to purchase a train ticket. But so it goes in Peru. During this long wait, we also discovered that of the 8 or so trains departing for Aguas Calientes daily, only two leave from Cuzco. The majority of them leave from Ollantaytambo…which is 1.5 hours by taxi away from Cuzco. Yikes. We were also learning that many of the trains were filling up fast and that we might not even be able to go at all. This was a long three hours.

Jamie was getting a bit discouraged and stressed out by the whole endeavor, thinking our chances of getting there were slim to none. I had decided early in the morning that I was going to find a way to Machu Picchu that day no matter what it took, so I remained calm and convinced that it would work out one way or another. I was going to let nothing get me stressed out or upset this day. It was my special day, one I’d been dreaming about for years. It was going to be good, dammit. Haha…

So we finally made it to the front of the line at about 1045 and sat with the woman to discuss our options. Fortunately, we still had a change to take the1230 train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas. This would work only if we left by taxi for Ollantaytambo right away. Then, we could take a 10 pm train back to Ollantaytambo and still have the long taxi ride back to Cuzco. So we had option 1: about 8 hours of travel for 3 hours at Machu Picchu or… option 2: not go at all. Though this arrangement was less than ideal, we chose the long journey and planned to make the best of it. We bought the tickets and booked out the door to find a taxi that would take us the long journey to the train station. This was a bit of a challenge as well, since most taxi drivers wanted to charge us an arm and a leg to get there or refused to take us that distance at all. We finally found Alfredo, a nice Cusqueno man, who was willing to take us through the Sacred Valley for an acceptable price. I was excited!

As we entered into the Sacred Valley, we were treated to gorgeous views of the landscape all about us. Though it was the dry season and most of the hills were brown, every curve of the bumpy dirt road brought with it new and even more breathtaking scenery. We were snapping pictures out the windows every few seconds at some massive mountains or cluster of animals we passed on the road. The scenery only got better as we boarded the train and headed towards Aguas Calientes.

We finally arrived and ran around the little town to buy our entrance ticket for Machu Picchu and reserve a spot on the bus which would take us up there. We made it onto the bus without a second to spare and arrived at the entrance to Machu Picchu a little before 3pm. (So it took us only 8 hours and hundreds of soles to get there…)

It was worth it.

As anyone who has been there or even seen pictures would attest to, Machu Picchu is mystical, magical and mind-blowing. I don’t even know if I have words to justice to what I saw. Simply, it was one of the most beautiful natural places I’ve ever seen.

It was my happy day indeed! I was there! I could hardly believe it!

Jamie and I started out by taking a small hike away from the ruins to check out the site of an old Incan drawbridge and to gain some aerial perspectives of Machu Picchu itself. After this, we explored the ruins themselves. The late afternoon brought with it the sun, bathing the ruins and the green green mountains in an almost surreal light. It was divine. Later in the afternoon is an optimal time to explore Machu Picchu methinks. The crowds have already come and gone and the weather seems to change drastically enough to get a new feel for the place.

<<<>>>>

Cuzco

After this first week, the nature of my travels shifted slightly as I headed south. I came back to Lima for a few days to recoup after the week of northern adventures. I was still up in the air about whether or not I would take a second week of vacation. My friend Jamie, who I’d met initially in Lima and hung out with in Huanchaco, also happened to be heading South, so we decided to join forces for the next week. It was a perfect opportunity for me to travel with a buddy, which always makes things more fun. I knew that Jamie and I got along splendidly, and we did indeed throughout the week to come.

On a Sunday morning we flew (ah, what a nice treat after clocking dozens of bus hours!) into Cuzco, the second biggest city in Peru and most popular tourist destination (second only to Chiclayo, of course). An Andean city, Cuzco is located at 3326 meters (or nearly 10,000 feet) and serves as the base for most trips to Machu Picchu and the other ruins of the Sacred Valley. I’ve never heard a bad thing about Cuzco and it is not hard to see why. It is a lovely and charming city with a vibrant cultural pulse, blue skies (that was enough to sell me!), clean air, beautiful buildings, numerous ruins, and more.

Sky High

Thankfully I acclimated pretty well to this altitude, which not all visitors are able to do. While you can certainly feel the lack of oxygen as your heart pumps extra hard and your lungs work overtime to get you up the many hills in the area (or, really, even down the flat cobbled streets), it wasn’t much of a limiting factor for us, hoorah!

