Archaeology – Maldo Travels

Kulen Mountain, Beng Mealea, and Bakong

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 29 May 2019 20:31:00 +0000

On our last day at Siem Reap, we got a private car with a driver who offered to take us to Kulen Mountain, Prasat Beng Mealea, and Prasat Bakong for 65 USD¹ total. This option is best if you are in a group, however, there were tour options for these locations but they didn’t include all these destinations. Our driver picked us up at around 8.20 AM and we first headed to Kulen Mountain. At around 9 AM, the driver asked if we wanted to stop and try some traditional Cambodian breakfast. We agreed and pulled up to a street food stall. He recommended a pork rice noodle soup or a fish rice noodle soup. Both were coconut-based with lemongrass costing 1.50 USD each and were very tasty. We finished breakfast at around 9.20 AM and then continued onwards for another hour to Kulen Mountain. There’s a ticket office at the park entrance and tickets cost 20 USD each. The last 20 minutes at the mountain is uphill along a narrow dirt road. There are park officials there though who help navigate traffic. Our first stop was at the Tiles of 1000 Lingas which are tiles carved into a stream’s bedrock. The driver told us of the story behind the tiles and then we walked about 5 minutes along the stream to a well. It was currently dry when we got there and the guide said when it fills up in the wet season. The locals believe it to be holy water since Kulen Mountain is considered a holy place.

We then went back to the car and drove another 5 minutes to the parking lot for the temple of the Reclining Buddha. From the parking lot, we walked through a market and up some steps which took about 5-10 minutes. Along the way, several locals have stacks of smaller bills in the local currency to change if you want to leave a donation at the temples. This place has many shrines for both Hindus and Buddhists. There are several cages in the area to leave your footwear if you want to step into the temples. The temples have been built around large rocks, and the reclining Buddha has been carved into the top of the largest rock. We climbed about 4-5 flights of stairs to get to the top where there was a small queue of people visiting the reclining Buddha. From the top, you also get a good view of the national park including a small town inside the park. At this site, it is mostly locals who come for worship but there are also several tourists visiting the area.

Once we were done taking pictures, we went back down to the car and drove a couple of minutes to the car park for the waterfall. From the car park, we walked through a market and arrived at the top of the waterfall. There is a small 5-meter waterfall here and a small stream you can bathe in. There is a trail that goes around the back and down to the large waterfall. It’s about a 10-minute walk and in the end, there is a small boardwalk with a swing that looks out to the waterfall. The locals charge to take pictures with the swing. There are also lockers there that you can rent if you want to go for a swim towards the waterfall. We left our belongings with the driver and jumped in. The water was refreshing but there are lots of small fish in the river, so probably not for the squeamish. There are several boulders in the river you can climb up to take pictures. Some people even ventured to the boulders at the base of the waterfall. Be careful in the water as it’s cloudy and there are several smaller rocks you can hit yourself on. The waterfall was a refreshing destination and a good break from visiting temples. Once we were done, we headed back to the car and onwards to Prasat Beng Mealea.

It took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the ruins of the temple of Beng Mealea. The driver dropped us off at the main entrance and said he will be at the car park which was at the other end. Tickets to the site cost 5 USD and you’re free to roam around. It’s quite a large site and it mostly lies untouched in ruins. There are paths and bridges for you to get around but walking throughout the site feels as though you’re discovering the place for the first time. There are also not many people at this site so it’s easier to take pictures here. We roamed around for about 30 minutes before heading to the exit to meet our driver.

The final destination of our day trip was Prasat Bakong. This was about a 30-minute drive from Siem Reap and about an hour’s drive from Beng Mealea. These temple ruins are part of Angkor so if you already bought the Angkor Wat ticket as we had, then you don’t need to pay for another ticket. There are several temples in the area but the key one is Bakong Temple. It is in the form of a pyramid with several levels and decorated with stone carvings. We also quickly visited the smaller temple of Preah Koh which can be identified by its 3 towers. We then headed back to Siem Reap and our driver dropped us off at our hotel.

A Full-Day Tour of Angkor

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 28 May 2019 23:36:00 +0000

We bought a tour which included transportation and a tour guide for 12.50 USD¹ each. The tour bus picked us up at around 8 AM and the first stop was the ticket office for those who hadn’t bought tickets yet. We had already bought the 3-day ticket so we just walked around the stalls while we waited. Once everyone had their tickets, we headed to the temple of Pre Rup. We then find some shade while the guide gives us some history on the temple. This temple has 3 levels and pre-dates Angkor Wat; being the main temple at the time. We then had some time to walk around to take pictures before heading to East Mebon. This temple is also from the same period as Pre Rup so it looks quite similar. This is a smaller temple with 2 levels but the interesting thing here is that there are many holes in the temple walls. The guide said that there used to be diamonds and other precious stones in these holes but have since been stolen. There are also elephant statues in the corners of the temple which is a good spot for pictures.

The next stop is the temple of Ta Som which has long tomb-raider-like corridors. There is a V-shaped tree just past the entrance which is a good photo spot. When you get to the end of the corridors, there’s a massive tree growing out of the temple walls that also makes for great pictures. Once we’re done here, we head to Neak Pean which is on an artificial island in the middle of a man-made lake. The tour bus dropped us off at the entrance where you walk along a bridge that leads to the temple. However, since we were there at the start of the wet season, the lake was dry. Normally, there would also be 4 ponds that surround the temple, each representing the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. After quickly walking around to take pictures, we crossed back on the bridge and then to Preah Khan.

