Peru-Sipan, Chan Chan, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Huanchaco

We had two nights in Lima, then early flight to Chiclayo.

Chiclayo-Trujillo: Private tour w/driver and guide. Tour cost $247/pp incl air, 2 nights hotel, entry fees, breakfast and lunch. Arranged with same tour company after arrival in Lima..

Chiclayo: (Sipan and Chan Chan) Tomb of the Lord of Sipan (richest tomb discovered in the Americas), Valley of 26 pyramids of Tucume and National Museum Royal Tombs of Sipan. Colonial city of Trujillo, and Huanchaco beach where fishermen still surf in totora reed boat as their ancestors did in ancient times. Snag Jose de Moro Museum.

Sipan-300AD, first Lord of Sipan buried, wrapped w/fabrics and metals. Buried with 8 companions. Next Lord buried on top, etc. Several pyramids up to five levels each. Top layers looted by Spaniards 17C; 1987 other looters, then a “gold rush” of natives, then archeologists. The looters only robbed the top two or three layers. Archeologists are are slowing working their way down, layer by layer.

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Temples of the Moon and Sun were burial grounds for priests and holy people. The circumstances surrounding their discovery and looting is the same as Sipan.

Chan Chan-religious base of power 850-1470AD. Largest mud brick city in the world; political and administrative capital of Chimu Kingdom 24 square km.

Trujillo has 60K taxis (mostly modo taxis), 80K people in town, 100K in region. Few private autos. Very pretty town, sidewalks, plazas like Dubrovnik (shiny cobblestones). It is a Spanish colonial city.

This is a spectacular, fascinating area. Unfortunately only
ten percent of tourists to Peru visit this area.

Crops are sugar cane, corn, rice, small bananas.

Huanchaco, on the Pacific coast, is a beautiful

fishing village where people still use their totora reed fishing boats.