Trujillo update, April 2008
Just returned to Bs As, where I live and normally post, after a 4 day business trip to Trujillo. Since the post doesn't get a lot of input, this is a up-to-date report on the experience.
The airport is to the north of the city. Taxis highly negotiable but the right price is S12. Most drivers push for S20. Always get a price before any cab ride, it's normally S3 or S4 but get it.
Be careful in the street markets. I think the street thieves here are the most agressive in South America. I was attacked in quite crowded situations 3 times. On the first occasion they scored a few Soles and ripped my pocket out in the process. Working in teams and very hard to stop once they hone in. So keep your money in your socks and no passports or credit cards unless you are going and returning by cab. And not in your pockets. Night would be much worse.
I stayed at a great hotel, The Libertador in the Plaza de Armas. Once again the price highly negotiable but still the most expensive in Trujillo. I paid U$110 which included a full a la carte breakfast for 2. Reduced from U$340. Not everyone's cup of tea but very good service and great rooms. The cabs outside the hotel want double the street rate but once again can be negotiated to a reasonable deal.
Food all of a muchness. Certainly not as good as Lima can be, the accent on either cheapness or quantity. Not all bad but certainly not all good.
I wasn't mongering so I guess those posts still stand. The local paper, la Industria has on Sunday, a classified lift-out. Under the section 'RELAX', there is about 5 or 6 columns with ladies, all 19 or 20, (what ever happens to older hookers, do they go to heaven or lie about their age?), and a few men, advertising their wares. Mixed up with a few for brothels requiring 'chicas'.
No obvious street prostitution and the Plaza de Armas is really policed and the pride of the city. Don't even think about looking there.
Chan Chan, the pre-Incan adobe city near the airport is worth the experience. I took a Moche tour for S25 plus S11 entrance fees which covered Chan Chan, one of the outer temples and 2 museums. Tour also took in Huanchaco, a coastal resort a little further north. Not much there for mongers; the food much of a muchness with the accent on cebiche and nondescript fish offerings. More a place for the backpacking and doing South America on U$30 a day crowd. I guess in the season, the locals would use it as their beach of choice. Cab fare about S12.
And that is about it. Nice enough city with great archaeological attractions. Great for me and some of my interests but not for everyone.
Argento
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Trujillo by air. Be warned.
Trujillo has dense coastal fogs. I had trouble getting in with 3 flights cancelled and had to stay an extra day because the late afternoon flight out was cancelled. My flights were all late afternoon and night. The solution is get the morning flight as the fog seems to be an afternoon phenonomen.
Another tip. Booking your ticket with LAN on the internet. The instructions are not clear but you must get into the last phase of their 3 part program and proceed to seat allocation and boarding pass. This is not compulsory in their program. Failure to complete means that the booking is automatically cancelled which is not obvious and is not pointed out. Not great fun when you front up to the counter with a printed confirmed flight and told that it has been cancelled. No harm done as they had seats available.
Argento