Chan Chan y Huacas del Sol y de la Luna-Rotary Love

I never imagined visiting Chan Chan or Huacas del Sol y de la Luna. These are some of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world, and they tell the story of the
Chimu and the Moche. As a Spanish professor, I was excited to learn about these Pre-Inca empires and overwhelmed by the engineering of these ancient cities. Perhaps most impressed by the visit was Nicole, and I hope she'll blog about her impression of the sites because her knowledge of this area of investigation--contemporary city planning--gelled perfectly with the information we learned from our Rotary guide, Susie.
But perhaps more important, for me, was the friendship, sincerity and true love shown by our host team this afternoon, when we went to eat at a restaurant called Wuacapiedra. First of all, I made the error of ordering ceviche with aji, even though our host suggested I order it without aji. Aji, for the innocent reader, is a very hot, HOT pepper. I was enjoying wonderful conversation and getting to know our hosts better when I ate, in one mouthful, a small slice of aji. This was probably one of the greatest errors I have ever made. My tongue was on fire; I could hardly breathe. My Rotary brothers and sisters immediately came to my aid, and the Ithaca Team offered me support. They all offered me water, beer, ice and just about anything else they could think of to take away the horrible heat from my mouth. My nose dripped and my eyes started tearing. My sinuses were immediately cleared. I was crying and at the same time laughing. Crying because I was literally in pain. Even my ears turned red from the heat. But, more important, I was also crying because I felt the love of Rotary. I have never been treated so well in my life.