Moche Route

Lima / Chiclayo

City tour of Lima. Our tour will take you through Lima in its three historical periods: Pre-Hispanic, Colonial and Modern. We will first show you a panoramic view of “La Huaca Pucllana” and then you will visit the impressive Historical Downtown of Lima: its palaces, mansions, churches and squares, ending with a visit to the residential and financial district of San Isidro and an unforgettable view of the Pacific Ocean from the district of Miraflores. At the end of the tour, transfer to the airport to take the regular flight to Chiclayo. Arrival, Reception and transfer to the hotel.
Overnight: Chiclayo
Meals: Breakfast

Chiclayo

To fully understand what Túcume was, and still is, we need to start the day outside the archaeological site, at the Modelo Market in the city centre of Chiclayo. Here, the section dedicated to shamans and healers offers a huge variety of elixirs, potions, exotic spices and drying herbs, wild with visual overload: hanging shells, small altarpieces and bottles filled with hooves and claws, snake skins, miniature desiccated crocs, claws, skunks, and fish eggs; all of these used by the shamans in their healing rituals. All shamans from Túcume come to this market to get supplies they need for their work. Later, inside the archaeological site of Túcume we will find Master Healer Genaro Nima, his house is inside the archaeological site of Túcume, not far from Cerro Purgatorio and Huaca Las Balsas, and for him this is the best place to perform his healing rituals. These places give him the strength and power to heal the people that come to him searching for help. Shamas have been doing this for centuries, and will keep doing as long as people as Don Genaro preserve his faith in the sacred hills and temples of Túcume. After having met Don Genaro we can visit the archaeological site of Túcume: Huaca Larga, the Latin America’s largest adobe pyramid; the “Cerro Purgatorio” hill, perhaps the place with the highest burden of religious mysticism of the entire complex; and Huaca Las Balsas, the residence of a caste of priest women, here, the iconography on the walls depicts how important the sea was for these people: birds and waves, bird-men and mythical birds, deities in an attitude of rowing a fishing boat surrounded by birds and fish. Then we will have lunch at a rural lodge nearby. Another interesting feature of the people of Túcume was their agriculture techniques. In the heyday of Túcume in the valley grew corn, lima beans, beans, pumpkins, pepper, sweet potato, as well as various fruit crops; but one of the most important crops was cotton, whose high quality fabrics were essential for making clothes and fishing nets. To learn more about native cotton, we will visit a cotton weaving workshop, where locals will talk us about the complete process of cotton weaving, from the harvest of the wool to the “waist weaving” technique. These techniques have been inherited from mother to daughter for hundreds of years and one of the most recognized person in the art of native cotton spinning and weaving is Doña Susana Bances, a long-time local celebrity about the ancient arts of the Moche that shares her ancient knowledge with their neighbours to create extraordinary pieces of craftsmanship.
Overnight: Chiclayo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Trujillo / …

Our last day in northern Peru is full of surprises. In the morning we head for the Moche valley, 20 minutes’ drive form the city center. More than 2,000 years ago here was built what the archaeologists believe to be the capitol of the Moche kingdom, one of the most powerful and impressive cultures of pre-Incan Peru. The Moches are mainly known for the highest level of mastery in the creation of pottery and decorative iconography of their monuments. The first visit is at the “Inconceivable Face” artisan’s workshop, where it is possible to participate in the production of modern Moche ceramics. These craftsmen have rescued the age-old techniques of their renowned Moche ancestors in the manufacture of ceramics using fine mud molds. During the visit, the native music group The Caymans will present a sample of Moche music using traditional instruments like the pututo, a type of ceramic trumpet. This visit brings a touch of living culture to your Moche experience. The final stop and principal attraction of the Moche countryside route is the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (Temples of the Sun and Moon) archaeological complex and the Huacas de Moche Museum. The Temple of the Moon is an exquisitely decorated temple that represents the spiritual center of the Moche culture. The monument consists of a series of temples built one on top of the other for many years. Within the site, archaeologists have found, among a wealth of ceremonial objects, about 40 skeletons of sacrificed soldiers. In the upper reaches of the adobe ramparts one can view the remains of enormous walls decorated with figures of multi-colored divinities, the most of important of which being the Moche “God of the Mountains”. After a typical farewell marine lunch in the coastal town of Huanchaco we will be visiting Chan Chan. Named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Chan Chan was the capital of the Chimu Empire, which inhabited this region after the fall of the Moche. It is the first and by far the largest non-pyramidal adobe construction site in northern Peru. In fact, at over 500 acres, it is the largest known adobe complex in the world, and is divided into 9 separate smaller cities. Then you will be driven to the airport for your flight to Lima or start you extension to another destination in Peru.
Overnight: ---
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.