Well we’ve been skipping some blogging lately – largely due to being on the road and so busy touring ruins.  We have done a bunch of ruin tours – seeing many Inca, and Mochi (pre-Inca) relics, tombs, religious sites, vases, more vases, and then some more ceramic vases.  To say that they have a lot of ceramic things is an understatement.  We did get to see some very interesting sites and learn more about the northern Peruvian history.  Some of these places are the oldest sites in South America, so it’s interesting to learn.  I think the boys are ruined out…

Lords of Sapin

Our last ruin tour was in Sapin to visit a very old pyramid, that until 1987 had sat by the road undisturbed and looked like a mountain sitting there.  In 1987 some grave robbers went there and found some interesting pieces – caught in the act by some local police – who then called a local archeologist – who dug around some more and really hit the jackpot.  All in all they found 15 tombs, the last tomb was found in  (2004 – we think) – so this is a very recent find.  We went to the museum, which was one of the best in Peru, and got an hour long tour of the history – very intersting and good to learn about cultures from the past.  We spent 8 hours on our tour, which was a lot, but being last ruin tour we went out with a long one.

Mancora

So we left Chiclayo and drove about six hours to Mancora.  Mancora is on the beach and just like the carribean – except better seafood.  We have been here for three days and have already succumbed to the beach lifestyle.  The boys went kayaking first thing, had a minor wind/sea too strong for us issue, but it all worked out.  Today Hayden and I went kayaking, only to find that his kayak had a hole in it and was starting to sink abour 400 yards from shore.  In the end it almost sank, Hayden hung on the back of my kayak and then onto the front of his and I paddled us all back to the beach.  Note:  check boat for holes before embarking on voyage…

  
     We have had great meals at our little hotel – Hotelier Arte y Cocina  –  the chef is a great guy who’s mom was a famous TV chef in Peru.  His meals are amazing.  Fresh fish almost every night – including sashimi (yellow tail), caught daily.  He also has a pet parrot who had lunch with us – great fun for the boys to have lunch wih a parrot.  He really liked the mashed potatoes fed from a fork.

  
       I had a great fathers day today here in Mancora – walked the beach, played soccer with the boys & Cindy, had lunch in town, bought some shirts, and now drinking a very fine Mojito with my lovely wife.  Yesterday we both got massages on the beach by a local guy – who likes to do deep, deep tissue massage.  I think I was sore afterwards.  Today he brought us a Gideon Bible, which was an intersting twist on life in Mancora.  I don’t think this is a place most US tourists visit as it’s not on the main tourist route in Peru, however it’s one of the most relaxing places we have been in Peru.