From the drop off point, it was a 5-minute walk to the temple. We crossed a bridge that was decorated with statues that had their heads or upper bodies cut off. The guide said that foreigners had done this with the help of the locals to sell in the black market. Preah Khan was the most tomb-raider-like temple with many long corridors. There was also a large tree growing out of its temple walls which made it very picturesque. There was a wedding photoshoot going on when we got there. The guide took us through the temple making stops to give information on the site. He then gave us some time to wander around the corridors before making our way back to the tour bus. It was now around 1 PM and we were taken to a tourist restaurant in the area. It seemed to be a fancy place as we were given refreshing cold face towels on the way in. The guide dropped us off and then said he’d be back in an hour. The menus had several Asian and Western dishes but not many Cambodian options. Prices ranged between 8 and 15 USD but it was all very tasty.

We were picked up from the restaurant at around 2 PM and then taken to Banteay Srei which took about 40 minutes to get there. This temple was built by a priest rather than a king. Its walls and towers were the most detailed and its carvings were very well preserved. The guide took us throughout the site making stops to give us information. It was a beautiful temple but quite small and debatable on whether it’s worth the 40-minute drive. From Banteay Srei, we then headed back to Siem Reap which took about an hour. We were dropped off at our hotel where we chilled by the pool for some time. In the evening, we went for dinner in Sok San road and a quick walk around the area.

Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 27 May 2019 22:44:00 +0000

This sunrise tour included transportation and a guide for 10 USD¹ each. It’s a very early start with the tour agency picking us up from our hotel at 4.40 AM. We were taken in a 4×4 buggy to the main road where the tour bus was waiting for us. Once everyone had arrived, it was then a 10-minute drive to the ticket hall for the Angkor Archaeological Park. Some people had already been on other tours so they already had a multi-day ticket. Those who needed to buy went with the tour guide who helped everyone purchase their tickets. Since we had another full-day tour the next day, we purchased the 3-day ticket for 62 USD. They take your picture at the ticket office which is printed on your ticket to ensure you don’t sell the ticket to someone else. Also, this is the only place you can buy tickets for Angkor, so be wary of your hotel or any tour agency offering to sell Angkor tickets. Once everyone bought their tickets, we headed to Angkor Wat which was about 5 minutes away. We arrived at the car park at around 5.20 AM. By now there was daylight but the sun was yet to come up above the temple. From the car park, you cross over a floating bridge and then walk about 5 minutes towards the temple.

We arrive at 2 ponds and everyone is gathered around the pond on the right side. This is because the sunlight first hits the pond on the right side. We went to the pond on the left first to take some pictures and then joined everyone at the pond on the right side. The sunrise was finished at around 6.20 AM and we re-grouped with the guide to head up to the temple. We start by walking the perimeter where there are many carved murals. The guide explains the murals and gives a history of who built the temple as well as its purpose. When we get to the back of the temple, we walk inside into the main square. From here, we get a great view of the temple, perfect for pictures. At around 7.45 AM, the guide says we can walk into the main temple and tells us to be back down at the main square by 8.15 AM. Inside the temple, you may come across some monks who look after the temple. As the complex is a sacred site, appropriate clothing should be worn. Since the weather is so hot and humid, the site officials are fine with shorts and t-shirts as long as knees and shoulders aren’t visible. The views from the top of the temple are incredible and the detail in the stonework is amazing. After walking around and taking pictures, we re-grouped with the guide.

At this point, we asked him if that was the end of the tour and he said yes and that they were going to stop somewhere for breakfast. We wanted more time at the site so we stayed and went our separate way. We later found out that the guide meant it was the end of the tour of Angkor Wat only. After breakfast, the tour was going to take us to Angkor Thom and then Ta Phrom. After we split from the group, we made our way to Angkor Thom. We exited through the car park where there are some street vendors. It was getting very hot so we bought some water there. We then walked north along the main road for 15 minutes and stopped at the temple of Phnom Bakheng. It was currently being restored but still open to visitors and it was a 10-minute walk uphill. Once at the temple, there are some great views and we found out that it’s a popular spot to catch the sunset. We then continued north on the main road and reached the South Gate. Next to this gate, you can find a smaller temple called Baksei Chamkrong. It was a quick stop here for pictures before we crossed the bridge decorated with carved stones that goes to the South Gate.

It was then another 15-minute walk to reach Angkor Thom. On the way, there were many monkeys and we crossed paths with 2 elephants. Once at Angkor Thom, we found some shade at the temple of Bayon and rested for about 30 minutes before exploring the temple ruins. This temple had many more towers than Angkor Wat although they were much smaller. What was interesting about this temple is that the many towers were shaped like the Buddha’s face. After about 10 minutes of roaming around, we headed to Baphuon. This temple has a long pathway leading up to it and several high steps to get to the top. You get some great views of the surroundings from the top. We rested here for about 15 minutes before heading to the exit which goes around the back of the temple. At the back, there is the face of a sideways Buddha on the temple walls. There are some information panels here explaining the difficulties of restoring this part of the temple.

The trail curves around the back and takes you to Phimeanakas. This temple has a pyramid-like shape with several animal figures decorating its edges. There is also a rectangular pond next to the temple. From here, we planned to start heading west towards Ta Phrom. However, someone who we thought was a park official said there was another temple a little further north. We decided to check it out and the person followed us giving us information on things we came across. We found this quite bizarre and realized he was trying to impose himself as our guide. We told him we didn’t want a guide and he wanted us to pay him for what he showed us which was practically nothing so we refused. It was a very uncomfortable experience but he left us alone. We continued west rather than going to the temple the person mentioned which was quite a big detour. After about 10 minutes walking west, we came across the Terrace of the Elephants. We walked around here for a bit and then continued to North Khleang.

We went through the ruins at North Khleang and then found the main road which goes to Victory Gate. After about 10 minutes down this road, we saw a sign for East Top Temple. It was a 5-minutes off the main road and not worth the detour since it’s quite small and mostly in ruins. Once we got back to the main road, it was a 5-minute walk to Victory Gate. This gate is shaped like the Buddha’s head and you can climb up the side to get some pictures. We took a 15-minute break here before crossing the bridge. At the other end of the bridge, there were 2 more temples. Thommanon to the north side of the bridge and Chau Say Tevoda on the south side. We took some quick pictures and then continued on the main road to Ta Keo.

