Tingo, Kuelap, Chachapoyas & Chiclayo

We were sorry to say goodbye to Celendin. Such an attractive small town full of friendly people with very fine hats!!Our next destination was Tingo, 10 hours away on a bus. I was lucky to be entertained most of the way by a box of chickens sitting at my feet. One passenger was complaining that the box was too small for 8 chickens and insisted that the owner open the box so they had more room. This meant that every now and again a chick did try to make a bid for freedom and was soon grabbed and tucked back into the box. All then had to be counted and given out too. The situation was eventually improved as the lady got another box in a town we passed through, transferred some chickens to provide all with more room and let the most troublesome one sit on her lap! Everyone was happy. Well apart from most of the other passengers who were busy filling plastic bags handed out by the bus man!!! A small boy sitting on his mothers lap was the first to start. Once his bag was full his mother started. She was deep green and had passed her now pale son to his father to mind. Sure enough it was daddys turn and the little boy was passed to a stranger on the bus while his parents recovered. When they weren¨t getting sick and holding their heads they were busy eating fruit and biscuits and popcorn and everything else they could buy through the bus window. An endless cycle, but seems to be what one does on a long bus journey. Joe enjoyed the view out the window and I avoided the chickens!! We stopped briefly in Leymebamba where I was greeted by a brass band as I got off the bus to strech my legs. We arrived in Tingo in time for dinner, both delightd to have another long bus journey behind us.

From Tingo we left very early in the morning to avoid the heat and had a three and a half hour walk up the hill to Kuelap (approx 3000m). Lying along the top of a mountian ridge Kuelap is a huge walled city with spectacular views across numerous valleys. It was built by the Chachapoyas culture in 800AD, occupied until about 1570 and is about 600m long and 110m wide. The outer perimeter walls are 19m and access can only be gained by 3 openings up steep steps. The dwellings inside were all circular and some have a fancy stone pattern on them. High in its jungle setting there are trees growing throughout the site now and many flowers are frequented by hummingbirds. We had a lovely wander about Kuelap and marched down to Tingo to lounge on our balcony and listen to the river.

We headed to Chachapoyas the next day and went to see the small museum on the plaza. Another colonial town all bright and painted up for July 28th , the national holiday. From there we went to Chiclayo where my mission was to see the gold from Sipan. In 1987 a wonderful discovery was made. A pyramid containg the tomb of a king was discoverd in Sipan. Looters had started digging but the authorities managed to stop them and a wonderful collection of gold items was found. They have built a special secure museum for what they found, three floors of gold and silver and wonderful artifacts. We walked around with our mouths open gaping at all the gold. No photos were allowed but I have found a good web site where you can have a look at some of the treasures. http://www.go2peru.com/cix_foto1.htm Look out for the gold spider necklace and earrings with mosaic inlay. We also went to Tucume which is the remains of a vast city. There is a ceremonial centre and 26 pyramids of various sizes. All built in adobe and boasting the largest adobe structure in the world. Another museum displays some wonderful gold pieces which were found at the site.