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Buen viaje!
More things to do and see
By Bonnie Hamre, About.com
Administrative area, Chan Chan, Peru
Peter and Jackie Main
Chiclayo
The city, 131 mi (219 km) north of Trujillo, (see this interactive map from Expedia)
is an important tourist and archaeological gateway to the pre-Columbian sites, particularly Sipán, discovered unlooted in 1987. Local artisans create many of the charms, amulets, potions and cures for the local mercado de brujos or witch's market. Witchcraft and sorcery is according to folklore tradition, pracitced in the small towns of Salas, Jayanca, and Pacora.
The Tomb of the Lord of Sipán, a tremendous archaeological discovery, is in the Huaca Rajada. Together with a smaller pyramid, these pyramids hold a number of tombs, many yet to be excavated. The most important tomb, that of the Lord, now contains replicas of the items it held, while the originals are displayed in the Museo Brüning in Lambayeque. The museum also contains ceramics, gold artifacts, and excellent interpretative displays.
East of Sipán, the Moche capital of Pampa Grande is a large complex with one of the largest Andean pyramids, Huaca Fortaleza, Pyramid of Strength. The city was burned and abandoned, for unknown reasons, in the early 9th century, marking the decline of the Moche empire.
Túcume
Legend has it that a nobleman fled the declining Moche civilization, and with his family and followers on a fleet of balsa boats, began the Lambayeque dynasty 21 mi (35 km) northwest of Trujillo. Túcume is called the Valley of the Pyramids. The 26 pyramidal adobe constructions of almost 100 mt (328 ft) wide and 33 mt (108 ft) high plus dozens of small pyramids create the large complex. The best view of the site is from El Purgatorio hill.
Monsefú
The town celebrates its folkloric and ethnic heritage with a month-long handicrafts festival in July, with food, drink and Marinera and Tondero dance competitions. The music and dances originated from Afro-Indian rhythyms after some of the early African immigrations in coastal Peru. Local artisans are known for their textiles, hats and wooden utensils.
Eten and Pimentel have beautiful beaches, while Santa Rosa is credited with being the location where the legendary Naylamp came ashore leading a number of foreign warriors and founded the great Chimú civilization.
Located in Chongayape, this site has petroglyphs depicting scenes taken from nature created by the first settlers, ancient Peruvians who dwelled in the area thousands of years ago.
Inland, the city of Cajamarca is historically important for the struggles between the Inca and the Spaniards. Here, the conquistadores garrotted the Inca Atahualpa on the Plaza de Armas. Even though the Indians, in an effort to save the Inca, filled the Rescue Room with gold and silver, their rescue was futile.
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