Ravishing Ruins in the Busy Capital of Perú

Hmmm… Huaca Pucllana… I’ve been there before!

On a Thursday in early November, a small group of students at Colegio FDR in La Molina, Lima, Perú, including me, was taken by some teachers to Huaca Pucllana. It is a timeworn temple of the Lima people dating back approximately to the year 700 A.D., located in San Isidro, a district in the city. I later learned that the word “Huaca” is the Quechua term referring to any sacred place. I also found out that the word “Pucllana” is Quechua for “Game”, meaning that the name “Huaca Pucllana” means “Place for sacred game.” This interesting, ancient attraction is apt for anyone who enjoys archeological sites and history and can walk for long.

The bus ride was approximately 30 minutes long and somewhat noisy. There was also some traffic, which occurs almost at all times, everywhere in Lima. Nevertheless, it was fairly pleasant. Some people in the group were excited, though others, like me, had visited other Huacas before. Nonetheless, the recreation was welcome by all.

Once we arrived, we each paid one Sol to enter at a cash register up front and waited about 20 minutes until a guide who would speak to us in english, as tours are either in english or spanish, was available. As soon as we entered the Huaca, I was able to admire a sand-made, cosmic architectural piece which kind of resembled Egyptian step pyramids. I found it quite compelling. We began climbing its slope, at first up a modern wooden ramp, and the guide began talking about how this belonged to the Lima tribe and dated back to about 700 A.D. He also spoke about how it had been partially reconstructed and taught us to tell apart the original from the rebuilt by paying attention to whether or not the bricks seemed particularly rough and aged. He explained how the Huaca had been a temple, a gathering place for the Lima people and a pyramid for kings and religious leaders. We kept climbing.

The guide did not wait for the whole group and spoke, from then on, quickly, giving limited information, other than the fact that the walls were originally a pale shade of yellow. However, from that point, the view of the city was remarkable; even some of the tallest buildings looked like small houses and you could see much of the district of San Isidro. We later climbed down and the guide showed us some areas without explaining them, something that I consider to be of low quality. The climb was sandy and slippery; slightly difficult.

We admired statues depicting Lima life and learned of the ancient civilization’s trade and crops. We also got to see Llamas, Alpacas, Guinea Pigs, and native fruits which were important to them. We weren’t taken into the small museum, although I managed to glimpse a few interesting, ancient artefacts in it. I know there were many more in there.

I also spotted the glamourous restaurant located at the Huaca. I’d eaten there before and found the traditional peruvian food varied and tasty. Before I knew it, it was time to return to school.

The return to school was quite uneventful, other than some discussion about the Huaca. I found the trip fairly enjoyable. If you are interested in history, ever get the opportunity to visit Lima, and wish to eat a tasty peruvian meal at a historical site, I strongly recommend you to visit Huaca Pucllana.