This was a large temple with high walls and very steep steps. We took some rest here and after about 15-minutes, I saw grey clouds coming in. I quickly went around the temple to take pictures, and after about 10 minutes, it started to pour down. The amount of rain was incredible, and the ditch around the perimeter of the temple quickly filled up with water. It didn’t look like the rain was going to go away any time soon so we crossed over to the main road to see if there were any tuk-tuks. We waited for about 10 minutes and didn’t see any tuk-tuks pass by and since we had raincoats and a waterproof backpack, we decided to walk over to Ta Phrom which is a bigger temple.

It took about 15 minutes to walk there and we took refuge under the arc by the entrance since there were still no tuk-tuks. At this point, we were about to walk back to the main entrance and went to check the parking lot for tuk-tuks once more. There were only tour buses here but luckily a tuk-tuk came by and offered to take us back downtown for 5 USD. We agreed and it took about 35 minutes to reach Pub Street. We went to grab some food in the area before heading back to the hotel to get some rest.

Siem Reap – Floating Village Tour

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 26 May 2019 22:48:00 +0000

On the day we arrived, we bought an afternoon Floating Village tour for 12.50 USD¹ each. We were told to be at the tour agency at 1.30 PM to wait for the tour bus which arrived at around 1.45 PM. We were the first pick up and the bus then went on to pick up the other passengers from their hotels. Having spent over 16 hours on flights, we were knackered so slept through most of the ride, other than when the guide was giving information. It took about 30 minutes to reach a stop with a view of the rice fields which were dry at the time. It was also a stop for restrooms and snacks. We then continued onwards for another 30 mins towards the Tonle Sap Lake to the floating village of Kampong Phluk.

The month of May is the beginning of the wet season so when we got there it was dry. The houses are high up on stilts since in the wet season the water level rises around 10 meters. We walked through the village and we came across a group of ladies asking for donations for the local school. They followed us throughout which made everyone in the group very uncomfortable. On the walk, we also came across a temple in the middle of the village. When we reached the end of the village, we got on a motor-canoe and headed into Tonle Sap Lake.

It takes about 15 minutes on the motor-canoe to get to a floating restaurant in the middle of the lake where we stayed for the ‘sunset’. We got there at around 4.30 PM and stayed until 5.45 PM. However, the sunset hadn’t actually started yet. We got back to the tour bus at around 6 PM and began making our way back to Siem Reap. It started getting dark at around 6.30 PM and we arrived at Siem Reap at around 7 PM. They offered to drop us off downtown which we agreed to. We walked around the Angkor Night Market area for a bit and got some street food. We then headed to the hotel to rest since we needed to be up at 3.30 AM for our Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour.

Lima – A Coastal Capital

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 22:54:00 +0000

When we first got to Huaraz, we looked around for overnight buses to Lima. We chose to go with Transportes 14 since it seemed to be relatively cheap for their VIP option at 100 PEN². Our bus left at 10.30 PM and we were not disappointed. There was plenty of legroom and the seats reclined well back; whilst not 180 degrees, it was comfortable enough to get some sleep throughout the overnight journey. The route to Lima is along winding roads which took a little getting used to, but I dozed off shortly after departure. Total travel time was about 7-hours 30-minutes arriving at a bus terminal below the historic city center. From here, we took an Uber³ to get to Miraflores which only took 15 minutes since it was 6 AM and there was no traffic. At check-in, we were told our room wasn’t going to be ready until 2 PM, so we left our bags and went for a walk by the sea. We ended up walking for about an hour through the beautiful modern neighborhoods of Miraflores and Barranco. We took some rest at the relaxing park where the Puente de Los Suspiros is located. Next, we walk back towards Miraflores for about another hour, stopping at parks and the Arts and Crafts Market.

We were in the vicinity of Huaca Pucllana, so we decided to visit this pre-Incan archaeological site. Entrance tickets cost 12 PEN or 6 PEN if you’re a student. After purchasing your ticket, you may have to wait a little before the next guided tour begins. It’s not possible to roam around the site on your own, but you can visit the information center while you wait. Once the tour begins, the guide will take you around explaining the culture of the Lima people who inhabited the site. They are thought to have been around between 100 AD and 650 AD. The Lima people were experts in irrigation and proven to grow crops in desert climates. The site is believed to have been an administrative site and is built from clay and adobe. The stepped pyramid is deemed to have been used for religious rituals. Human remains have been found at the site but considered to belong to the Wari culture who took over around 700 AD. The site also has workshops and a small farm with livestock the Lima people would have had.

After visiting the site, we headed to the nearby Kennedy Park. This park is also known as the ‘cat park’ since you’ll be able to see several cats roaming around freely. By this point, it was around 2.30 PM so we headed back to the hotel. After freshening up we headed back out to the historic city center. An Uber from Miraflores to Plaza San Martin took about 30 minutes and cost 11 PEN. We walked around the plaza and towards the river. The riverwalk is filled with people and street entertainment. We continued walking around here and crossed the bridge to the other side. There are several restaurants and bars in this area as well. We then went back across the bridge and towards the park Circuito Magico del Agua. At this park, they have a night light show. They light up fountains and areas in the park. The main spectacle though is a video projection on the main fountains. A very unique and impressive presentation. The park also has some funfair rides and food stalls. Once done visiting all the lit-up sites, we headed back to the hotel for some rest before checking out the nightlife. We were quite close to an area called Calle de Las Pizzas which our Uber driver said had several bars and clubs. The main strip has many bars with live music and deals on drink buckets. The music was good and the drink prices reasonable at around 15 PEN for a beer. We didn’t stay too late to check out the clubs since we were leaving the next morning for Paracas, but the nightlife was certainly energetic.

