CARLA HUNT (2)
From Trujillo, head north up the Pan American highway
on the way to Chiclayo, with a detour to the coast to visit the
ceremonial site El Brujo, a complex of crumbling pyramids
built of mud and bricks some 1,600 years ago and mostly
eroded over the centuries by torrential rains. In the late-fifth
century, this site was part of a grand city, featured in the 20th
century in National Geographic magazine after the
sensational discovery in the Huaca Cao temple-pyramid:
the mummy of a female Moche priestess or ruler preserved
intact, covered with tattoos and buried with a dazzling array
of ceremonial and military accoutrements. Extraordinary
multicolored friezes on the temple walls depict scenes from
the daily lives of the Moche and the gory rituals of sacrifice.
Another stop on the road to Chiclayo leads to Hacienda
Paijan for lunch, accompanied by a colorful performance of
local Peruvian paso horses and their riders, who combine the
art of skilled horsemanship with the northern region’s
La Marinera rhythms. ➤
may 2013 55
52-57 LA Peru.indd 55
4/24/13 11:22 AM
http://copa.comhttp://copa.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2013