Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [277]
Eating
Restaurant Paola’s (34-5428; Bolognesi 401; sandwiches S2-4; 1-10pm) Try this place for sandwiches, snacks and ice creams.
Restaurant Venecia (32-5490; Bolognesi 386; mains from S12; 6am-1am) This is a popular place for chunks of grilled meaty goodies, seafood and breakfasts.
The restaurants at Hostal Chifa Canton (34-4388; Bolognesi 498; 8am-10pm) and Real Hotel Gran Chimú (32-3721, 32-8104; Gálvez 109; 8am-10pm) are both good.
Getting There & Away
BUS
For Casma (S2, 45 minutes), whale-sized old American colectivo taxis leave when full from in front of the mercado (market).
All long-distance buses leave from the Terminal Terrestre, about 5km east of town (S5 taxi ride). America Express (35-3468) has buses leaving for Trujillo every 15 minutes from 6am to 9pm (S5, two hours). Dozens of companies run overnight buses to Lima, leaving between 10pm and midnight; costs range from S27 to S70 (six hours). Reputable companies, which also have offices lined up along Bolognesi with the banks, include Oltursa (35-3586), Línea (35-4041), Civa (35-1808) and Cruz Del Sur (35-5665). Línea has extra Lima-bound buses at 10am and 12:30pm.
Buses to Huaraz and the Cordillera Blanca run either via the dazzling yet rough route through the Cañón del Pato (Click here), via an equally rough road that climbs through the mountains from Casma, or via the longer, comfortably paved route through Pativilca. Travel times on these routes range from seven to nine hours. Transport Huandoy (35-3086) has an 11:15am bus to Caraz (S20, eight to nine hours) through the cañón (canyon) and 6am, 10am and 1pm buses to Huaraz (S20, six to eight) through Casma. Yungay Express (35-1304, 35-2850) has an 8:30am Caraz bus (S20) through the Cañón del Pato and a 9pm bus to Huaraz (S21) via Casma. Ritzy Movil Tours (35-3616) has a 10:15pm and 11pm bus to Huaraz (S30 to S45) via Trujillo that also goes onto Caraz. It pays to book Huaraz buses a day in advance.
TRUJILLO
044 / pop 291,400
Stand in the right spot and the glamorously colonial streets of old Trujillo look like they’ve barely changed in hundreds of years. Well, OK, there are more honking taxis now – but the city still manages to put on a dashing show with its flamboyant buildings and profusion of churches. Francisco Pizarro founded Trujillo in 1534, and he thought so highly of this patch of desert he named it after his birthplace in Spain’s Estremadura. Spoiled by the fruits of the fertile Moche Valley, Trujillo never had to worry about money – wealth came easily. With life’s essentials taken care of, thoughts turned to politics and life’s grander schemes; the city has a reputation for being a hotbed of revolt. The town was besieged during the Inca rebellion of 1536 and in 1820 was the first Peruvian city to declare independence from Spain. The tradition continued into the 20th century, as bohemians flocked, poets put pen to paper (including Peru’s best poet, César Vallejo), and rebels raised their fists defiantly in the air. It was here the Alianza Popular Revolution Americana (APRA) workers’ party was formed – and many of its members were later massacred (Click here).
The behemoth Chimú capital of Chan Chan is nearby, though little remains of what was once the largest adobe city in the world. Other Chimú sites bake in the surrounding desert, among them the immense and suitably impressive Moche Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (Temples of the Sun and Moon), which date back 1500 years. When you get yourself ancient-cultured out, the village of Huanchaco beckons with its sandy beach, respectable surf and a more contemporary interpretation of sun worship.
Information
EMERGENCY
Policía de Turismo (Tourist Police, Poltur; 29-1705,