THE ANCIENT RUINS IN HUANCHACO.

The societies of ancient Peru were agricultural in nature and had a strong and dynamic connection with its natural environment. They had a fundamental preoccupation in understanding the cycles of nature, possible because the forces that animate the universe are in constant movement, such as the cyclical return of the seasons. They considered that in similar way humans also experience natural cycles when they are born, live, die and travel to the underworld or inner world, where life is reborn.
In the stepped symbol of the Andean world view represent the 3 realms, planes or worlds, in which the universe interchange energies: the world above, the terrestrial world, and the underworld. The spiral symbolizes the infinite dynamic that exists between them.
Huanchaco has been home to many cultures over the past 5,000 years, including Moche, Chimu, and Inca. Its original population were fishermen, who had an enormous respect for the moon and a golden fish called "Huaca Taska." Some folk stories suggest the name Huanchaco originated from Hua'Cocha, a Quechua name for "beautiful lake."
Hanchaco of today is a popular vacation beach town in the city of Trujillo, of La Libertad region.
Huanchaco is near the ancient ruins of Chan Chan, once the largest adobe city in the arid desert close to the sea. Its walls, adorned with reliefs of geometric designs or representations of fish and seabirds, give an glimpse of how impressive this city was. In contrast to the rest of the area, this site is well preserved with scaffolding and canvas roofs erected in parts to protect the ruins from greatest threat; the weather.
Huanchaco was the port for Chan-Chan, which was established 4 km away. It was also the main port during Moche period, and the preferred port of the Incas.
Centuries older than Chan Chan is the Temple of the Moon and looking out across the desert, it will show theMoon's imposing pyramidical counterpart -Temple of the Sun- still buried in this manner. These temples beautifully preserved serve as a reminder of the art, patience and skill behind the site that have survived the attack of the weather. Their colors remain vivid. The daily life of Moche people, evidence of sacrifices and ancient building practices where a new level of infrastructure would be built every few decades on top of the old one give a window to the understanding of how the mind of these people of ancient Peru worked out.
The Dragon's Huaca also called the Rainbow Huaca is another archaeological site near Chan Chan. It is a large religious monument, administrative and ceremonial center. It is constructed of adobe, with murals decorated with sculpted decoration in relief showing human figures and rainbows. Upon entering the Huaca a ramp leads to the first level where figures are also carved on the walls taking the form of a dragon. Another ramp, smaller than the first, leads to a second level where pits are built possibly used to store food.
The Emerald Huaca is an archaeological site belonging to the Chimu culture. It is estimated that the adobe construction was done during the first stage of development of the Chimu, in close link with the capital Chan-Chan. It occupies an area of approximately 2,600 square meters. Its architecture has 3 terraces adorned with zoomorphic and geometric figures (diamonds) all in relief. It has a fairly steep ramp that connects its two levels.
Following the Spanish take over of the Andean territories in 1534, after pillaging the old town a new one was built over the remains of the old city port, and was baptized as Huanchaco, on January 1, 1535. Subsequently, the city functioned as the main port of new Trujillo city, but the port closed in 1870. Two decades later Victor Larco Herrera (later mayor of Trujillo), rebuilt the pier exclusively for exporting sugar from his family owned plantations in the neighboring Chicama Valley, one of the most important areas of sugar production in Peru.
The 1925 "Child's current" (El Nino) event was the 3rd strongest in the 20th century that affected La Libertad region and the arid Northern areas up to Ecuador.
The Child's current was first introduced to the scientific community in reference to the anomalous climatic event that took place in 1891 along the Northern coast of Peru. It was described as an abnormal intrusion of warm oceanic water from the North, replacing the normally-cold coastal-up welled water and favoring the occurrence of strong rainfall and flooding.
The 1925 event came with severe rainfall and flooding and an abrupt onset of strong Northerly winds. It also was characterized by warm conditions (El Nino current) from the North, but cool conditions elsewhere in the central Pacific. A weaker climatological version of this current is normally present after Christmas time.
The city of Trujillo was completely destroyed by inundation and its inhabitants were reported to have taken refuge on the hills near the city. Over 200mm of rain fell on the city in one 3-day period, which had receiving only 17.9 mm in the preceding five years.
However, there is no doubt that this part of Peru, even though under constant call for disaster, is heaven for surf and surfers. During the morning or afternoon, lots of people congregate there to take lessons mixing with more experienced riders.

AREQUIPA, THE WHITE CITY.

Arequipa (founded in 1540) is the colonial-era capital of the same name region in South Western Peru. It is bordered by the Ica, Aya'Cucho, Apu'Rimac, and Cuzco regions in the North, the Puno Region in the East, the Moquegua Region in the South, and the Pacific Ocean in the West. The capital city, also called Arequipa, is Peru's second biggest and most populous.
This Arequipa region has a rough topography, characterized by heavy layers of volcanic lava covering large areas of its inter-Andean sector. It also has deep canyons such as the ones formed by the Ocona (it helped form the deep ones) and Majes rivers.
The region is divided into 8 provinces: Arequipa, Camana, Caraveli, Castilla, Caylloma, Conde'Suyos, Islay, and La Union. The 3 Coastal Provinces (Caraveli, Camana, and Islay), all have popular beaches. Various ports are also found along the coastline, the 2 most important being Mollendo and Matarani, both in the province of Islay.
The Colca Canyon on the Colca River, with a depth of 3,270m / 10,730ft, one of the deepest in the world and twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the USA, is situated in the province of Caylloma, 160km / 99 mi North West of Arequipa.
The Cotahuasi Canyon is located at the highest Andean point of the province of Arequipa. The only road leading to the canyon goes through Chuquibamba, capital of the province Conde'Suyos, then Aplao in Castilla province. The road which is unpaved goes quite high, through a 4,500m pass between Coropuna and Solimana mountains. The altitude and remoteness of this region mean that residents have retained many of the practices that are no longer common in neighboring regions.
In the Castilla province near Corire, in the coastal desert, Dead Bull (Toro Muerto) is an area with more than 3,000 volcanic rocks with ancient petro-glyphs dating back to the ancient Wari culture (flourished in the South Central Andes) which dominated much of this region. Further to the North near Andaguas lies the Valley of Volcanoes. Almost 100 cones of various sizes dominate the lava-hardened landscape. One of the highest mountains of the province is Coropuna at 6,425m/21,079ft above sea level.
Arequipa city, capital of the province holding the same name is known as the White City because of its architecture with beautiful baroque buildings completely built out of sillar, a kind of white volcanic stone. Its historic center is anchored by the Army Square (Plaza de Armas), a stately main square flanked on its North by the 17th-century neo-classical Cathedral, which houses a museum displaying religious objects and artwork.
Arequipa city is surrounded by 3 major volcanoes: Chachani, Misti and Pichu Pichu. Of the three, the most well known is the Misti.  The Misti (5,822m/19,101ft) volcano lies between the Chachani (6,075m/19,931ft) and Pichu Pichu (5,669m/18,599ft). The Misti had its last eruption in 1985, 198 years after its previous documented eruption.