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1994
Peru (Lima) - South America
Bec2004-09-20 16:39:32
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Sierra
The Rio Santa drains the high Conococha Lake at 4100m and flows down the Callejón de Huaylas past Huaraz, Carhuaz and Caraz, through the Huallanca hydro plant and finally down the Cańon de Pato to the sea near Chimbote.
I'm taking the more direct route to the coast following the Fortaleza the river down to Paramonga.
Paramonga
Finally we reach the Chimú fortress of Paramonga which defended both the Fortaleza and Pativilca valleys.
Peru's coast is a desert which would not support life if the seasonal runoff from the Andes was allowed to flow directly out to the Pacific Ocean.
Harnessing the runoff from the Andes by an elaborate irrigation system was the key to the Chimú's prosperity as it was for the Moche six centuries before and as it is today six centuries later. Both were defeated militarily, the Moche by the Huari and the Chimú by the Inca, largely because of the vulnerability of their economy which was based on irrigation.
It is possible that Paramonga also had a religious role as some astronomical alignments seem to indicate but its strategic position and its architectural design clearly identify it as an elaborate fortress required for the defence of the irrigated fields around it.
I stayed in nearby Barranca and tried to get to local people to tell me what they thought of that great structure down the road. Some thought it was a fortress, others thought it was a temple but nobody knew who had built it and when! It was strange to see how these ordinary people were disconnected from their history. What do they teach in their schools?
Lima
Plaza San Martin is in the center of colonial Lima and the Hostal Belen where I stayed was only one block away from here.
I have mixed feelings about Lima. On one hand it has a marvellous collection of very interesting
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See photographs from:
Peru Gallery