Huaraz – Chavin de Huantar

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 21:29:00 +0000

Of the many tours available in the touristic town of Huaraz, this is one of the archaeological ones discovering an ancient civilization. Our tour left from the Plaza de Armas at 9 AM making a stop at Laguna Querococha about 1-hour 15-minutes into the journey. Its a quick 20 minute stop at this scenic lake which lies at almost 4000 meters above sea level. At this altitude, walking can be a little tiring but it’s a great opportunity to take some pictures with the lake and the mountains on the horizon.

As the tour bus continues to Chavin, the guide points out a geographical fault in the mountain which looks like the mountain has been torn apart. It’s then another hour to get to the town of Chavin where the archaeological site is located. Once inside, the guide gives you a history of the pre-Columbian civilization – the Chavin people – who lived there between 1000 BC and 200 BC. This ancient civilization was advanced for its time in architecture, astrology, and mathematics as well as being considered spiritual leaders. Neighboring civilization would travel to Chavin de Huantar for spiritual enlightenment, but only a select few were allowed to enter the sacred temple.

Walking from the entrance to the main plaza, you can see that archaeologists are still excavating the site. A large part of the site has been excavated though; including parts of the main temple. It is truly incredible to see how the Chavin had built their structures to withstand earthquakes and also use hydraulic techniques in underground water channels. No feature in the structures is a coincidence but has rather been precisely calculated for a reason; which the guide elaborates on. The highlight of the visit is going into the temple and wandering through the maze-like corridors. Overall, the visit takes about 1-hour 30-minutes. Make sure you put on sunblock and take a hat as a large part of the visit is outdoors.

Following the site visit, the guide takes you to a tourist restaurant in the town. I’ve never been a fan of tourist restaurants, so we let the guide know that we were going to go for a walk around town instead. In the town square, there are a couple of other restaurants with more traditional and cheaper options. We were given an hour for lunch which was enough to walk around and have a meal. The next and final stop is the archaeological museum for the site which is in the town itself. It’s a new and modern building and home to many of the artifacts found on the site. The information panels also have the English translation with lots of additional information about the site as well as the Chavin people. The museum is fairly small and the guide took us around in about 30 minutes. We finished with the museum visit around 3 PM and then got back on the bus. This was the end of the tour and the bus took us back to Huaraz arriving at around 5 PM.

Trujillo – Pre-Incan Civilizations

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:37:15 +0000

Coming from Chachapoyas, the bus journey takes 13 hours stopping in Chiclayo first. We took the overnight trip with Movil Bus leaving Chachapoyas at 7.30 PM and arriving in Trujillo by 8.30 AM. It’s worth getting the VIP option where the seats recline 160 degrees to get some sleep. The first part of the journey is along the winding roads that descend the Andes, so keep that in mind if you get motion sickness. The bus terminal in Trujillo is quite big and somewhat modern. Upon exiting we came across a stall that was selling tours. We got some info but before buying we went to look at the bus schedules since we were leaving for Huaraz that night. Since we had a great experience with Movil Bus, we went with that company again for an overnight bus to Huaraz leaving at 10 PM. We left our bags with the bus company and then went back to the tour sales rep to purchase the tour. The tour was for transportation to Huaca del Sol y de la Luna, Huaca Arco Iris, Chan Chan, and the beach with a guide. We knew it was possible to get public transport/taxi between the sites but for 25 PEN¹, this tour was more convenient and guided which is always best with archaeological sites. The pick up was scheduled for 10 AM which gave us some time to grab breakfast before heading out.

Huaca Del Sol Y De La Luna

There are two Huacas south of Trujillo, Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna. They’re close to each other but only Huaca de la Luna is open to the public as the other one is still being excavated. Before heading to the site, you have to purchase tickets from the Museum entrance which is a short 5-minute drive from the archaeological site. Entrance tickets for the archaeological site (10 PEN) and the museum (5 PEN) have to be purchased here. If you’re a student then it’s 5 PEN and 3 PEN. The museum is fairly small but very modern and has many of the artifacts found in the Huacas. The information panels were both in Spanish and English so you can roam freely to learn about the Moche people who built the Huacas. We were given about 30-45 minutes to go through the museum before heading to the site itself. In Huaca de la Luna there are remains of a wall which stretches to the base of the mountain. There is a legend about why the wall is connected with the mountain. In a time before the Huaca was built, the Mochica people worked the land and two young men found a small colored snake whilst digging. The colors intrigued them so they took the snake home and raised it like a pet. As days went by, the snake quickly grew so the young men became scared and threw it in a river. The snake continued to grow and when it became huge, it went into the town and destroyed anything in its path. The people fled to take refuge at the base of the mountain but the snake managed to track them down. As the snake lept to devour the people, the mountain cracked open so the snake fell inside it. There’s a crack in the mountain which serves as ‘evidence’ for this legend. The mountain then closed saving the Mochica people. In an act of gratitude to the Mochica god – Aia Paec – they constructed the Huaca connected to the mountain.

Entering the site, the tour starts at what is known as the sacrificial hall. Archaeologists discovered human remains in a room at the far end of this hall. They believe these to be human sacrifices of warriors between the ages of 18 and 25. It is believed that that two warriors would battle each other with a club and shield in the desert, far away from the temple. The Mochica warriors wore a headdress and the winner of the battle was the warrior that managed to knock it off their opponent. The losing warrior was stripped naked, and a noose tied around his neck from which he was taken back to the temple. The priests were then in charge of preparing him for sacrifice in one of the rooms in the sacrificial hall. He was given a hallucinogenic drink – San Pedro – which cleansed his blood and essentially sedated him in preparation for his death. He was given this drink for two weeks after which he was sacrificed by cutting his neck and his blood poured into a cup. This cup was then taken to the high priest at the top of the temple who would drink half, and pour the other half on the ground as a tribute to the earth. The sacrifices were only carried out in times of crisis due to natural disasters. Since the Mochica’s god was represented by nature, they believed their god was angry with them and carried out sacrifices to appease them.

