ause it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

Most adventurers, who come to this region like me, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and the trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I could see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that lasts, happily, for over four days. Chav?n, the town, is three days from

Huanuco Pampa – City of festivals
Lanzon – the stone of power
Chavin – Picasso’s inspiration
Stone Temple Secrets

Walking in Peru’s highlands alone without a passport or money can be a forbidden adventure, itself. And if you know little or no Spanish, well then the situation spells doom. But such is the bond of trekking that when things begin to fall apart, the backpackers’ begin to bind together.

I had just lost my jacket with my passport, money, credit cards and last bar of chocolate when I met up with Caroline from Wales who was trying to polish her Spanish by travelling through remote villages. We discussed subjects of mutual interest and soon decided to move on together, towards the plains of Huanuco.

The wide ‘plains of Huanuco’ were full of cattle. Sometime later when we were tired and resting against a mud-house along the ancient road, a mid-aged lady arrived on horseback to deliver milk. The owner of the mud-house was kind enough to offer us stream cooled milk and sweet yoghurt. I was impressed with his innovativeness; he stored the milk in a plastic container and lowered the container into the stream running alongside his house. This “natural refrigeration” method kept his milk cool and prevented it from spoiling. I gracefully accepted his kindness and used the milk to run down the last crumbs of bread that I had found at the bottom of my rucksack.

Across the road from where we were sitting, we could see the ruins of what was once the Hunuco Pampa citidal, a city built for festivals. It lies on the major Inca thoroughfare that connected Cusco with Cajamarca. In the olden days, said the caretaker, different ethnic groups who were part of the Inca Empire, populated the area but why was it known as the ‘city of festivals’ is yet unknown. Perhaps it had much to do with the abundant produce in the region or the sublime beauty. Perhaps, also because it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

Most adventurers, who come to this region like me, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and the trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I could see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that lasts, happily, for over four days. Chav?n, the town, is three days from H

redit cards and last bar of chocolate when I met up with Caroline from Wales who was trying to polish her Spanish by travelling through remote villages. We discussed subjects of mutual interest and soon decided to move on together, towards the plains of Huanuco.

The wide ‘plains of Huanuco’ were full of cattle. Sometime later when we were tired and resting against a mud-house along the ancient road, a mid-aged lady arrived on horseback to deliver milk. The owner of the mud-house was kind enough to offer us stream cooled milk and sweet yoghurt. I was impressed with his innovativeness; he stored the milk in a plastic container and lowered the container into the stream running alongside his house. This “natural refrigeration” method kept his milk cool and prevented it from spoiling. I gracefully accepted his kindness and used the milk to run down the last crumbs of bread that I had found at the bottom of my rucksack.

Across the road from where we were sitting, we could see the ruins of what was once the Hunuco Pampa citidal, a city built for festivals. It lies on the major Inca thoroughfare that connected Cusco with Cajamarca. In the olden days, said the caretaker, different ethnic groups who were part of the Inca Empire, populated the area but why was it known as the ‘city of festivals’ is yet unknown. Perhaps it had much to do with the abundant produce in the region or the sublime beauty. Perhaps, also because it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

Most adventurers, who come to this region like me, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and the trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I could see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that lasts, happily, for over four days. Chav?n, the town, is three days from

mud-house was kind enough to offer us stream cooled milk and sweet yoghurt. I was impressed with his innovativeness; he stored the milk in a plastic container and lowered the container into the stream running alongside his house. This “natural refrigeration” method kept his milk cool and prevented it from spoiling. I gracefully accepted his kindness and used the milk to run down the last crumbs of bread that I had found at the bottom of my rucksack.

Across the road from where we were sitting, we could see the ruins of what was once the Hunuco Pampa citidal, a city built for festivals. It lies on the major Inca thoroughfare that connected Cusco with Cajamarca. In the olden days, said the caretaker, different ethnic groups who were part of the Inca Empire, populated the area but why was it known as the ‘city of festivals’ is yet unknown. Perhaps it had much to do with the abundant produce in the region or the sublime beauty. Perhaps, also because it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

Most adventurers, who come to this region like me, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and the trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I could see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that lasts, happily, for over four days. Chav?n, the town, is three days from

where we were sitting, we could see the ruins of what was once the Hunuco Pampa citidal, a city built for festivals. It lies on the major Inca thoroughfare that connected Cusco with Cajamarca. In the olden days, said the caretaker, different ethnic groups who were part of the Inca Empire, populated the area but why was it known as the ‘city of festivals’ is yet unknown. Perhaps it had much to do with the abundant produce in the region or the sublime beauty. Perhaps, also because it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

Most adventurers, who come to this region like me, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and the trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I could see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that lasts, happily, for over four days. Chav?n, the town, is three days from

ause it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

Most adventurers, who come to this region like me, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and the trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I could see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that lasts, happily, for over four days. Chav?n, the town, is three days from Huaraz by llama trek or three hours by bus. I chose the later (and lost my jacket on it) to explore the ruins of Chav?n de Hu?ntar, the temple that existed around 1000–200 B.C. a period called the Early Horizon.

Chav?n de Hu?ntar is located in the north-central sierra of Peru, sandwiched between the desert coast - one of the driest deserts of the world - and the humid tropical Amazonian lowlands to the east. The famed Andean prehistoric states, culminating with the expansive Inca Empire, were primarily situated in coastal and sierra environments.

However, what surprised me were the animals and plants, typical of the lowlands, in the Chav?n art. Most observers agree that Chav?n de Hu?ntar would not have been the natural home to the animals like caiman (alligator), monkey, and plants represented in their art. But the Mosna River, along which Chav?n lies, eventually leads to the Amazon where these exist.

Upon looking at the site's structures, a simple sequence of construction can be postulated. An Old Temple, built in U-shape around a circular plaza. And a new temple on a larger scale extending in the south and east direction.

Built underground, its maze of tunnels and air ducts produced contradictory images in my mind. While on one hand I marvelled at the engineering skills of the natives, I was always left profoundly confused by the intricate maze pattern. In particular, I was struck by one single stone that stood at the centre; beautifully carved with snake-like shape having human and feline features. It is called “El Lanzon” and when I looked at it closely I noted that it had the form of the eye and tooth of a jaguar, an orang-utan or a tiger. It is the art that impressed me the most. But I was not alone in having reached this conclusion. Even Pablo Picasso had said "Of all of the ancient cultures I admire that of Chav?n amazes me the most. Actually, it has been t