WALKING IN PERU’S HIGHLANDS alone without a passport or money can itself be a forbidden adventure. And if you know little or no Spanish it could be the worst situation you can get yourself in. But such is the bond of trekking that when things begin to fall apart, the backpackers’ begin to bind together.

I had just lost my jacket with my passport, money, credit cards and last bar of chocolate when I met up with Caroline from Wales who was trying to polish her Spanish by travelling through remote villages. We discussed subjects of mutual interest and soon decided to move on together to the plains of Huanuco.

THE WIDE ‘PLAINS OF HUANUCO’ are filled with cattle. Resting against a mud-house along the ancient road, a mid-aged lady arrives on horseback to deliver milk. The man in the mud-house transfers it into a plastic container. “Improvised refrigeration” he says, as he lowers it into a running stream that runs alongside. Then he offers sweet yoghurt, which I drink to run down the last crumbs of bread that I found at the bottom of my rucksack.

Across the road where we sit, are the ruins of what was once the Hunuco Pampa citidal, a city built for festivals. It lies on the major Inca thoroughfare that connected Cusco with Cajamarca. In those days, says the caretaker, different ethnic groups who were incorporated into the Inca Empire populated the area but why was it known as the ‘city of festivals’ is yet unknown. Perhaps it has to do with the abundant produce in the region or the sublime beauty, or perhaps because it has traces of the most ancient human occupation in Peru, the Lauricocha people, dating back some 10,000 years.

HUARAZ – TREKKERS MECCA. Most adventurers, who come to this region as I did, start their journey from Huaraz, capital of Ancash and trekkers Mecca in Peru. Walking down the main street, I see trekkers stocking up on vegetables, eggs, tinned meat, soup packets, marmite and local ‘pan’ (bread) that happily lasts for over four days. Chavín is three days from Huaraz by llama trek or three hours by bus. I chose the later (and lost my jacket on it) to explore the ruins of Chavín de Huántar, the temple that existed around 1000–200 B.C. a period called the Early Horizon.

CHAVÍN DE HUÁNTAR is located in the north-central sierra of Peru, sandwiched between the desert coast - one of the driest deserts of the world - and the humid tropical Amazonian lowlands to the east. The famed Andean prehistoric states, culminating with the expansive Inca Empire, were primarily situated in coastal and sierra environments.

What surprised me were the animals and plants typical of the lowlands in Chavín art. Most observers agree that Chavín de Huántar would not have been natural home to the animals like caiman (alligator), monkey, and plants represented in their art. But the Mosna River, along which Chavín lies, eventually leads to the Amazon where these exist, albeit through a tortuous route.

Looking at the site's structures, a simple sequence of construction can be postulated. An Old Temple, built in a U-shaped form around a circular plaza. And a new temple on a larger scale extending south and east.

EL LANZON. Built underground, its maze of tunnels and air ducts produce a profound confusing image in my mind. I am struck by one single stone that stands at the centre; beautifully carved with snakelike, human and feline features. It is called “El Lanzon” and looking at it closely one can note that it has the form of the eye and tooth of a jaguar, an orang-utan or a tiger. It is the art that impresses me most. But I am not alone in coming to this conclusion. Even Pablo Picasso said "Of all of the ancient cultures I admire that of Chavín amazes me the most. Actually, it has been the inspiration behind most of my art."

"CHAVÍN" Comes from a Quechua Word Meaning "CENTRE OF CENTRES", the centre of the universe as a magic and sacred place. Weather Chavín de Huántar was a temple or a fort at the centre of the Inca universe or weather Lanzon was the stone of power or sacrifice is not known. One archaeologist says that, it was a ceremonial centre with a twist on its architecture – drains where water could be pushed through and the roar of the water could be heard through vents and chambers within the centre itself. When this was done, the centre literally "roared," and you can imagine how awestruck the worshippers would have been!

Chavín had proven links with a religious grouping located on the north coast and in the sierra of Peru. Recent excavations have clearly proved these links by unearthing Chavín ceramics in the surroundings of Puemape, in Cajamarca.

MACHU PICCHU. There are so many of us who have been to Machu Picchu and there are so many more of us who know the famous Inca citadel, than those of us who have walked through the temple of Chavín. Archaeologist John Rick of Stanford University is trying to turn this renowned archaeological site into a tourist interest destination that is of equal importance as Machu Picchu. Rick, who has been digging in for over 10 years, believes that this is not only feasible but also possible. The future of Chavín de Huántar looks promising thanks to the support and the Global Heritage Fund.

Caroline had by now decided to study Chavín art and to stay back in Peru longer than she had planned. But I had to turn back and return to Lima to get my new passport and return home. Sitting in the aircraft I kept weighing the importance of Machu Picchu against Chavín de Huántar. Just as Machu Picchu is grand, Chavín to is mysterious and the more I think of it, the more impressive it becomes. May be one day, we may know the secrets of the stone of power but till then, it will remain shrouded in mist and mystery and inspire us with its art.