Guayacil to Lima is a long journey and, conveniently, the small surf town of Huanchaco is about two thirds along the way. Amongst other things, the town is famous for its caballito boats (little horses) used by the local fishermen, who surf back on the waves with their catch. If you're not a surfer, there is little to do apart from stroll along the beach and take a dip in the aggressive waters.Nearby are the ancient ruins of Chan Chan, a series of palaces made by the Chimú people (who were eventually overun by the Incas and then the Spanish), now reduced to a series of labyrinths of mud walls. A few carvings of various sea creatures liven up the display and make it worthy of couple of hours. Particularly interesting are the hidden water holes in various parts of the maze. Suddenly you are confronted with a verdant oasis in a network of dry, sandy walls. Apparently, each king that died was buried with his 40 or 50 wives, his army and half his people... all willingly executed on news of his death.
Early impressions of Peru were mixed. It seems more expensive on one hand and the landscape here is dry and quite bleak (a desert type climate induced by the cold waters of the humbolt current). Then again, the food is a vast improvement on earlier countries and the buses are excellent. More time required to determine an overall view.
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