That was a lot of traveling, but I knew my time was limited, so I did not take a rest. Upon arriving the next morning I found a buddy at my hostel and we found a nice long day hike, up to a lake called Laguna Churrup. The hike included lots of beautiful views of the region - mountains and rolling hills in every direction, with little towns fit snugly into the valleys. Eventually the trek went into the Parque Nacional Huascaran, which would have been cool if I had known there was an additional fee for entering. It was not a problem, and the rest of the hike was fun since it included scrambling over rocks and climbing alongside a waterfall. The view at the top was really nice. The lake itself is right at the base of Nevado Churrup, which is a big snowy mountain. I sat around at about 4,500 feet and thought about how crazy it was that about 12 hours prior I was at sea level. The following day I did more of the same by hiking to Laguna Aguac, another nearby lake. That hike was not as fun, and I did it alone. My one consolation for wearing myself out so much was that I caught a lizard with yellow and orange blotches on its underside. I was not expecting to see that at 4,000+ meters. The next day, my final one in Huaraz, was spent doing yet another long hike. This time I joined a tour, mostly because figuring out taxis and buses was wearing on me. The destination was a place called Laguna 69 (yes I only hiked to lakes). That hike was absolutely beautiful, and well worth the long, early drive to get started. Along the way we saw plenty of other lakes and mountains. There were also some towering waterfalls that seemed to come out of nowhere to splash down into the valley. The trek up to Laguna 69 ended up being fairly difficult for me, but fortunately the scenery made me forget how tired my legs were from the previous two days. At the end of the hike you go up switchback after switchback for a good while. When you do finally reach the top the view ahead is unbelievable! Laguna 69 might be the bluest body of water I have ever seen. Yes, it actually rivals the blueness of Crater Lake in Oregon! The backdrop is not too bad either, with a few rugged glaciers and peaks looming right over. The glaciers made a lot of cracking noises, and water was always trickling down the rocks into the blue lake. It was a fantastic place to admire with the few others that had made it up already. Of course eventually people showed up with a stereo and started playing crappy music. Fortunately I had a lot of time to enjoy the ambience before they crashed the quiet party. The hike back was way better than the hike up, as it allowed me to look out over the valley and the mountains that had been at my back all morning. The Cordillera Blanca is a beautiful part of the Andes, and not even bad music can ruin that.
My next destination was Trujillo, which I had gotten very mixed reviews about. People that had never visited said they avoided it because it is dangerous, while people that did stop there said they had zero problems. I went there, in part because it was a sensible next stop on my way north, and because there are some cool historical sites nearby. Those local sites include some ¨huacas¨ that are basically PYRAMIDS, as well as the largest pre-Columbian city in South America, called Chan Chan. Seeing as I had never seen a real pyramid before, that was priority number one for my visit.
I went to the Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) to get my pyramid fix. I was not disappointed, well at first I was. The pyramid is mostly covered in roofing and supports, which are meant to protect it from the sun. So when I first saw the pyramid I was unsure what all the hype could be about. I was forced to get a tour guide, and because I answered the question ¨Do you speak Spanish?¨with ¨mas o menos¨ (more or less) I was given a Spanish tour. It was me, the female tour guide, and a funny old Peruvian guy with a few teeth missing. My guide spoke slowly for me, and I surprisingly understood about 90 percent of what she said. The tour mostly took place inside the pyramid, where all the good stuff is hidden. I learned from the guide that over the years the pyramid was built over by subsequent generations of the Moche people. They would just plop more adobe mud bricks over what was made by the last generation. This layering proved important for the preservation of the murals and carvings inside. Thus, when one enters the Huaca de la Luna, there are unweathered designs and symbols of all colors visible. The colors were created by the oxidation of minerals, which is pretty clever. Designs on the bricks included faces in a wide range of emotional states, pictures of victorious and defeated warriors, and some deities. I liked the crazy faces the best. While the tour was going the funny old Peruvian guy brought out a "chicha" drink in a bottle. As I understand, it is an old traditional Peruvian drink, and it contains a ton of alcohol. He offered me some, with a twinkle in his eye, so I took a small swig and quickly decided that was enough cultural experience for me. At one point during the tour we looked over at the larger pyramid, the Huaca del Sol, wishing it was also open for tourists. Unfortunately there is still a lot of work to be done there. The structure is not in great shape, thanks to the the Spaniards' decision to divert a river right into it a few hundred years ago. I clarified that I have no ancestors from Spain, which drew some laughs. The inner Huaca de la Luna was amazing, and I am very glad that it remains so well preserved.
The other site I visited in the area, with my hostel buddy Nikki, was the aforementioned largest pre-Columbian city in South America: Chan Chan. It is a creation of the Chimu people, who came after the Moche (the pyramid folks). Much of Chan Chan is restored, and very few colors remain in the designs on the adobe bricks. The sheer size of the place is what impressed me. It goes on forever, and then some. Generations of people constructed the city, brick by brick. There were trade centers, sacrifical altars, and throne areas. I liked it, but the pyramid from the day before was cooler and included a better tour.
After Trujillo I headed up to Máncora, where people go to surf and do beach activities. I laid in the sand, body-surfed, and ate a ton for a few fabulous days. It was a relaxing way to end my stay in Peru.
Three months felt like a long time, yet I still think I missed out on a lot of what Peru has to offer. It is a surprisingly big country with endless natural beauty, great people, and unbeatable historical sites. I will return, and the sooner the better! Now I am in Ecuador, Peru's little neighbor to the north, for a little while.
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