Trujillo's Back-Alley Wonders Even Your Nosey Uber Driver Wouldn't Spill
so i’ve been crashing in *Trujillo for three weeks pretending to be an indie film scout (don’t ask) and honestly? the real drama isn’t in the Chan Chan ruins-it’s in the spots where locals hide from tourists. first off, the weather here right now? the sky’s been blasting ultraviolet like a broken tanning bed but hey, no sweat stains on my thrifted Hawaiian shirt yet. someone told me rent in the historic center averages 900 soles ($240) for a one-bedroom. graffiti murals included at no extra charge.
okay. La Bicha isn’t on any menu you’ll find-it’s this underground ceviche joint operating out of a grandma’s garage near Plazuela El Recreo. got dragged there by a cinematographer who swore it’s where chefs go after their shifts. drunk advice: "eat the scallops at dawn or don’t bother coming."
then there’s Casa Ganoza. not the colonial showpiece-the second-floor library no one visits because they’re too busy snapping pics of the façade. found a first-edition Vargas Llosa novel just chilling between tax ledgers from 1923. librarian whispered something about "borrowing" it if i promised to return it before the ghosts noticed (tripadvisor missed this entirely).
overheard at a piss-warm beer stall near Mercado Mayorista: "Huanchaco’s for gringos. real surfers go to Buenos Aires beach where the waves break like your ex’s promises." facts: job market here’s 80% tourism gigs paying 12 soles/hour ($3), 20% black-market antiques. safety’s solid if you avoid flashing your iPhone in La Esperanza after dark. (local subreddit confirms)
last thing: Café Óvalo looks basic until you realize they roast their beans with palo santo wood. barista slid me a cortado and hissed "don’t tag us on Instagram or i’ll deny you existed." BYO oat milk. also, lima’s a 1-hour flight if you need civilization, but chiclayo’s closer for emergency pisco therapy* (yelp lies about the opening hours).
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