The Mochica built their temples in cycles. They believed every 80-100 years represented a life cycle where they buried the past and built a new one over it. They built their temples in this way, and in that period, one or two priests would have passed away. They buried them in the temple and sealed it off with clay-like bricks. Rather than burying the old temple with soil, they used bricks as a anti-seismic feature since they were going to build on top of it. Before burying the old temple, they would also coat the walls to protect its decor. Huaca de la Luna is made up of 5 levels. The highest level has eroded since it was the most exposed. However, archaeologists have excavated the site to reveal the lower levels which have been well preserved since they’d been buried. The walls are 100% original and have not been restored in any way. These walls have been decorated with the image of the Mochica god. The eyes are of an owl which represents air. The teeth are of a feline animal which represents the land. The hair is tentacle-like of an octopus which represents the sea. The pattern of the border represents a manta ray which again refers to the sea since the Mochica were mainly fishermen. There are also images of a blackfish around the god which is of a river freshwater fish. This is to show the Mochica not only fished in the sea, but also the rivers.

Arriving at the fifth level, we can see the alter from where the high priest drank the sacrificed warrior’s blood. The source of this theory comes from carvings found on Mochica ceramics showing a naked warrior and a priest drinking from a cup at an alter. From the fifth floor, we can also see an area known as the colonial square. It is named like this because it shows how the Spanish have raided the temple for its treasures and in doing so, have destroyed the structure effectively erasing a part of the Mochica culture. The fifth floor dates back to 600-650 AD where there was a major natural disaster in the area. This fact connects to a theory of what happened to the Mochica. It is believed that despite sacrifices being made by the Mochica, the natural disaster did not end. So the Mochica people lost faith and some decided to move away, closer to the sea. These people formed a new civilization known as Chimu.

The tour finishes in the great plaza which used to serve as the main entrance to the temple. From here we can see the multiple levels of the temple. Each mural is decorated and there appear to be six levels rather than five but this is because the first level is split into two. Every subsequent level was then built on top of the previous structure. The lower mural is decorated with the losing warriors or warriors fighting. The next level is decorated with warriors holding hands. This shows a sacrificial ceremony also consisted of dance and singing. Above that is a decoration of what is known as the decapitating spider. It shows an image of a spider holding a knife and a head. This showcases the ritual they carried out. Next, we see an image of a feline animal with two heads. The two heads represent duality. Finally, we see an image of a serpent which sheds its skin to represent how the Mochica built their temples. To the left of the main wall, there is what the archaeologists have called ‘The Mural of Myths’. It has carvings of the many stories about the Mochica.

Huaca Arco Iris

In the afternoon we continued to the north of Trujillo to Huaca Arco Iris. This site belonged to the Chimu culture which dates between 900 and 1470 AD. This civilization is found only on the northern coast of Peru. This Huaca belonged to Chan Chan which was the capital of the Chimu civilization. In it’s prime, Chan Chan stretched across 20 KM squared but is now reduced to 14 square KM. The internal walls have carvings and in some areas, you can see a yellow color. This gave the Huaca its first name – The Yellow Wall. Originally, all the walls had carvings but it has eroded on the outer walls and only remains in the inner walls. After the archaeologists progressed with their excavations, they revealed a carving which looks like two dragons breathing fire. The Huaca was then known as Huaca of the Dragon. Now it is known as Huaca Arco Iris (Rainbow) due to a rainbow shape above the ‘dragons’. The rainbow is symbolic to the Chimu since it represents rain which was scarce in the region. Other parts of the carving show fisherman, an altar, dancing warriors, and the carving of the ‘fire breathing dragons’ are actually sea horses holding an egg – one male and one female – which represents duality. Therefore, this Huaca was a temple for ceremonies and a place where people came to give offerings. Walking up the temple we can see deep holes on the sides which were used as deposits for offerings. Archaeologists found seeds, wood carvings, and ceramics. There are fourteen of these deposits. This reflects the lunar calendar since the Chimu worshipped the moon. The moon was the most important to the Chimu for three reasons; the moon could be seen in the day and night, the moon blocks the sun in an eclipse, and the moon controls the tide.

Next, the tour group is taken into the city for lunch. The tourist restaurant lunch spot was a block away from the Plaza de Armas. Now, I’ve never been a fan of tourist restaurants since they’re normally not authentic and tailored for tourists. After taking a look at the ‘tourist menu’ and the dishes going around, my hypothesis was valid plus the prices were a little too high for my liking. So we let the guide know we were gonna walk around and he just told us to be back in an hour. We noticed that even they don’t eat there and just leave the tourists there whilst they go somewhere else. After walking around we found a nice spot around the corner. The ‘Almuerzos’ – which are essentially lunch set menus including a drink – were only 9 PEN and very tasty.

Chan Chan

The last archaeological site of the tour was the ruins of Chan Chan. Chan Chan was the name of the capital city of the Chimu people, so these ruins were of the palace of the chief Chimu. It was like a fortified walled citadel with a single entrance/exit. The outer walls were of a trapezoid shape which served as an anti-seismic design measuring between 10 and 12 meters high. The citadel is like a huge maze with its internal walls measuring 3-4 meters high. To the left of the entrance was the route taken by workers who delivered food and resources for the palace. To the right was the route taken by important guests from neighboring civilizations which led to the main ceremonial plaza. The guests would bring offerings and these would be placed on a platform in the middle of the ceremonial plaza. The sides of the plaza were lined with benches which is where the guests would have sat for the ceremony. The ramp leading to the front is where the chief Chimu would have sat and addressed the public from. The plaza was designed in a way to project sound from one end to the other so the chief could be heard from everywhere. The walls have carvings split into three sections. The middle and biggest section looks like waves to represent the sea. The top section is clear to represent the sky, and the bottom section is lined with animals to represent the land. The reason why it is shown in this order is that the Chimu lived by the sea. So if you stand at the beach, you see the ground at the bottom, the sea in the middle, and the sky at the top.

