Barranco

At the suggestion of a friend, my wife, Rita, and I made our first stop in Peru in Miraflores, a district of the Lima Province. We found Lima's organization a bit puzzling. According to Wikipedia, Lima Province is the only province that does not belong to any of the twenty-five regions of Peru. Lima is the capital of the Lima Province and of the nation. Miraflores is at once described as a district of the city of Lima and a district of the Lima Province. It stands out as one of the most affluent districts of Lima with upscale restaurants, hotels, and night life. For all its "upscaleness" we found a reasonably priced restaurant that served delicious Peruvian dishes near our Airbnb. We also dined in one of the downtown restaurants where I tried Peru's famous Pisco Sour (Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, egg white) and Ceviche (raw fish in lime juice). I was apprehensive about consuming raw fish but decided to try it in an upscale restaurant where I thought it would be properly prepared. We also enjoyed the enormous Indian market that featured every type of craft you could imagine. Being on a budget we spent little time in Mira Flores, preferring the adjacent district of Barranco, known as Lima's cool neighborhood; a bit bohemian, an artist hangout, full of colorful streets, coffee shops and bars. This picture is an example of the colorful houses in the city.

Barranco

Barranco, lying on the pacific coast, is a popular beach destination for both locals and tourists. It is also ranked sixth among the world's 50 best surf spots. The beach is easily reached by a path called Bajada de los Banos. This picture was taken from Bajada de los Banos on our way to the beach. It was a sunny day that created the silhouette of a worker cutting grass on the hillside with a weed whacker. Two small fishing boats can be seen in the distance.

Barranco

We found colorful, flower strewn streets everywhere in Barranco. Walking around, you will also encounter murals, artwork and imposing homes in the colonial and Republican styles. The city's Museo Pedro de Osma has one of the best collections of colonial art.

Trujillo

On our trip to Peru, we decided to go north along the Pacific coast rather than to the more popular Machu Picchu in the south. We were motivated in part by a desire to see a lesser-known part of Peru and in part by a desire to discover the crafts of northern Peru. It was also impossible to visit both the north and south of Peru in three weeks. Our trip was not meticulously planned with pre-selection of lodging, restaurants and places to visit. In the end we were happy for our decision. It was full of pleasant surprises that we could not have anticipated. In general, we followed the pacific coast north. After Lima, it took us to Trujillo the third largest city in Peru with a population of 865,000 in 2020. It was founded by the Spanish conquistadors around 1534 and has one of the most beautiful Plaza de Armas that we saw in Peru. Spanish cities were laid out in a grid with a plaza in the center, surrounded by a cathedral or church and government buildings. The cathedral on the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo is in the typical yellow style and is accompanied by colorful government and private businesses around the plaza. It was a very charming and busy place with local adults and children almost any time of the day. The name, "Plaza de Armas", which is given to plazas in the cities of Latin America sounds militaristic; in fact, it was the place where citizens could come for defense in case of an outside attack.

Trujillo

The cathedral (Catedral de Trujillo) on the Plaza de Armas was built in the 17th century and rebuilt after an earthquake in the 18th century. A museum inside the cathedral displays wood carvings and paintings of the colonial period.

Trujillo

Our biggest discovery in Trujillo was the Moche civilization. Everyone knows about the Incas who conquered and ruled over an empire from 1400 to 1533AD. Far fewer people know of the Moche civilization that flourished between 100 and 700 AD along the northern coast and valleys of ancient Peru. The name derives from their capital by the same name near what is today the city of Trujillo. It was a very sophisticated agricultural society that also developed some of the most intricate ceramic, gold, silver and metal objects of Andean civilizations. Several pyramid-like mounds with multi levels, access ramps and slanted roofs have been uncovered. One of these monuments was constructed with over 140 million bricks. This photo and others in the gallery were taken on a guided tour of nearby ongoing excavations.

Trujillo

I took this photo of the archeological excavations of Moche culture on a guided tour five miles south of Trujillo. This was the capital of Moche civilization and the temple, Huaca de la Luna, was the location of pilgrimages for people in the surrounding areas. The temple is decorated with exquisite murals of their deities, battles and their sacrifices.