The key, they say, is to take it easy the first day, drink loads of coca tea (mmm…so good I am drinking some now), and not eat any big meals. We followed this plan pretty well and I think we owe it our success.

Incas and Quechua Culture

Cuzco was once the capital of the Incan Empire back in the day. The Inca tribes first emerged in the Sacred Valley in the 1100s (with first inca Manco Capac) but didn’t come fully into their own until the 1400s with the empire-lusting ninth inca (or king), Pachacutec. He basically bagged everything in sight (to put years of important history very casually).

Quechua is the language of the Incan Empire, and is still widely spoken in the Andes. In fact, an estimated three to five million Peruvians speak Quechua, with more native speakers in Bolivia and Ecuador. At the risk of sounding like a guidebook, I include such information because I find the Native Andean people intriguing, especially the women.

Quechua Mamas

In addition to distinct traditional dress, most of the women also have on their backs huge heaps of goods and/or children swaddled in colorful cloths. I hope their husbands are good masseuses. But, interestingly, the women are not often seen with men. It would seem (from my limited observation, at least) that most women move around solo or, perhaps more often, accompanied by one or two other women of the same age, with whom they seem close.

I am interested in learning more about these ladies and their culture. I have done a few quick searches (ever the learner) and what I have found so far is some information about forced sterilization of the Quechua women by the Peruvian government happening as recently as the late 1990s (boo). Less controversially, I have also learned that they call themselves Runa, or the people, their social system is based on reciprocity, and coca leaf chewing is an integral part of their spiritual and cultural identity (more about the coca plant later). And, yeah, so I don’t know very much yet. I hope to learn more.

And I digress.

So the first day of exploring Cuzco was a joy. It was so incredibly nice to be in the mountains and the sunshine, away from the bustle of big city life. A cleansing much needed!

Trujillo Sightings

Trujillo Continued…

Gas Station Museum

So on yet another day when the Spectacled Bear trip failed to unfold, we settled for some museum-going in Trujillo proper. For its strangeness factor, we attempted to go to a Zoological Museum filled with taxidermied Peruvian animals, but, alas, it was closed. So we went to a special museum under a gas station. Literally, under some equivalent of a Shell station is where this cultural destination dwells. You would never, ever know this random little jewel existed if it weren’t for some sort of tip-off. We actually went as a joke (and for a total lack of better things to do) but were pleasantly surprised by this superb and charming little museum.

We met the collector, Jose Cassinelli Mazzei, at the entrance. This old man, who was just going about reading his morning paper, was the type of man you just know has an amazing life story to tell. All of us agreed in wishing we could sit him down and hear his tales for a while. But, instead, we were led under the gas station by a younger archeologist who showed us Jose’s phenomenal collection of ancient ceramics and other treasures, which filled this small room from ceiling to floor. This collection is truly a sight to behold. Loads of ceramics from the Moche, Sipan, Nazca, Chimu, and Incan cultures. While each piece was fascinating in its own right, the ones I found most interesting were the ones depicting the illnesses, animals, people, and the Gods. They even had this strange mummified ancient backbone-exposed fetus displayed in glass casing. At the end of our tour, our buddy played for us some ancient whistles. I shot a short awkward video of the whole thing. It was sweet.

Gringas!!!

While walking on the streets of Trujillo, an old man actually stopped in his tracks to stare at us in wonderment, proclaiming “Oh, Gringas en Peru!” This was not the last time we would prompt such a reaction from locals on the streets. It is extremely bizarre, and uncomfortable, to receive such a response from people you encounter as you innocently walk down the streets. This week, I was treated as more foreign and strange than I ever have in my life. In Chiclayo, where this feeling reached its breaking point, we were literally stared at, followed, and actually touched (maybe to see if we were real?) by scores of children and grown men alike. Quite unsettling and also illuminating.

I remember my friend Dawn, who spent the good part of a year doing Peace Corp work in Africa, once told me how she was treated by her local tribe. She said they would often touch her skin, in awe of its whiteness, follow her around, and beg to see her photographs, since they were such a complete oddity to them. She explained how strange it was to feel like such an anomaly. Though I think my experience was milder and much briefer than Dawn’s, I can relate now in some ways to this experience of being so different than the people by which you are surrounded.

