Retreat to the beach - Huanchaco styles

Well folks I had hit my limit. At least for a while. After 9 weeks of traveling, never spending more than 3 nights in the same place, I had started to lose my zest for travel and knew it was time to settle in somewhere and regroup. Huanchaco Beach (20mins outside of Trujillo) became my retreat and I will forever think of this slice of the world as a little piece of heaven... if I believed in such a place.





At first glance I wasn't sold. On my first night I stayed on the wrong side of the beach, as far as I am concerned now, but after walking down the beach on day one to find Nylamp Hostel and relocate, I was hooked.
Huanchaco beach, located 20km from Trujillo (which is the main city of Northern Peru) is mainly a draw for surfers and fishermen, of course I am neither, but it has kept me happy, for over a week, all the same.
The reed boats above take 2 days to make and the fisherman are referred to as cowboys because of how they straddle the boat when paddling into the surf to fish. They line the boats up every night to dry them off, ready in the morning for another productive day on the water. Personally, I find it next to impossible to even get past the breakers to swim, the currents are so strong, but have managed to deepen my tan up by sitting on the beach each afternoon, dipping my feet into the cool water from time to time.  I've actually got bumps and bruises from my efforts to get past the breakers. There are golf ball size rocks that get thrown around the surf with each wave and if your ankles are part of the mix beware. 

The area is also known for the Chan Chan ruins (largest mud city in the world with over 10,000 dwellings through 9 royal compounds dating back 2000yrs) & Huaca de la Luna y Sol, only discovered in 1990. These sites were part of the Moche and later Chimu people (the second largest pre-Colombian society in SAmerica) who came before the Incas by 300 years and their style of architecture are totally different to what Kyla and I had seen in the south of Peru. Also since this area is close to the sea the carvings etc are all related to the ocean.

Allow me to show you...

Here is Chan Chan. They found the site under literally tons of sand and are trying to preserve it by putting up tarps to stop the rain water from eroding it all further. 

The walls have the most beautiful designs. Sea birds, sardines, geometric wave patterns to represent the ocean and repeated grids that are in honour of their beloved fishing nets.  Overall work can be described as staggering and stunning at the same time.   We (Kallista (Aussie) and her Argentine husband Guillet plus Elouise (German), were also told that the Moche domesticated pelicans and had them catch and bring back fish to the fisherman who owned them. I feel like that's a stretch, don't you?  I shouldn't be so critical though, I mean look what they clearly were capable of.  It probably is true and I am just jealous. Wouldn't be the first time.  I can hear them now "Don't act like you're not impressed you tourist!"

In the afternoon we took a cab to the Huaca de la Luna y Sol. The photo to the left is of the Sun (Sol) pyramid so you can see why no one really noticed it until recently. They are just beginning to excavate the Sun temple but we were permitted into the Moon temple after visiting their amazing museum. Lead by priests the focus of the pyramid-like temples seemed to be on human sacrifies. Boooooo.
When the rains (El Nino) wouldn't stop and no amount of prayer helped, battles were organized between the best warriors and the losers were stripped naked and taken to the temples to wait a few weeks and then be beheaded, at which time their blood was either drunk by the priests or offered to the Gods by pouring on sacred grounds. Serious pressure to perform here.  They have build five temples over top of each-other. When one lead priest died they would fill in the temples with bricks and build a new one on top.  Crazy right? I wish I understood how long it all took and where they prayed during this time of rebuidling. The new temple would be bigger than the last which is why they look like pyramids from the outside and they would take inspiration from the previous temple designs so the theme remains pretty consistent. Each brick was also "signed" by its creator... I think I see a happy face in here.
The area is also known for hairless dogs. Check out this beauty roaming the ruins all day long. She is even rocking a mohawk! 

After a couple of days of seeing the archaeological sights I felt okay about becoming a beach bum. Enjoying incredible vegetarian dishes at my new fav hangout Otra Cosa or cooking with fellow hostel dwellers, either way my budget has shrunk to about $20 per day without making much of an effort at all, including yoga on the beach evey morning and once at sunset! Good times all around. 
Here's a flavour for my life in Huanchaco...
The sunsets here are out of this world so be prepared to see a ton of these images when I get home.

People also pay the fishermen to take them out on the boats but I have stuck to the shore.  Pretty right?

I have LOVED it here. Even the library is pretty. Great wood structure with great windows. Combis are the way to get around this area as well. 1 soles which is 33 cents gets you a seat (that is built for a Peruvian bum and set of legs - ie much smaller than ours) on the minibus to Trujillo the main city of the north which is only 30mins away but feels like another world.






Of course there is also graffiti if you enjoy that sort of thing. Which you all know I do... here is a sampling.



My only dilemma here is when do I have to leave... or do I ever had to leave really?

So much to admire but I have determined that today is my last day and I will head north tomorrow to see Chiclayo and then Mancor before leaving Peru after three weeks bound for Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

Here's the last sunset photo I will post. I couldn't resist.

Love this graffiti I saw the other day. Mirrors my motto of encouraging myself and others to try. Even more simply put.

do

Miss you all

xo
b