Trujillo

A room inside the temple of Huaca de la Luna with carvings and symbols.

Trujillo

Huaca de la Luna wall carving depicting heavily armed warriors.

Trujillo

Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) appears to have had five layers, some constructed upon lower ones. Friezes (wall sculptures) depict everyday life and events like the one shown here of prisoners being led into the complex. Discoveries of exquisite ceramics, pottery, and sculptures have been made. Today Huaca de la Luna is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Trujillo

Close up of frieze showing prisoners being led into the temple complex.

Trujillo

Night shot taken from the roof of our hotel near Plaza de Armas.

Trujillo

Night shot taken from the roof of our hotel near the Plaza de Armas.

Chiclayo

From Trujillo, we traveled three hours north by bus to Chiclayo. Although not as impressive as Trujillo, Chiclayo is the fourth largest city in Peru after Lima, Trujillo and Arequipa. It was founded by Spanish explorers in the 16th century and later played an important part in the fight for independence, hence the name Chiclayo (the Heroic City). Today it is the capital city of Peru's Lambayeque region and gateway to important archaeological sites. We stayed in the small but comfortable Hotel Embajador where we often had meals in its adjoining restaurant. The photo is from one of many crowded shops in the downtown area. This one sold herbs, spices, tea, candles and beads. The downtown scene was vibrant, colorful and busy. Traffic was hectic. In one intersection without a traffic light, we observed cars, trucks, Mototaxis, taxis and bicycles all converging. Somehow, they sorted themselves out without anyone being the worst for the encounter. It was amazing.

Huanchaco

Huanchaco, five miles north of Trujillo, is a city on the Pacific coast known for its ceviche and caballitos de totora (little reed horses). These boats, that can be traced back 3000 years, are still used by local fishermen. According to Andres Tinoco Rondan, Huachaco is also the actual birthplace of ceviche. Between 800 and 14oo, Huanchaco was the port for nearby Chan Chan, the capital of the empire of Chimor, later conquered by the Incas. Local fishermen store their caballitos on the beach as seen in this photo.

Huanchaco

Closeup of a caballito de totora on the beach.

Huanchaco

Fisherman returning to shore with his catch. The name, caballito, refers to the way fishermen straddle the small boats like on horseback.

Huanchaco

Two fishermen returning to shore with their catch, riding their caballitos.

Monsefu

At the suggestion of our host at the Hotel Embajador, we traveled by taxi to the nearby city of Monsefu in search of local crafts. We were not disappointed. At the Asociacion de Artesanos Monsefuanos we encountered several active artisans. This photo shows an indigenous woman using a traditional loom.

Monsefu

Artisan working at the Asociacion de Artesanos Monsefuanos.

Monsefu

Sometimes plazas in Peru have several names. This is the Plaza de Armas in Monsefu; also called Plaza Principal de Monsefu. The city is known for its food and crafts which are promoted by local organizations.

Monsefu

San Pedro Church, on the Plaza de Armas, built in 1896.

Lambayeque

From Chiclayo, we went to nearby Lambayeque, site of very important archeological excavations and the discovery of El Senor de Sipan (Lord of Sipan) in the Huaca Rajada (monument). The Lambayeque civilization thrived between 750 and 1375AD and was eventually conquered and assimilated into the Chimu empire, which itself was later conquered by the Incas. In 1987, the archaeologist Walter Alva discovered the well-preserved mummy of a skeleton in an undisturbed tomb, surrounded by six other skeletons. The principal skeleton was covered with a headdress, necklaces, and other adornments made of gold. The discovery has been compared to that of King Tut. The Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum (Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipan) was built to house the Lord of Sipan along with other tombs and an amazing array of the rich artifacts found in the Huaca Rajada. This photo is of the museum that is mostly underground. We toured the museum and the archaeological excavations of the Huaca Rajada.

Lambayeque

I took this photo of the Arbol Milenario (thousand-year tree) in the Sanctuary of Pomac Forest in Lambayeque. The forest is a national preserve of living trees and wildlife. A nearby sign in Spanish and English calls it a live symbol of the algarrobos tree of Peru. It's a tree that was venerated by rural people in the past.