November 15, 2011
Francisco Pizarro founded Trujillo in 1534AD and named it after his hometown in Spain. I found a good coffee place in Trujillo (Amaretto cafe) only a couple blocks from my place so you know where I will be every morning. I checked out Trujillo's central market and bought some dark blue shorts for $5US. He told me it was 22 soles for his shorts and when I picked out what shorts I wanted and passed him my 22 soles he told me the ones I picked out were only 15 soles. Honest guy!!
Espana avenue is a circular road that goes around the center of town where bits (2%) of the old Trujillo wall are still standing. Most of the showers I have had down here have an electric shower head and although it is a plastic shower head you still manage to get 30 volts running through you while you adjust the shower head.
On Wednesday morning I went to "Amaretto cafe" which is just a block from the main plaza. I have noticed that when you order coffee and your meal at the same time then they don't bring the coffee out to you until your meal is ready so sometimes you have to wait 40 minutes for your coffee because of this, so now I just immediately order my 2 coffees upon arrival (first step into the cafe and before I sit down) and when the coffees come I THEN order my meal. These are the tricks you learn down here as a gringo where you learn to adapt to their rules.
At 10am I got a minivan to the old adobe ruins of "Huaca del Sol" and "Huaca de la Luna" which are old adobe pyramids (mud brick) built between 100AD-800AD and is located about 10km south/east of Trujillo. The pyramid of the sun has just started to be excavated so tourists are not allowed on it and it is 30% taller and much bigger than the pyramid of the moon. The "Huaca del Sol" pyramid is made up of 140 million adobe bricks and is at a 77 degree slope. These are tombs built over older tombs over many centuries but the "Moche" people died out around 800AD due to droughts and weather conditions. They have well preserved "friezes" and murals on the walls of the old tombs that are deeper down that didn't get destroyed by grave robbers years ago and were protected by the other mud brick walls. I went to the museum first and learned a little about their Moche culture. They were into human sacrifice and having coca leaf chewing ceremonies.
There was just me and a Japanese guy who now lives in Seattle on the english speaking tour and our guides name was "Ruth". As we were finishing up our tour another tour guide came up to our guide Ruth and was whispering to her and smiling back at her own big group of Peruvians and we found out they all wanted a group photo with me and the Asian fellow. We were definitely feeling like movie stars. As we left I was explaining to Ruth that she should buy a $15US coffee machine and start a coffee house and make a lot of money from the gringo crowd. I love giving "business tips" to the locals down here.
Our tour was just for "Huaca de la Luna" pyramid so afterwards I asked the Asian fellow if he wanted to walk over to the Pyramid of the Sun and take some photos but he said his company has a taxi waiting for him and he had to go since he was in Peru on business. So I walked over to the pyramid of the sun for 10 minutes and took some pictures and then waited by the side of the road to wave down one of the regular minivans that cruise the street for passengers when I saw the Asian fellow drive by in his taxi and I tried to wave him down so I could scoop a free ride back to town and I guess he thought I was just waving at him and smiled and waved back to me as they kept driving. A minute later a minivan came by and picked me up and I had to cough up 50 cents for the ride back.
Tomorrow I will head out to the ruins of "Chan Chan" which were built around 1300AD. After that I will head out to Huanchaco since it is very close to the Chan Chan ruins to see their beaches and decide if I want to spend a day or two out there since it is suppose to be the best beaches around Trujillo.
Francisco Pizarro founded Trujillo in 1534AD and named it after his hometown in Spain. I found a good coffee place in Trujillo (Amaretto cafe) only a couple blocks from my place so you know where I will be every morning. I checked out Trujillo's central market and bought some dark blue shorts for $5US. He told me it was 22 soles for his shorts and when I picked out what shorts I wanted and passed him my 22 soles he told me the ones I picked out were only 15 soles. Honest guy!!
Espana avenue is a circular road that goes around the center of town where bits (2%) of the old Trujillo wall are still standing. Most of the showers I have had down here have an electric shower head and although it is a plastic shower head you still manage to get 30 volts running through you while you adjust the shower head.
On Wednesday morning I went to "Amaretto cafe" which is just a block from the main plaza. I have noticed that when you order coffee and your meal at the same time then they don't bring the coffee out to you until your meal is ready so sometimes you have to wait 40 minutes for your coffee because of this, so now I just immediately order my 2 coffees upon arrival (first step into the cafe and before I sit down) and when the coffees come I THEN order my meal. These are the tricks you learn down here as a gringo where you learn to adapt to their rules.
At 10am I got a minivan to the old adobe ruins of "Huaca del Sol" and "Huaca de la Luna" which are old adobe pyramids (mud brick) built between 100AD-800AD and is located about 10km south/east of Trujillo. The pyramid of the sun has just started to be excavated so tourists are not allowed on it and it is 30% taller and much bigger than the pyramid of the moon. The "Huaca del Sol" pyramid is made up of 140 million adobe bricks and is at a 77 degree slope. These are tombs built over older tombs over many centuries but the "Moche" people died out around 800AD due to droughts and weather conditions. They have well preserved "friezes" and murals on the walls of the old tombs that are deeper down that didn't get destroyed by grave robbers years ago and were protected by the other mud brick walls. I went to the museum first and learned a little about their Moche culture. They were into human sacrifice and having coca leaf chewing ceremonies.
There was just me and a Japanese guy who now lives in Seattle on the english speaking tour and our guides name was "Ruth". As we were finishing up our tour another tour guide came up to our guide Ruth and was whispering to her and smiling back at her own big group of Peruvians and we found out they all wanted a group photo with me and the Asian fellow. We were definitely feeling like movie stars. As we left I was explaining to Ruth that she should buy a $15US coffee machine and start a coffee house and make a lot of money from the gringo crowd. I love giving "business tips" to the locals down here.
Our tour was just for "Huaca de la Luna" pyramid so afterwards I asked the Asian fellow if he wanted to walk over to the Pyramid of the Sun and take some photos but he said his company has a taxi waiting for him and he had to go since he was in Peru on business. So I walked over to the pyramid of the sun for 10 minutes and took some pictures and then waited by the side of the road to wave down one of the regular minivans that cruise the street for passengers when I saw the Asian fellow drive by in his taxi and I tried to wave him down so I could scoop a free ride back to town and I guess he thought I was just waving at him and smiled and waved back to me as they kept driving. A minute later a minivan came by and picked me up and I had to cough up 50 cents for the ride back.
Tomorrow I will head out to the ruins of "Chan Chan" which were built around 1300AD. After that I will head out to Huanchaco since it is very close to the Chan Chan ruins to see their beaches and decide if I want to spend a day or two out there since it is suppose to be the best beaches around Trujillo.
