One of the most super efficient stops of our whole trip so far! Pulled into Trujillo at 7am, eating breakfast by 8am and photographing a famous pile of sand by 9am. Oh OK, Chan Chan was much more impressive than that, it was the biggest adobe civilisation built by the pre-Inca Chimu kings over 28 square kilometres. Most of it is crumbley ruins but one of the former palaces Tschudi has been kinda restored. Nifty.

A brief pitstop at a, well, a pit of a ruined pyramid, a gander at the colourful casas in the plaza and we were back on board another bus bound for Chiclayo by 2pm.

Hit Chiclayo and checked into our 'simple, but elegant former Grand hotel' overlooking the square before heading out for beers and some of the best pizza in town.

Spent the whole next day in the town's market, which was great, really friendly and best of all without a single other tourist. Wandered through the fruit section, the meat section,the fresh fish section, the live animal section with baby condors and guineas, and dug around in the spooky Mercado de Brujos - the Witchdoctors market!! Snapped up a couple of good luck charms, a love potion creme with added essance of bear, oh yes, and some dodgy dvds.

Tim had a haircut in barber alley and I had some well tasty rice pudding in a plastic cup while stall holders tried to flog us bras, belts and biscuits.

In the evening, on the advice of the hotel receptionist, we had some of the best broaster ever. Its a Peru thing, basically chicken 'n' chips Colonal Inca style with some minty sauce provoking a new fav phrase `Theres mint innit`.

Next morning we were on route to the border town of Piura for our last few days on Peruvian soil....here comes Ecuador!