Chiclayo

Ever in pursuit of those damn elusive bears, Rachel and I set out for Chiclayo the morning after Ania returned home to Lima. This trip, in retrospect, was unnecessary. Not only did the trip to see the bears not work out (of course) but this was the strangest most uncomfortable place I have ever been to visit.

(Disclaimer: My apologies to all the fine citizens of Chiclayo for what might become a scathing review of their city. I am sure this place has many fine features and treasures I didn’t behold. But, to do justice to my experience, I will be frank in my dislike of my brief stay there. Lo siento Chiclayo)

Stepping off the crack-o-dawn bus from Trujillo, I quickly assessed my surroundings and nearly freaked out. Chiclayo was, for us, a total assault on the senses. Horns blaring, people literally screaming in your face about some random product they want you to buy, tons of people crowding down the street making forward motion near impossible, unsolicited molestation from men, wretched smells of rotting flesh and car exhaust (especially in the marketplace), cars hurling at you in every direction…you get the idea? I felt affronted and threatened and scared.

Anyhow, to make a weird story short, Rachel and I decided that we would leave this city first thing in the morning. After going to four different restaurants just to find one with something somewhat vegetarian-friendly (a place way-big on fried chicken and stewed goat tripe and organs), we booked our new bus tickets and went to explore the Witches Market.

Mercado Modelo

Acclaimed as one of Peru’s most interesting markets (I am learning to decode this word interesting) by the Lonely Planet guidebook (i.e. the “Gringo’s bible”), the Mercado is a huge bustling marketplace. We headed past rows and rows of booths filled with virtually everything sellable, towards the Mercado de brujos (the witches market). Here, several stalls offer strange herbal concoctions, snakeskins, hallucinogenic potions, whale bones, unspecified powders and pills, aromatic herbs, and more. It was quite interesting to see.

Just a few items slung on the streets of Chiclayo:
• Puppies
• Little birds
• Socks (sold aggressively)
• Quick divorces
• Photos
• Homemade baked goods
• Calculators
• Toothbrushes


Monkey Sighting

As we hightailed it out of the market, we were greeted with a sight that stopped me in my tracks—a little brown Capuchin monkey on a short metal chain atop a tiny box. This poor buddy was more stressed out in Chiclayo than I was. I used to study primates in school and have seen videos of world markets with chained monkeys but this was the first time I saw one live. I was speechless, just standing there watching this splendid creature pace fervently back and forth on his tiny perch, ready to launch something at some unwitting passersby. It made me sad to see this suffering. I still feel a bit speechless about this sighting (I saw another chained monkey in Bolivia…I do not like this one bit, I tell you!) Sometimes we humans are a bit disappointing.

A pint of Redemption

Rachel and I did our very best to make the most of our day in Chiclayo. After the market, we went to some bookstores, which sold myriad outlandish Spanish books. For me, there is something comforting about a bookstore. It was a nice respite from the streets. We also found a pizzeria (only open at night) and had some delicious pizza. (By the way, pizza is the universal default food of Western travelers, methinks.)

After this, we headed to the hotel before curfew (it is really unsafe to be on the streets after dark, as you might imagine), Rachel dyed her hair, and I looked forward to getting back to some semblance of normalcy. And thus was my day in Chiclayo. Ah, la belleza.

Burning Bus

One more thing… after arriving back in Trujillo on a Linea bus, we caught a cab to Huanchaco to retrieve our temporarily abandoned bags. On our way, we were greeted with the sights and smells of a bus—a Linea bus—engulfed in unabated flames in the middle of the street. It was nuts. But in that moment in time, Rachel and I weren’t even fazed by the sight. We just shrugged and snapped a picture. It was an interesting week…

Chan Chan Ruins in Trujillo

Chan Chan

For the sake of brevity (at which I am terrible as you might have discovered), I will try to give you the quick and skinny about Chan Chan. Ha, wish me luck.

Chan Chan, also located in the Trujillo area, is the largest Pre-Columbian city in all of the Americas, tada! Chan Chan, built around 1300 CE, was home to the Chimu people (who came after the Sican people, who proceeded the Moche), who are best remembered as an urban society. At the height of their empire (before the Incas conquered in 1471), over 60,000 Chimu people lived in the nine sections of Chan Chan. While this sprawling ancient city once housed vast treasures of gold, silver, and ceramics, today it is skeletal, with only the walls remaining to tell its story to visitors. As evidenced by the photos, these walls, which once stood over 30 feet high, are elaborately adorned with geometric designs and animal friezes. The Chimu people venerated the sea and the moon.