The walls along the walkways are lined with more carvings. On one side the carvings look like steps that go up and down repeatedly throughout the length of the hallway. These represent the tide. The wall is split by a knee height perpendicular wall. There are carvings of fishes stretching from the northern side which are shown facing the middle. Likewise, the fishes from the south also face the middle. Therefore on one side, the fishes are traveling from north to south to represent the warm current that goes from Ecuador to Peru. The other side shows them traveling from south to north to represent the cold current that comes from Chile. On the opposite side, the parallel wall is carved into rows of rhombuses. This represents the fishermen’s nets. These carvings are present throughout the complex. At the end of the path was another smaller plaza which is were performers got ready before heading into the main plaza for the ceremony.

Walking past this into one of the structures, we arrive at the Hall of Attendant Hearings. This was an administrative building and was built like a labyrinth. It was built this way to make it difficult for intruders to find their way around. They had a system were they used carvings of pelicans to mark the entrance/exits of rooms which only the workers would have known how to use. The area was used to store ‘tributes’ from the people to the Chief. These were like taxes but since there was no money, it would be in the form of produce. So this vast area served as storage which needed to keep produce fresh. This is why the walls have rhombus-shaped holes to allow air to flow through. The rooms also have U-shaped compartments with a window where wood carvings were found. These wood carvings were probably used by the Chimu as a symbol of protection.

Next, we arrive at another big plaza. Unlike the plaza at the entrance, this one was not for visitors but private functions. Surrounding this plaza, there are many small houses where human remains were found. It is believed that when a Chief died, his wives would also have to die and be buried with him to follow him into the next life. As we go further into the complex, we arrive at what would have been a large reservoir. Although it is dry now, this reservoir would have been 4 meters deep filled with freshwater. The water would have been diverted from the river to fill up the reservoir. At night, the moon would reflect on the water and the place was used for ceremonies and sacrifices. In contrast to the Moche sacrifices, the Chimu sacrificed children between 12-13 years old as a tribute of purity. These reservoirs were also the downfall of the Chimu to the Incas. At around 1470, the Incas came to conquer and fought with the Chimu for many years. The Chimus were great warriors and the Incas could not break through the fortifications. However, the Incas noticed the water fed into the walled citadel. So they cut off the water supply which left the Chimu with no option than to surrender and join the Incan empire of Tawantinsuyu.

The final stop in the palace is the burial plaza of the Chief. The Chief’s body was prepped and put in the middle for five days for the people to pay their respects. The body was then taken up the ramp to the tomb which was surrounded by the small houses where his wives would be buried. Once the Chief was buried, his successor was not allowed to use the palace. He would have to build his own palace which is why there are ten palaces in Chan Chan, of which only this one has been excavated.

Huanchaco Beach

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar After finishing up at Chan Chan, we headed for the beach at Huanchaco at around 4.45 PM. This beach is about a 20-minute drive north of Chan Chan. It has a nice walkway, a pier and it’s a great spot to catch the sunset. However, we were only had until 5.30 PM before the tour headed back to Trujillo city center. We were back in the Plaza de Armas by 6 PM. From here we decided to check out one of the shopping plazas. It was a short 15-minute taxi ride (6 PEN) to Real Plaza which was close to the bus terminal. After walking around for a bit we found a cinema and decided to catch a movie before heading to the bus terminal for our next destination. leo.

Chachapoyas – Ancient City of Kuelap

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 20:23:41 +0000

It is possible to get to Kuelap without a tour but when it comes to ruins and history, I prefer to go with a guide. There are several tour agencies in Chachapoyas offering tours to Kuelap. We chose to go with Santa Maria Travel and Tours located in the Plaza de Armas. The tour included a guide, entrance ticket, cable car ticket, and lunch for 80 PEN¹. The tour departs at 9 AM from a small bus terminal 4 blocks away from the tour agency’s office. Since we had a bus to Trujillo at 7.30 PM, we needed somewhere to leave our backpacks and the agency staff let us store them in the office while we went on the tour. There were around 25 people in our group and we all boarded a 35 person bus which took around 1-hour 20-minutes to get to the town of Nuevo Tingo. It is a short drive to the cable car ticket office from here and if you’d come on your own, there are taxis available to take you up or you can walk uphill. The restaurant where lunch is held is also here and everyone goes in to put down their order from the options. The included dishes are those in the standard ‘almuerzo’ which includes a soup; main of either chicken, beef or fish; and a freshly pressed juice. If you want something a la carte, then you have to pay extra. After placing orders, the group gets around 20 minutes to use the restroom, walk around the plaza, or buy any snacks from the local shops before boarding the bus again to go up to the cable car ticket office.

At the cable car ticket office, the guide goes to get the group tickets and distributes them to the group. The tickets are by time slots so we have to wait for our slot. There are several information panels about the project to build the cable car to Kuelap. There are also great views although it was quite windy and chilly so we mainly waited inside. After about 20 minutes they called our timeslot so we queued up and boarded another bus which takes you 10 minutes up to the actual cable car stop. The ride on the cable car takes 20 minutes and takes you to 3000 meters above sea level the visitor center. The guide will get the tickets and distribute them to the group. Meanwhile, you can check out the visitor center, use the restroom, and buy some snacks. It is then a 20-minute walk uphill to the fortified city but there is also the option to rent a horse. We made it up by 12 PM, and since we got there earlier than the rest of the group, we had some more time to take pictures.

