We arrived into the port of Salaverry, Peru which was founded by the Spanish conquistador, Pizarro and has numerous archaeological excavations.
Our tour today was to Chan Chan City of Palaces.
Chan Chan is one of the most spectacular cities, and the largest construction of mud in the New World. It was once the capital at the Chimu civilization, predecessors of the ancient Incas.
The city walls enclose eight square miles of buildings, including small wattle and dub huts, medium sized adobe brick houses, and the huge fortresses, or palaces, at the era’s nobility. These palaces typically contained many rooms and patios, and were surrounded by their own walls.
Each palace contained ceremonial courtyards, some decorated with the repeating design of birds or animals. The smallest courtyards were thought to be the most important and only assessable to the inner circle. These amazing buildings range in age from 900 to 1470 A.D.
Security protecting the site.
Rainbow Temple or Dragon Temple in Trujillo.
An adobe pyramid, which is of great importance because its construction is believed to have occurred at the start of the Chimú culture and at the end of the Tiahuanco–Wari culture, between the 10th and 11th centuries. It is estimated to be 1,100 years old. The building has a quadrangular shape and walls decorated with tall reliefs that depict zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures. The name of the temple originates from one of these figures, a two-headed being with innumerable feet, similar to a dragon. Researchers believe that one of the roles of the site was ceremonial (potentially linked to rites in honour of the rainbow and other natural phenomena related to fertility).
Things we learned on the drive:
Most people build concrete houses as drywall is very expensive. Houses cost 250K and land costs 180K.
If they build houses on hills it is free land so they just have to pay for house.
Asparagus, tomatoes are grown and huge grapes with no seeds costs 2 sols per kilo which is less than a dollar but we would pay $10 per kilo.
They eat guinea pig and rabbit.
Average salary is $500 USD a month.
There was lots of trash in piles everywhere.
Lots of traffic.
Hairless dog
Return to ship and a little shopping!
Dinner at Jacques Restaurant
Hearts of Boston Lettuce with Shallots and Blue Cheese
Green Pea Vichyssoise
French Onion Soup
Dover Sole Sautéed with Crispy Bread Croutons, Lemon and Caper Butter
Crepes Suzette for dessert
Good night from the South Pacific Ocean!
Jim & Patricia's Travels 