Random Side Note:

While wandering the vast brown stretches of Chan Chan’s Tschudi Complex, Rachel and I discovered that we share a childhood friend. This guy (whose last name is Tschudi) is the son of her dad’s best college friend and someone I went to junior and senior high together. It’s a small world after all!

The End.

Huacas De La Luna Y Del Sol

Huacas De La Luna Y Del Sol

Since the Spectacled Bear adventure didn’t pan out, we decided to head out and explore some of the ruins of the area. Our first destination, located about 8 miles south of Huanchaco, was the site of two huacas, or temples in Quechua (more about this Incan language/culture to follow). We explored only the smaller and apparently more interesting of the two, the Huaca de la Luna, which was the ceremonial and spiritual center for the ancient Moche people who once lived in the region. Due to heavy rain damage, the larger Huaca Del Sol, the largest pre-columbian structure in Peru (built with over 140 million adobe bricks), is not open to visitors at this time. The two huacas are separated by a 500-meter expanse of land on which the Moche people used to live.

A bit about the Moche people

The Moche people, named after the river flowing into the ocean just south of Trujillo, were a pre-Incan civilization that lived in the northern coastal areas of Peru from about 200 BCE to 850 CE. While the Moche had no written language, much about their culture has been deciphered from their stunning ceramics work, which is considered the most artistically sensitive and technically developed of any found in Peru. By analyzing their pottery, archeologists know quite a bit about daily Moche life, including their social hierarchy, as follows from most powerful, honored, and obeyed, to least:
• Priests and warriors
• Artisans
• Farmers and fishermen
• Servants
• Slaves
• Beggars
Methinks, you can learn a lot about a culture by understanding what social roles existed and were most valued.

In addition to ceramics, the Moche culture produced sophisticated art works in metal, painting, textile, and architectural varieties. Several complex Moche pyramidal structures survive to this day, including the huacas.

The Huaca de la Luna

The Huaca de la Luna is one such pyramidal structure, impressive in its size, design, and surviving artistic works. What else is really cool about this Huaca? Like many places in Peru, excavations here are still underway, and much of the huaca has yet to be discovered. Visiting a site still in the midst of discovery is a cool experience.

Ania, Rachel, and I were graced with a lovely and knowledgeable tour guide who showed us around the complex, narrating the stories behind the sites. As we entered the complex, she explained that the Moche people chose this site because of its proximity to the Cerro Blanco, or white hill, located just above the huaca. They believed this hill was a spiritual site and governed architectural development of their complex in accordance with the hill’s size and shape.

The Decapitator

In an area closest to the Cerro Blanco, the high priests of the huaca hosted elaborate sacrificial ceremonies to the Decapitator, or the creator/maker God. As you may guess, beheading was a key feature of these sacrifices, as was skinning (ew). (The Decapitator was the favorite word of our tour guide, which was mildly amusing only because many of the tales sounded a bit like outlandish ghost stories). Young men were the lucky sacrificed, and it was an honor to be chosen as a human offering to the Decapitator. Something in this strange tradition reminds me of contemporary suicide bombers for some reason- this idea of dying in the name of your God. But I digress.

Do Overs and Animal Connections

One more interesting thing about the Huacas (okay two)—every 100 years for 600 years, the Moche people completely built over the existing huaca structure, giving the edifice its pyramidal shape. On each level of the onion-like structure, there are elaborate friezes centrally featuring the decapitator (okay, okay, my new favorite word too!) In addition to the Decaptitor, several animal images appear and reappear throughout the structure. Each of these animals represents a different natural or cultural phenomenon. For example, birds (such as pelicans) represented wind, snakes represented fertility, foxes represented power, spiders represented rain, catfish the sea, etc. I am finding from my incipient art history studies that animals have been a chief subject of art and worship since the beginning of time. While this may seem like an obvious observation, I find it interesting that humans have always been so closely connected to the animals around them.

