Our last trip to see some ruins during our Peru trip was to El Brujo, a site found less than an hour north of Trujillo and Huanchaco. We originally hadn’t planned to go there, but the taxi driver who had taken us to Chan Chan and on to Huanchaco suggested it. More on that later!

It took about 45 minutes past Huanchaco to get to El Brujo. Most of the trip went along the coast over rough, dirt roads. It was a bumpy ride that took us through open farmland and small towns, but we eventually made it to the site.

There was a small museum that was relatively new and modern inside. It had a collection of artifacts from the site.

The site served as a major ceremonial and political center for the Moche. It includes massive pyramids and platforms made of adobe bricks.

The site is best known for its impressive Moche culture remains and the discovery of the Señora de Cao, a high-ranking female mummy that dramatically changed perceptions of gender roles in ancient Peru. She was heavily tattooed and buried in a place of significance. Her discovery challenged previous beliefs that only men held political power in Moche society.

We went up to the upper platform, the location where the ceremonial sacrifices were held. From the top of the site the view over the flat lands stretched far into the distance. We could also see the Pacific ocean to one side.

The marine friezes section had a variety of images representing the ocean and the life in it. Along with the friezes in the lower section of the pyramid, this section was among the best preserved at El Brujo.

After about an hour at the site we headed back in the taxi towards Huanchaco, where we stayed for the last three days. When we arrived at the hotel, the driver asked for three times the original price of the transfer because of the side trip to El Brujo.

This was partly our fault, as we had only negotiated the cost of the trip to Chan Chan and transfer from Trujillo to Huanchaco. And the driver never brought it up, which was likely on purpose. We expected El Brujo to add an extra fee to the day, just not so much! On top of this, we didn’t have enough cash to cover that amount and there were no ATM’s available in the town. In the end Kim managed to talk him down to all the cash we had and sent him on his way. It was a reminder to always sort out all costs before doing something.

All in all, the trip to El Brujo was worthwhile, adding one more unique sight to our experience in Peru. We didn’t expect to see such a variety of historical and natural sights in the country, and don’t regret the month spent there. There are a number of sites we didn’t get to see including the hiking trails around Huaraz, Cajamarca and the Amazon. Perhaps we’ll return in the future!