Salaverry

Tuesday, March 19th
M/S Marina
Americas Connection
Day 2
Salaverry, Peru
Arriving:  9:00 AM
Departing:  5:00 PM
Cloudy - 79 Degrees

It may lack the dramatic setting and sheer monumental achievement of Machu Picchu, but Chan Chan is the historical and archeological jewel of Salaverry, and is worth a visit on its own merits.  We have 472 pictures of mud (walls), and three pictures of a giant, glowing, inflatable head to show for it.

"Chan-Chan is one of the most spectacular cities, and the largest construction of mud in the New World. It was once the capital of the Chimu Civilization, predecessors of the ancient Incas.  Chan Chan is virtually a city of palaces, and must be seen to be believed. The city walls enclose eight square miles of buildings, including small wattle and daub huts, medium-sized adobe brick houses, and the huge fortresses, or palaces, of the era's nobility. These palaces typically contained many rooms and patios, and were surrounded by their own walls. Intricate reliefs and patterns carved into these walls can still be seen today. Each palace also contained ceremonial courtyards, some decorated with a repeating design of birds or animals. The smallest courtyards were thought to be the most important and only accessible to the inner circle. Ironically, these courtyards lacked ornamentation or decoration, which has baffled archeologists for ages. It is now thought that these courtyards were once festooned with amazing weavings and fabrics, which the Chimu people held more valuable than gold and silver. Often a palace was abandoned once its noble owner died, and a new one constructed next door. As a result, these amazing buildings range in age from 900 and 1470 A.D."

And, finally, the giant, glowing, inflatable head.  Oceania, thanks to the dilettante art collector CEO of its parent company, is a partner in artist Frank Hyder's The Janis Project:

"The idea for The Janis Project was conceived on Easter Island but begun with a three-month  voyage from Istanbul, Turkey to Tallinn, Estonia, with the support of Frank Del Rio, former CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line.  Daily, spontaneous placement aboard a luxury Oceania cruise liner and its ports of call surprised cruisers and locals with its presence, stimulating dialogs in many languages.  Since its maiden voyage in 2015, The Janis Project has traveled the world. 

The air-filled, huge inflatable heads reference the  Moai and Olmec heads and the ancient Roman god of new endeavors, Janus.  The Janis sculptures also have their roots in street art and inflatable toys.  Janis carries a message of equality and goodwill and dares to step out of the conventional world of art museums and art galleries to be amongst us.  Janis has found a place to make us all consider issues that often divide us – usually with a smile."

The juxtaposition is somewhat jarring, but don't say we never ,gave you head.

Next Stop:  Manta, Ecuador