Chiclayo was just a short stop over and once again not much to do in this city. We got off the bus and asked a taxi to take us to a hostel the Lonely Planet suggested. We spent the next few minutes in the taxi on the way to a hostel arguing with the driver because he wanted to take us to another hostel. We ended up at the hostel of his choice due to the fact he was driving, luckily it was a one minute walk to the one we wanted. We begrudgingly paid the fair after a short exchange with the driver and walked to our hostel.
The great Lonley Planet suggested that we check out the massive local markets that had witch doctors. We went along for a little bit of a cultural experience and maybe get some of our ailments cured.
The market was absolutely massive and you could buy anything imaginable, after walking around for about an hour, past the meat market with every dead animal you can think of, past the spice section and fruit and nut section, the suit and dress section we see this guy with a few people around him. We thought we would take a look but then we somehow become part of it not really understanding a word he was saying. Keeping a close eye on our belongings and trying to follow what was going on the crowd got bigger. He gave us some card from a tarot card reading pack and goes on and on for about 20mins. Its getting hotter in the sun and I guess he can see the participants (an older woman with her son, a younger girl on a lunch break, 5 young kids and us) are getting bored so he gives us a mystical blue crystal in return for 1 sole (about 30 cents) next thing we know we get invited back to his shop. Once there the lady with her 2 year old went into his room first while the rest us waited outside. In the meantime after talking to the others we figure out he is going to tell our future in Spanish. The young girl leaves. We were close to leaving but were kind of curious. Next it was our turn, we went in there and there were candles burning and pictures of Jesus and Mary everywhere. There was also his bed, a human skull, spices and incense and other 'spiritual' stuff. He was going on and on shacking maraccas and mumbling weird things. Junior and I are sitting there facing his desk FULL OF CRAP and he is walking around behind us saying god only knows. I have my hand on the so called skull and Junior has his on a cross. He brings out this egg and touches it over our faces then cracks it into a plate that he had just got us to spit in. He adds a couple of drops of a special liquid then our spit turns black which means something. He then picked up this bottle and walking behind us takes a drink and then spits this oil like soap stuff over us with 3 spits. It was disgusting. By this time we are over it and his is asking us for 50 soles (about 20 dollars) to put in the bottom of the skull. We play dumb and give him 50 cents. He saw the rest of the change that we had and says that will do and grabs it and throws it in the egg. We're not getting that back we think but then he gives us something much better - a vial of seeds and twigs and another blue crystal! Just before we left he gets Junior to put the vial in his hand and I put the blue crystal in my hand and he pours another type of oil over this stuff. We had to put it up to our mouth and make a woo noise while rising our hand over our head. After doing this 3 times we get to leave. We walk back to the hostel to clean ourselves feeling totally ripped off. All we can do is laugh now.
After going back to the hostel to clean ourselves we go to look for a car to take us to Lambaque so we could visit a museum. I was looking around and soon found my self lying on the ground. I had stood in one of the many holes in the pavement and totally slipped over. Making a big scene and then finding out it wasnt as bad as what I thought. So overall not the best day I have had.
Later that day we went to Lambaque and visited Sipan the ´largest and best museum in Peru and one of the top 3 in the world. You should really get a translator for only 20 US dollars if you want to fully enjoy it' according to the guy that sold us the tickets and who happened to be the translator. We declined the offer and done it on our own. There was a lot of things found in the real Sipan tombs but also a lot of replicas. It was ok.
We then went back into town and waited for our night bus to Chiclayo.
Witch doctor yeah right
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Chiclayo, Peru
Other Entries
-
2Loved San Fran
Aug 2180 days priorSan Francisco, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
3Vegas Vegas Vegas
Aug 2675 days priorLas Vegas, United Statesphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
4Culture shock big time
Sep 0169 days priorBogota, Colombiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
5Nice to be on the coast!!
Sep 0367 days priorTaganga, Colombiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
6Five day trek to The Lost City
Sep 0961 days priorThe Lost City, Colombiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
7New city and loving Cartagena
Sep 1654 days priorCartagena, Colombiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
8Meeting Pablo Escobar´s Brother
Sep 2050 days priorMedellin, Colombiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 2 -
9Solento
Sep 2446 days priorSolento, Colombiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
10Military Coup
Sep 2941 days priorQuito, Ecuadorphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
11GALAPOGOS
Oct 0238 days priorGalapagos Islands, Ecuadorphoto_camera54videocam 0comment 0 -
12Montanita
Oct 0931 days priorMontañita, Ecuadorphoto_camera17videocam 0comment 1 -
13Banos (Rough Spanish translation = Toilet)
Oct 1822 days priorBanos, Ecuadorphoto_camera39videocam 0comment 0 -
14Time to relax
Oct 2218 days priorCotopaxi, Ecuadorphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
15BIG City Lima
Oct 2614 days priorLima, Peruphoto_camera6videocam 0comment 1 -
16Back to the beach!!
Nov 018 days priorHuanchaco, Peruphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 1 -
17Mancora
Nov 045 days priorMancora, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
18Quick Stop Over
Nov 081 day priorPiura, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
19Witch doctor yeah right
Nov 09Chiclayo, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 1 -
20Back to the mountains!
Nov 101 day laterChachapoyas, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
21Cajamarca
Nov 134 days laterCajamarca, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
22The Andes
Nov 167 days laterHuaraz, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
23Santa Cruz Trek
Nov 189 days laterHuaraz, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
24Ica Sand Dunes
Nov 2213 days laterHuacachina, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
25Tourist Town
Nov 2516 days laterCusco, Peruphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
26WOW
Nov 3021 days laterMachu Picchu, Peruphoto_camera61videocam 0comment 0 -
27Arequipa - Colca Canyon 3 day Trek
Dec 0526 days laterArequipa, Peruphoto_camera56videocam 0comment 0 -
28Lake Titicaca
Dec 1233 days laterLake Titicaca, Boliviaphoto_camera14videocam 0comment 0 -
29La Paz
Dec 1334 days laterLa Paz, Boliviaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
30Salt Flats
Dec 1738 days laterUyuni, Boliviaphoto_camera28videocam 0comment 0 -
31Quick Stop Over
Dec 1940 days laterSan Pedro de Atacama, Chilephoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
32Should have booked a bus
Dec 2041 days laterCalama, Chilephoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
33Hitchhiking
Dec 2344 days laterCopiapo, Chilephoto_camera6videocam 0comment 0 -
34Christmas Time
Dec 2445 days laterSantiago, Chilephoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
35New Years
Dec 2849 days laterVina del Mar, Chilephoto_camera21videocam 0comment 0 -
36Back in Santiago
Jan 0456 days laterSantiago, Chilephoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
37Holiday from Santiago
Jan 1466 days laterPucon, Chilephoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0
Comments

2025-05-22
Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank
Christine
2010-12-16
and you think I do weird things!!!!