Salaverry (Trujillo) Peru January 31st...Thursday

We booked a 5 hr tour to see the Downtown Plaza in Trujillo which is about a 30 minute drive from the port of Salaverry where we docked, and a drive out to the Moche ruins. It was going to be a fine day…80 degrees with just as much humidity and the sun factor, well, I will just say that for an Oregonian, sunscreen and a hat were well packed. And water….lots of water. Trujillo is the 3^rd largest city in Peru and the starting point, for our ship, and those who booked, a 2 night overland to Machu Picchu. We thought about the overland, but it was way too expensive, and I am trying to get my stamina back. I’m afraid that trekking around at 11,000 ft, would be challenging. I read that the ones who booked stayed in a hotel where extra oxygen is pumped into the hotel rooms to make sleep more comfortable.

Our bus left the port and drove along the ocean into Salaverry. We had ocean on one side and desert on the other. Along the high sand dunes you could see hundreds of shanties built out of any material that these people could find or steal to build a shelter with. With no running water or electricity, living conditions were rather grim. Our guide told us that most of these people were Venezuela refugees that had fled their country to try and find a better life. I felt sad, but glad that they were able to flee and find a country where they were taken in. As we drove into the main part of the city the buildings were mostly made up of bricks, concrete, and not very stable. Most were not even 3 stories high and the living conditions were very poor. Now I can see how these cities are so devastated during an earthquake. We stopped at the Plaza de Armas where the main cathedral and city hall stand. A beautiful square surround by old colonial buildings, but with lots of security. When we get off a bus or whatever vehicle, the first thing we do is take a good look at our surroundings and the people. If we see tons of police or security, they are there for a reason and we take precautions. The square was fine, but the side streets….not so much. Bruce wanted some coins so our guide took us to a money exchanger down the street. As a local, she even had trouble, so not speaking Spanish, it would have been impossible for us to have any kind of transaction. She will get a good tip from us at the end of the tour.

Our next stop was the Moche Temples and museum. We drove along streets with irrigation ditches between the road and the houses. They carry water year round from the mountains to the fields. Agriculture is one of the main exports of this city. We passed many fields of corn, and various other produce. The temples are just right outside the city in the hills. The Temple of the Sun (the largest adobe structure in the world) on one side and the Temple of the Moon on the other, with a large gap between where the people lived at that time. Excavation started in 1990 and ended in 2006 when they ran out of money. The Moche empire existed from around 100AD to 800AD. Hundreds of years before the Inca’s. We had a very hot, but interesting time there and I’m glad we went. Back to the ship and a hot shower, but first we needed to peruse the vendors that had local wares for sale on the dock. Lots of alpaca clothing and various stones from the nearby mountains. Of course Bruce made friends with “Freddie” a local vendor selling knives that he had made, and was very proud of …..so between these two, knife was the universal language and understanding each other was not a problem. They had a nice long chat.

Only blades that are smaller than 2 ½ inches are allowed on board. Anything longer will be confiscated and returned at the end of the voyage, so Bruce has to be careful about buying. He always carries a pocket knife that has a 2 inch blade with him almost everywhere and has already been challenged by ship security when his backpack is screened…..all bags are screened when coming back onboard. After talking to the head security officer, conflict in the future will hopefully be avoided. Now he is jokingly known by security as the “knife guy”, at least I hope it’s jokingly…..