Last weeked I went to the small city of Chancay which is about 2 hours north of Lima by bus. I visited this hilarious and somewhat historical castle called Castillo de Chancay. It was originally built in the 1920s for a Limeña woman named Doña Consuela Amat who was mourning her husband. Our tour guide mentioned it was built over the cliffs so she could look out and think of him.
It is a faux castle, under construction, crumbling, and now has many different thematic rooms including an Egyptian-themed area. It has become the biggest tourist destination in Chancay.
Cuchimilco, the icons above are commonplace in Chancay. They date back to the 1200´s and are identified with the Chancay region. They are usually identified with open arms. The Quecha word refers to where the icons were located near breeding areas for pigs, are often thought of as fertility symbols, most frequently appearing in pairs.