From north to south, Peru is layered in Milennia of ancient civilizations dating back beyond 2000 bc. Heading south from Ecuador, we stopped at the city of Trujillo and enjoyed visiting several of the impossibly well-preserved temples - "Huacas" del Sol y de la Luna - of the Moche elite (100-500 ad), and the witch, Magdalena de Cau, who ruled them. Brightly painted murals sitll decorate each of the seven-story high walls, which tell the story of the Gods they worshiped.
Later that afternoon, we wandered the carved halls of Chan Chan, once home to 20,000 - the largest community in South America at the time - within its high adobe walls that sprawl as far as the eye can see to the ocean. Then we shared some ice cream on the nearby beach of Huanchaco while watching the surfers, and realized what an incredibly beautiful natural setting these ancient people chose to make their home. It is no wonder that people have gathered in Peru for so many hundreds of years!
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