Once the group reconvened, the guide gave us a brief history of Kuelap. He told us the original name of the city was ‘Conclave’ which means ‘city over the mountain’ but as the Archaeologists carried out their work they changed it to Kuelap. With regards to its discovery, he said it was found in the year 1843 by a judge who resolved land disputes in the area. He came across it by chance but the locals had already known about the area but not its significance as an archaeological site. The judge Juan Crisóstomo Nieto was the one who gave it its importance and registered it with the local authorities. In 1870 the famous Italian scientist and geographer Antonio Raimondi visited the site to study it and since then, several foreign and local archaeologists have investigated the site. Currently, only 15% of the site has been archaeologically excavated. Next, he spoke about the height of the wall measuring between 18 and 20 meters high. He mentioned that the walls aren’t straight but rather wavy. They were built this way due to their height otherwise they would have collapsed.

He also pointed out the lighter yellow color of the wall and mentioned it is the original color. The color has darkened over time due to the weather. The method used to build the wall was to dig into the mountain, then level out the land, and finally place stones to hold the soil up. The stones were sourced locally since the mountain is a quarry. Unlike the precision cut Incan walls, these were put together using a cement-like mix made from another stone. He said construction was estimated to have started at around 400 AD. After walking another 5 minutes to the right of the walls, we arrived at the secondary entrance since the main entrance was closed due to part of the wall collapsing which has uncovered human remains. There’s a panel there illustrating the rather unique entrance. It’s initially 3 meters wide and then 60 meters further down, it narrows down to 1 meter wide. So when entering, 3 people can go in but it funnels down to one person. It was designed this way to help defend from attacks.

After climbing a couple of stairs from the entrance you arrive at a rest area where the guide spoke to us about the people native of the area. The Chachapoyas were a group of 7 local tribes who fought between themselves for territory and resources but then came together in a stand against the Incas. However, this alliance didn’t last very long due to selfish leaders. The Chachapoyas built circular structures and the small ones are around 4 meters in diameter. The big ones were 13.5 meters in diameter. The small ones were houses, whereas the big ones were used as guesthouses for merchants who came to trade. The houses were 8-9 meters high and had straw cone-shaped roofs. There are over 500 houses and believed to have housed around 3000 people at its peak. Next, we continued further up to arrive at an area known as ‘Pueblo Alto’ where the North Tower is located.

The tower takes the form of a D and is 7 meters high with a half circumference of 5 meters. Initially, it was thought to have been used for defenses due to weapons found in the area. However, later excavations discovered 25 human remains and artifacts. The Chachapoyas believed in another life after death so a location to preserve bone remains was important since they believed if they remained here, they would be fine in their next life. The remains are also facing east where the sun rises; and to the west, there is an unobstructed view of the highest mountain in the area which was of religious importance – Cerro Santa Clara. Therefore, it is now thought to be a sacred spiritual burial ground of important people. The guide then went on to speak about the Incas who came in the 1420s. They endured 3 failed attempts to conquer Kuelap due to the alliance of the Chachapoyas. However, by 1470, the alliance had begun to weaken and some of the Chachapoyas leaders became allied with Huascar whilst others sided with Atahualpa. A Guaman of the Chachapoyas was an intelligent influential individual who was skilled in obtaining valuable information. One of these Guamans gathered intel on Huascar and gave it to Atahualpa which helped him defeat his brother Huascar in the region. As a reward, Atahualpa made the Guaman the chief of the region which included Kuelap. Now that the Inca were in power, they used their tactic of assimilation where they brought their best people from their empire to Kuelap and sent Chachapoyas people to other regions of their empire. In this way, they were able to enforce their norms and reduce the possibility of rebellions.

Continuing on the tour we come back across the Incan part of Kuelap. La Callan is one of the few Incan rectangular structures introduced in assimilation. It has four entrances and measures 25 meters in length and 8 meters wide. It was used for sacred religious Incan ceremonies. The roof was of the same style as the Chachapoyas structures. There are a couple more of these structures in ‘Pueblo Alto’ but this one is the biggest. Continuing down the path, we go back down some stairs to leave ‘Pueblo Alto’. Here we come across many circular houses of the Chachapoyas. Some of them have three diamond outlines which were symbolic of one of the Chachapoyas gods – the feline puma.

In the layout of the houses, there was a river stone which was used for food preparation. There was also a division to hold the cuys (guinea pigs) to conserve their heat. These animals were not only eaten but also used for healings. The windows were used to store ceramics and utensils. There was also a second level where they would store corn and dry foods. In the center, there was a stone which marked a hole that was 1 to 1.1 meters deep. One theory is that this was used to store corn. The other theory is that it was used to bury family members since human remains had been found in them. The house doors faced each other onto the main pathway. They were built in two levels with a raised walkway known as an ‘arera’. The house entrance was a step up from the ‘arera’ so when it rained, the water would run down to the main pathway and not into the house. Following the path further, we come across the main entrance which was closed at the time due to the excavations being carried out following the collapsed wall. A restoration project of the houses was halted due to this excavation and will continue once the studies of the human remains and artifacts have been completed.

At the southern end of Kuelap, we find Templo Mayor which has a shape of an upside-down cone like a cup. The bottom diameter is 11 meters and widens to 13.5 meters at the top. It is 5 meters high and the roof is flat but it also used to have the cone-shaped hay roof of the other structures. There’s a hole in the roof so you can see the inside is hollow. One theory is that this was a prison where people were thrown inside since human remains have been found. However, following recent studies, it is believed this was a ceremonial site hence its name. One of the stones also has the face of a monkey engraved in it which holds religious significance to the Chachapoyas. Corn was also found on the left side which symbolizes an offering as well as many religious artifacts.