Okay enough about the huacas, check out the pictures ☺

Huanchaco 26 a 31 de Julio

27 a 29 de Julio

Instead of staying in Trujillo, lovely as it was, we decided to make Huanchaco our home base for the next few days. Located about 8 miles west of Trujillo, Huanchaco is a little beach locale we had read was a popular resort spot with great surf. After checking into the Hotel Suiza, a decent little hostel about five blocks up the road from the beach, we proceeded to have a mellow day of exploring the town.

Huanchaco lives up to its name of being a sleepy fishing hamlet. It was not at all crowded, which it is reported to be come summertime. One of the cultural highlights of this beach town is the old reed boats lining the boardwalk and littering the shoreline. These are the same type of boats used over two thousand years ago by the pre-Incan Moche civilization (see “Huacas” for more about them). Nicknamed caballitos de tortora, or “little reed horses,” these boats, fashioned out of tortora reeds, have long been used for fishing.

In my estimation, Huancaco’s charm must be magnified by the sun. We were lucky to have a bit of sunshine the first afternoon we arrived, but the rest of the trip was Lima-grey. We made the most of it by setting out to explore the ruins littering this coastal desert locale. (We had grand plans to make a four-hour trek to a nature preserve boasting Spectacled Bears…but this never came to fruition despite our daily dreams of doing so.)

Trujillo, Trujillo, Trujillo!

Domingo 27 de Julio

As our July vacation rapidly approached, Ania, Rachel and I took our sweet time making any definitive plans. Originally, we intended to book a bus to Huaraz, a mountain area where Ania had some friends we could stay with. This plan sounded perfect until we discovered that all the buses were full for the weekend we planned to leave. Being Peru’s Independence Day, the last weekend of July is one of the busiest times to travel. This we discovered the hard way. As we scrambled to find an alternative adventure, we thought about traveling to the south but eventually decided to head north in hopes of finding some sunshine (as we hardly get any in Lima).

Ania only had a few days to travel so we thought that Trujillo sounded like a good destination. After this, Rachel and I planned to set out for this awesome surf and sun setting in the far north called Mancora. We booked a hotel then only to discover that all the buses were booked for Mancora as well! Curses! So we decided we’d just try to make a week out of Trujillo. While the expectations weren’t see too high, we were hoping for some beach time in the sun and maybe some ruins.

Late on Saturday night, we embarked on an overnight bus to Trujillo, which is approximately 10 hours from Lima (the guidebook says 8 hours- it bends the truth more often than not, I have discovered). Groggily we arrived in Trujillo on this early Sunday morning and decided to wander towards the city center (the Plaza De Armas, one of which every city in Peru seems to have).

When we reached the Plaza, some sort of military procession was underway. There must have been at least four types of outfitted troops in the square. After finishing some sort of flag or marching bit, a woman broke out in Opera-like song and everyone stood at attention. Being an outsider at the outskirts of this event, I went to sit down and take my heavy, heavy pack off (um, I often pack like a boy scout…I am prepared for anything). Immediately I was reprimanded by an armed soldier, who didn’t like the idea of my taking my pack off and staying awhile. As we stood in freeze-dance fashion, we watched as people who tried to leave the square were chastised with harsh but silent warnings that stopped them in their tracks. Apparently nobody moves a muscle till the fat lady sings.

We jetted out of the square right when she finished, for fear that we might be stuck there all morning if more singing was to ensue. Trujillo felt like a ghost town this Sunday morning. Hardly anyone was about on the streets except tour mongers and armed military personnel. This undoubtedly gave the town an eerie feel. We decided to grab some coffee, in a vain attempt to shake of the sleepiness inevitable after a Peruvian overnight bus ride.

As we sat sipping greasy coffee in a crowded breakfast joint, a group of teenaged soldiers with guns half their size came marching to the corner. With all the seriousness of troops preparing for battle, the group proceeded to chant the following:

Buenos Dias, Buenos Dias (Good morning)
Desayuno, Desayuno (Breakfast)
Es Delicioso, es Delicioso. (Its delicious)

And then they marched on down the streets. Our first impressions of Trujillo were thus.

Central Lima 26 de Julio 2008

Went down to central Lima with my new friend Jamie this day. Ate some pizza, checked out some interesting catecombs (skulls, bones, and all) underneath a church, and hung out in the main square before heading back home to pack for my week-long trip to the northern beach area of Peru.

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