Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [300]
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HUAQUEROS
The word huaquero is heard frequently on the north coast of Peru and literally means ‘robber of huacas.’ Huacas are pyramids, temples, shrines and burial sites of archaeologial significance.
Since the Spanish conquest, huaqueros have worked the ancient graves of Peru, selling valuables to anybody prepared to pay. To a certain extent, one can sympathize with a poor campesino (peasant) hoping to strike it rich, but the huaquero is one of the archaeologist’s greatest enemies. The huaqueros’ efforts have been so thorough that archaeologists rarely find an unplundered grave.
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Túcume
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This is a little-known site (80-0052; adult S8; 8am-4:30pm Tue-Sun), which lies around 30km to the north of Lambayeque on the Panamericana. A vast area – with more than 200 hectares of crumbling walls, plazas and no fewer than 26 pyramids – it was the final capital of the Sicán culture (Click here), who moved their city from nearby Batán Grande around AD 1050 after that area was devastated by the effects of El Niño. The pyramids you see today are a composite of structures made by several civilizations; the lower levels belonged to the Sicán while the next two levels, along with the distinctive surrounding walls, were added by the Chimú. While little excavation has been done and no spectacular tombs have been found, it’s the sheer size of the site that makes it a memorable visit.
The site can be surveyed from a stunning mirador (lookout) atop Cerro Purgatorio (Purgatory Hill). The hill was originally called Cerro la Raya (Stingray Hill), but the name was changed after the Spaniards tried to convert local pagans to Christianity by dressing as demons atop the hill and throwing non-believers to their deaths. There is a small but attractive on-site museum (admission free with site ticket) with some interesting tidbits. Guides are available for S15.
Buses from Chiclayo (S2) and Lambayeque (ask at the Bruning Museum) go here. Guided tours cost around S45 per person (Click here).
Reserva Ecológica Chaparrí
This 34,000-hectare private reserve (43-3194; www.chaparri.org; admission S12), located 75km east of Chiclayo, was established in 2000 by the community of Santa Catalina and the famous Peruvian wildlife photographer Heinz Plenge. This is one of the few places in the world where you can spot the rare spectacled bear in its natural habitat. This area is an ornithologist’s dream, with more than 140 species of birds, including rare white-winged guans, Andean condors, king vultures and several species of eagle. A large number of threatened species are also found here, including pumas, collared anteaters, and Andean weasels. Nearly a third of these vertebrates are not found anywhere else in the world.
You can visit the reserve on your own by catching a bus from Chiclayo’s Terminal de Microbuses Epsel to Chongoyape (S4.50), from where you can hire a local guide and car for about S160 to tour the reserve. Alternatively, Moche Tours (Click here) in Chiclayo arranges day tours, including transportation and guide, for S78 per person (minimum four people).
Batán Grande & Chota
About halfway from Chiclayo to Chongoyape a minor road on your left leads to the Sicán ruins of Batán Grande. This is a major archaeological site where about 50 pyramids have been identified and several burials have been excavated. With the urging of Dr Walter Alva, among others, the site was transformed into the Santuario Histórico Bosque de Pomac, but there is no tourist infrastructure. The more-or-less protected reserve lies within one of the largest dry tropical forests in the world and hosts more than 30 species of birds; healthy stands of algarrobo (carob tree) offer beautiful shade along the way. As there is almost no public transportation to Batán Grande, you will have to find a taxi or tour to take you.
One of the best ways to visit this area is on horseback from Rancho Santana (97-971-2145, 97-968-7560; www.cabalgatasperu.com;