Other than human remains which seem like burials, there are also 3 human remains which have signs of being beaten by weapons of the time. This helps corroborate the first theory of the abandonment of Kuelap which manifests that the Chachapoyas had internal feuds resulting in the deaths of these three warriors and thus the abandonment of Kuelap. The second theory is during the Spanish conquest, the Chachapoyas confided in them thinking they would be better than the Incas. They invited the Spanish to Kuelap but they brought disease resulting in an epidemic that took over Kuelap. Therefore, to end this epidemic, they killed all the residents and burnt down Kuelap. The third hypothesis is with regards to the Spanish conquest’s search for gold and silver. To avoid the Spanish using the fortified city of Kuelap, the Chachapoyas burnt it to the ground and relocated to neighboring regions. Walking past Templo Mayor, there is a platform which looks out to the south of the Mountain. There is also a house here which may have belonged to whoever stood guard at this end of the city. This is the end of the tour and the group exits via the western exit which loops round taking you back to the southern point of Kuelap where we started. From here we hike back down to the visitors center and then return to Nuevo Tingo for lunch. We were back at the restaurant around 3.30 PM and the waiters showed us to the group table and served lunch. Following lunch, the group boarded the bus and we were back in Chachapoyas around 5 PM.

Ingapirca – Cañari & Incan Ruins

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 22:55:40 +0000

Located only 1-hour 30-minutes from the red-roofed city of Cuenca, Ingapirca (Quechua for Inca Wall) is a well preserved archaeological site without the crowds. We made our way there from Alausi which was a 2-hour 30-minute drive away. Entrance is only 2 USD⁴ and includes a 1-hour guided tour which leaves every 30 minutes. The ticket office has a comfortable waiting area and information panels to take a look at while waiting for the next guide. The site entrance is at the other end of the ticket office and is the meeting point for the tour. The paths to follow are clearly marked and you aren’t allowed to cross the rope into the green areas. The first stop on the guided tour is at some circular holes in the ground. These are Cañari ruins and served as storage units for the grains that they harvested. The structure behind it was a Cañari temple used by high ranking members of society. There is a hut that is a replica of what a Cañari house would have looked like. The semi-circular grassland was built in platforms to create a more stable terrain to grow grains. The Templo del Sol was the main temple but also served as a viewpoint to control the plantation.

At the next stop, the guide shows the group some stones that were used to grind the grains which were then fermented to make Chicha; a beverage used in ceremonies. The Inca have 4 main Raymi (gods) and each has a ceremonial ritual associated with agricultural phases. These ceremonies occur when the seed is planted, when the shoots surface, when the plant blooms, and the harvesting of the crops which is the well known Inti Raymi and still celebrated today. After the fall of the Incas, the Catholic priests owned the land and began to take the stones from Ingapirca to use as the foundation in the construction of their churches. Seeing this, the locals began to do the same to use in their homes. In 1966, Ingapirca was declared a national heritage site and in 1970, archaeologists began realizing campaigns to recover the Incan stonework from the neighboring towns. The stones which were recovered have been returned to the site which can be seen lined up next to the Templo del Sol.

The Templo del Sol was were the ‘Virgins of the Sun’ carried out their work for ceremonial rituals to worship the Sun. These included making the Incan drink ‘Chicha’ and textiles for high ranking members of society. The ‘Virgins of the Sun’ were also sacrificed but only when there was a natural phenomenon like a volcanic eruption or eclipse. The human sacrifice ritual wasn’t as cruel as what is shown in movies. They were given an overdose of a hallucinogen. After they died, they were given a ceremonial burial and then taken to the highest mountain peaks. The Incas believed that the mountain tops had the highest connection with the Sun god. So they offered the human sacrifice from there pleading the Sun god to stop the natural phenomenon. Animal sacrifices were common and were performed in accordance with the agricultural calendar to ask for a good harvest. The Templo del Sol is the only Incan temple that takes an oval shape and is 37 meters long and 12.5 meters wide. Its form is due to Cañari influence since all Cañari structures are circular. The Cañari originally had a ceremonial stone which is now within the center of the temple that they used for astronomical observations. When the Inca came, they constructed over this and directly above this rock, they built two chambers; one facing east and the other facing west to enable morning and evening ceremonies. These two chambers served as altars where they displayed their gold idols representing their gods.

Chichen Itza – Mayan World Wonder

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 05 May 2018 10:56:00 +0000

Chichen Itza is one of the current Wonders of the World for their meticulously calculated structures. It remains a mystery as to how the Mayans were able to architect and plan such full-featured buildings. The main pyramid Kukulcan not only focuses on the Mayan calendar but also on their spiritual beliefs. The number of steps and sections represent the calendar days and months of a Mayan calendar. The pyramid’s position is also no coincidence. During the two yearly equinoxes, triangular shadows form along the steps giving the appearance of a Mayan god – the feathered serpent – making its way down the pyramid to fertilize the land for a good harvest. The pyramid is also built in such a way that that when you clap near its base, you get a quetzal echo response from the pyramid – a sacred bird to the Mayans. This is not all, the temple at the top of the pyramid also serves to amplify sound for when the leaders addressed their citizens. This awe-inspiring complex is only two and a half hours away from Cancun by bus. I’d recommend going with a tour as it is definitely worth hearing the explanations from a guide.

Another structure with impressive features is the ceremonial ball court. The Mayans used to play a game once a year where the winning team’s captain would be sacrificed for a good harvest. At one end of this ball court, there is a platform with what appears to be six sections separated by pillars where it is hypothesized the guests sat. At the other end is a throne where the emperor would have taken his place. It is important to pay attention to the ball court side walls. The bricks are large near the guests and then get smaller towards the emperor’s throne. This is for sound to travel in that direction so the emperor could listen to his guests’ conversations. However, sound did not travel in the other direction so the guests were oblivious they were being spied on. This is why it is speculated that the guests would have likely been enemies invited to these spiritual ceremonies in ‘good faith’.

Other highlights in Chichen Itza include the Temple of Warriors. This is where soldiers would visit to make an offering before heading out to battle. The Wall of Skulls is a platform where it is believed that enemies were sacrificed and their heads left on display to inspire fear to visitors. There is also a structure which is akin in appearance to modern observatories. It is assumed that these were used by the Mayans to study the stars. There are also two cenotes, one north and one south of Chichen Itza. The north cenote is about a 15-minute walk away and there are many merchants selling souvenirs on the path which leads there.