Day 13 - Trujillo and Moon Temple

Monday the 12th of March 2018 / Trujillo

Unfortunately, Lenja and I had to take different flights from Rio on Saturday evening (due to several schedule changes and misinformation from my airline, Latam, regarding changing my flight). I flew via Santiago de Chile and Lima to Trujillo, a really small airport on the coast of Peru. I arrived there yesterday evening and took a taxi to the city center. I could tell from the judgmental look of the hostel staff and the alleged price of 80 Peruvian Soles, that I got the tourist price. I could negotiate it down to 40 Soles for one night, but that's probably still more than others would have had to pay. (1€ is about 4 Soles). However, the room is quite decent, with a double bed, private bathroom with a shower, and two windows.

This morning, I took a taxi for 15 Soles to the Moche Valley, just outside of Trujillo. There are two pyramids of the Moche culture. The Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun) and Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon). You're not allowed to explore them on your own, so I booked a tour for the Moon Temple for 10 Soles. It is known for its colorful wall paintings, which depict many mythical figures, animals, moons, and other figures. The tour was led by an old, small Peruvian man who guided me and about 8 other older tourists from the USA. (They were all from a cruise ship that stays a few days before Trujillo before heading further south.) I didn't expect much from the pyramid, so I was positively impressed by how well-preserved the paintings still are.

For just 1.5 Soles, a shaky little van brought me back to the city center, where I was dropped off at a corner and luckily found my hostel again.

I have already booked a bus to Lima for tonight, where I will meet Lenja and Paul.

Until then, I'll explore a bit more here and find something to eat.

~Viktor