Yes, we are still alive. No, we didn't drink each other's blood in Mancora. If you are wondering / concerned / interested in making one, a 'blood-bomb' is Jagermeister with Vodka and grenadine which gives its red appearance.

We arrived in northern Peru's biggest city early on a Wednesday morning and were immediately struck by the beautiful colonial architecture in the Plaza de Armas, dominated by the bright yellow cathedral . 

Took a combi out to Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the world, built around AD 1300 and once inhabited by 60,000 people. Although the central part has been well preserved with 10m-high walls and some impressive mud relief carvings, the rest of it seemed to be mainly crumbling mud walls stretching out far across the parched landscape.

Chan Chan is en route to Huanchaco, a detail we were not allowed to forget by the 'combi conductor' as he drummed up business for this quaint fishing village famous for its cigar-shaped boats called caballitos (little horses) which the fishermen use to paddle out beyond the breakers. Had a nice seafood cerviche lunch on the seafront with a few Europeans.

The following day caught another combi out to Las Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. These Moche (apparently nothing to do with coffee) temples are 700 years older than Chan Chan and we took a guided tour around the pyramid of Huaca del Sol with its detailed well-preserved mosaics. Also came across the intriguing, slightly ugly Peruvian hairless dog, evolved due to a higher body temperature.

Overnight bus to Lima - 9 hours.