31 Jan 2023
This is a review of our private tailor-made trip to Peru with Kouda Travel 3-16 November 2022. At the end of our trip, we added several additional days for travel to Trujillo, Peru, to visit the Moche and Chimu archaeological sites.
To the South of Trujillo are the massive Moche ruins of Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun) and Huaca de la Luna (the Temple of the Moon). The Temple of Sun is the largest adobe pyramid in the Americas with 130 mill bricks use in its construction. The Temple of the Sun if not open to the public. We started with a walking tour of The Temple of the Moon. Our guide stated there are seven different levels built one atop another. The Temple was decorated in registers of murals that were painted in black, bright red, sky blue, white, and yellow. You can plan for half a day or so for the Moche Ruins. Following our visit, we had lunch in Trujillo.
After Lunch we travelled to the North of Trujillo to visit the ruins of Chan Chan. Chan Chan was the capital city of the Chimu civilization and covered 22 square kilometers. The Moche civilization preceded the Inca, and the Chimu Civilization is contemporary with and conquered by the Inca. The archaeological site is situated around seven very large walled compounds. The smallest compound is open to the public and is massive. Exterior walls were 33 feet tall and extensive. Much of the interior site is covered from the elements and otherwise preserved. Like the Moche site, plan for half a day to visit.