Move to Chavín de Huántar.
We are leaving Waras and entering the mountainous region, heading towards Chavin de Huantar.
Yesterday, the engine was not running well, but today there were no problems. What is this? So, we filled up with 90 octane gasoline. No problem.
The traffic manners in Peru are similar to those in India. In the city, cars often cut in between other vehicles, so parallel driving in a single lane is common. On the highway, there are quite a few people who, when they see a motorcycle, move into the passing lane, get in front of me, turn on their high beams, and try to force the motorcycle to move. There are even some people who turn on their left turn signal to turn left, but then a car from the left cuts in front of them while going straight, passing the motorcycle. The manners are worse in the countryside.
I think that my experience in India helped me understand the situation in Peru, and I might have had an accident if I hadn't.
The road to Chavin de Huantar is paved up to the mountain pass, but the road on the other side of the pass is dirt. Sigh. We will take our time and travel.
The accommodations here are as follows:
Hostel Inca
Single room, 35 soles per night (approximately 1,250 yen).
Breakfast is 10 soles extra (approximately 360 yen).
You can stay comfortably even in a rural town.
Yesterday, the engine was not running well, but today there were no problems. What is this? So, we filled up with 90 octane gasoline. No problem.
The traffic manners in Peru are similar to those in India. In the city, cars often cut in between other vehicles, so parallel driving in a single lane is common. On the highway, there are quite a few people who, when they see a motorcycle, move into the passing lane, get in front of me, turn on their high beams, and try to force the motorcycle to move. There are even some people who turn on their left turn signal to turn left, but then a car from the left cuts in front of them while going straight, passing the motorcycle. The manners are worse in the countryside.
I think that my experience in India helped me understand the situation in Peru, and I might have had an accident if I hadn't.
The road to Chavin de Huantar is paved up to the mountain pass, but the road on the other side of the pass is dirt. Sigh. We will take our time and travel.
The accommodations here are as follows:
Hostel IncaSingle room, 35 soles per night (approximately 1,250 yen).
Breakfast is 10 soles extra (approximately 360 yen).
You can stay comfortably even in a rural town.
Archaeological Site of Chavin.
The Archaeological Site of Chavin, located in Chavín de Huantar, is valuable because the ruins from around 800 BC are preserved in this condition. Machu Picchu is from the Inca Empire, so it's a ruin from about 500 years ago, but Chavín de Huantar is much older.
When looking at ruins around the world, many of them are in ruins and have lost their original form when they are from the BC era. Often, only a small part of the wall remains, and you can barely imagine the original form. However, this site has a considerable portion remaining, even though it is also in ruins. It is clear that the stone structures were made quite solidly, although they are primitive. Moreover, the carvings on the stones are preserved in good condition.
It is miraculous that this site, located in the remote Andes Mountains, where there is a lot of fog and a river is nearby, has survived to this extent, despite not being suitable for preservation like Egypt.
There are underground passages in the ruins, and you can actually enter them.
The underground passages are surprisingly wide, and you can enter them in four places. From the openings, you can glimpse a mysterious face. The face is carved on a rectangular stone.
I remember that on the way here, we crossed a mountain pass, and then it became a flat dirt road, and it took several hours of hardship to reach here.
If you only look at the size of the ruins, there are many similar sites around the world. However, most of the sites with the same level of preservation and the same size are from the 500-1000 AD era, and it is rare to see ruins that are this old.
That's why, even though it was a difficult journey, it was worth it to come here.
It is a minor but quite valuable and highly recommended site.
However, if you are simply looking for impressive ruins, I recommend Teotihuacan in Mexico. It is also from around the 5th century BC, and the scale is completely different. You can't go inside, but you can climb on top.
This site is much smaller than Teotihuacan, but it is wonderful in its own way. Well, the level of appreciation is subjective.
I made a video.
South American Motorcycle Touring: Peru - Chavín de Huantar by moomin
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27664813
When looking at ruins around the world, many of them are in ruins and have lost their original form when they are from the BC era. Often, only a small part of the wall remains, and you can barely imagine the original form. However, this site has a considerable portion remaining, even though it is also in ruins. It is clear that the stone structures were made quite solidly, although they are primitive. Moreover, the carvings on the stones are preserved in good condition.
It is miraculous that this site, located in the remote Andes Mountains, where there is a lot of fog and a river is nearby, has survived to this extent, despite not being suitable for preservation like Egypt.
There are underground passages in the ruins, and you can actually enter them.
The underground passages are surprisingly wide, and you can enter them in four places. From the openings, you can glimpse a mysterious face. The face is carved on a rectangular stone.
I remember that on the way here, we crossed a mountain pass, and then it became a flat dirt road, and it took several hours of hardship to reach here.
If you only look at the size of the ruins, there are many similar sites around the world. However, most of the sites with the same level of preservation and the same size are from the 500-1000 AD era, and it is rare to see ruins that are this old.
That's why, even though it was a difficult journey, it was worth it to come here.
It is a minor but quite valuable and highly recommended site.
However, if you are simply looking for impressive ruins, I recommend Teotihuacan in Mexico. It is also from around the 5th century BC, and the scale is completely different. You can't go inside, but you can climb on top.
This site is much smaller than Teotihuacan, but it is wonderful in its own way. Well, the level of appreciation is subjective.
I made a video.
South American Motorcycle Touring: Peru - Chavín de Huantar by moomin
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27664813
