Chan Chan

Chan Chan, a slightly obscure ruin in northern Peru was on my list of things that I would like to see, probably BECAUSE it is somewhat obscure. The towns of Trujillo and nearby Huanchaco were also on my list of places I might want to stop in. I first learned of Trujillo when I was looking for a place with the perfect year-round temperature. Daily highs in Trujillo seem to be between 79 and 81 degrees (F) every day of the year. Nighttime lows are near 60. In my opinion, that’s pretty close to perfect.

So, when I decided it was time to depart Mancora I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Trujillo was a nine-hour bus ride away. A very appropriate amount of time to spend on a bus in my opinion. During the taxi ride from Trujillo to Huanchaco we passed right by Chan Chan. Things were really falling into place. While I was having breakfast one morning in Huanchaco, a lady came by presenting herself as a tour guide; I inquired about a trip to Chan Chan and that was it…the final brick was set.

Ancient Civilization
So, what is Chan Chan? It is a ruin of the largest pre-Columbian settlement in all of South America. It is built entirely of adobe. An extensive canal system was dug to bring fresh water from nearby rivers for drinking and irrigation. The original people of Chan Chan are apparently thought to be descendants of Polynesians and it is believed that they came here on the Humboldt current (the cold water current responsible for the pleasant temperatures here) from Easter Island. The wooden sculptures made by the inhabitants (Chimu) very closely resemble the Moai of Easter Island. At the height of its existence some 30,000 people lived at Chan Chan. The ruins extend for over 20 square km.

Carvings Adorn the Walls at Chan Chan

So What Happened?
The “mud captial” of Peru existed for some 600 years from approximately 900 A.D. to 1470 A.D. It is believed that in 1470 the Chimu people were conquered by the Incas and that the architects and scholars from Chan Chan were taken to design and build Macchu Picchu. So, I suppose the argument could be made that without the Polynesians, Macchu Picchu would have never been built.