As it turned out, for a variety of logistical reasons, our jaunt to northern Peru lasted only 48 hours. But during that time, we took quite the journey back in time. First, we visited the Chan Chan ruins. Chan Chan was the center of the Chimú civilization, which existed between the ninth and fifteenth centuries, until it was conquered by the Incas around 1470.
In its day, Chan Chan spanned nearly 20 square kilometers, only a fraction of which has been excavated and opened to the public.
Chan Chan is a UNESCO world heritage site. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Chan Chan was at one point the largest adobe city on earth and the largest city in the Americas.
Our ticket to see Chan Chan included entrance to a museum dedicated to its history. Interestingly, the boats used at the time are still used by the fishing industry in Huanchaco today.
After Chan Chan, we took a leap even further back in time to visit the Huacas (temples) del Mocho, built by the Mocho civilization between 400 and 600 A.D. The site includes two temples: Huaca del Sol (currently not accessible) and Huaca de la Luna, which was in its day a ritual and ceremonial center and features striking friezes throughout.
Huaca de la Luna includes temple on top of temple, as each new emperor would entirely cover the prior emperor’s temple in order to make his mark with his own creation. Makes ordering new White House china look like child’s play!
As a final glimpse of northern Peru, I had to share this sign from Trujillo. It appears Jesus can do everything in this country, and takes Visa!
Following our whirlwind tour of northern Peru, we headed to Cusco, which was the heart of the Inca empire from around 1400 until its downfall at the hands of the Spanish. Unfortunately, the city has outgrown itself. The overwhelming number of tourists in the streets, the heavy traffic ill-suited to the city’s very narrow roads, the pedestrians confined to the slivers that count as sidewalks here, and the abundant droppings left by street dogs detract from the stunning beauty of the city. But nevertheless, the stunning beauty can be seen!
Just above Cusco sit the incredible Sacsaywaman ruins. These ruins have fascinated visitors and scholars for years, as they demonstrate the Incas’ remarkable architectural prowess and ingenuity. The walls are comprised of enormous stone blocks, perfectly aligned. The largest is said to be over eight meters high and to weigh over 350 tons.
Over the years, many have speculated about the size and placement of Sacsaywaman’s bricks, and theorized that the Incas could not have built the city without the aid of (take your pick) magic, aliens, gods, or devils. But I find the explanation in Peter Frost’s book Exploring Cusco to be the most intriguing and also the most likely. He writes, “There is a subtle, less obvious explanation of how the Incas were able to move vast stones. Their society was highly unified and well-nourished, they did not use slaves, their labor force was not reluctant, and their mightiest structures were dedicated to the deities which everyone worshipped. Thus an undivided focus of human energies may have accomplished what seem almost superhuman feats to we individualistic moderns.” (5th edition, p98).
As if the ruins weren’t exciting enough in and of themselves, there was also an adjacent natural “slide” in the rocks. Adults and children alike enjoyed the ride!
From Sacsaywaman, we walked up the next hill to view the Cristo Blanco (White Christ) that looks over the city. The statute was donated by grateful Palestinian refugees, though one of our taxi drivers told us it was donated by “the Jews.” Close enough!
We then walked down a very (very) long stairway passing through houses and ending close to our Airbnb. Along the way, the below sign was posted in several places. It reads, “This neighborhood is organized. All captured theives will be beaten, lynched, and burned.” On another occasion, I expressed my alarm about the signs to a local, who explained calmly that the police don’t take action in those neighborhoods and the people feel they have to take matters into their own hands. He noted he thought it unlikely anyone would actually be burned. So there’s that.
Unfortunately, for the past week-plus, we (especially I) have been under the weather. After a few days of convalescing in Cusco, I tried to rally and we took a road trip to see other ruins in the Sacred Valley. We saw some beautiful sites but I then landed back in bed.
The first stop was at Tipón (or T’inpoq in the original language), an Inca site built in the 1400s.
At Tipón, the Incas developed irrigation systems that were works of impressive engineering, beautiful artistry, and (according to our guide) rich symbolism. Per our guide, the two irrigation channels pictured below represented duality: male and female, sun and moon, stength and weakness, etc. The two channels then merge and produce four channels (their “children”) representing four seasons, four regions of the Inca empire, four directions and four elements of man
And here are the four!
The modern-day town of Tipón serves only one dish in its restaurants: cuy (guinea pig, very popular in Peru). The establishments are called cuyerias. We took a pass and went down the road to the next town, Pisac, for our lunch, an overnight stay, and a visit the next day to the most spectacular of the ruins we have visited to date.
Pisac was an Inca fortress and community that was abandoned when the Spanish took over the Cusco area. For a sample of its breathtaking beauty, see below (and above).
After touring these two ruins, my illness got the better of me. We checked into a hotel for a couple nights, and I hibernated while Peter continued to enjoy the wonders of the Sacred Valley. Here are some images from his hike. My view was limited to white pillows and blankets.
And now it is time to sign off, as Sunday morning we head off early to a five-day trek along the Inca Trail, ending at Machu Pichu. We haven’t stopped chasing history in Peru yet!
LOL on Claudia’s view. And, it was obviously the aliens.
Obviously the aliens!