CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO PADDLE REED HORSES IN HUANCHACO BEACH, 2001-01-28 (photo)

Children learn how to paddle "reed horses", ancient boats believed to have been the precursors of surfboards, as another child surfs (R) January 28, 2001 on a body board nearby. These special cigar shaped, wave-breaking boats are believed to have been used for more than 1,500 years. The hollow kayaks, with their characteristic pointed prows rising out of the water, are believed to have been used by the ancient inhabitants of northern Peru to ply the choppy Pacific Ocean. They are similar to the boats depicted on ceramics from Peru's Moche civilization 1,500 years ago. The inhabitants of Huanchaco are among the few remaining people on the coast who still know how to build and pilot these precarious-looking craft. MB