| Visitor | |
|
|
|
| Visitor | |
|
|
|
Welcome to my February 2005 travel journal.
Now Jon has left I am travelling down with Sophia, Kerry and Alia to Puno we catch a day time bus, since Puno is in the middle of a Festival and it will be easier to find accommodation. Fairly easy bus ride, one quick stop on the way arrive about 6pm and get a taxi to drive us round a few hostels before we decide on a dorm room at Hostel Los Uros, quite near the centre of Puno for 20 s/ pp but with its own bathroom. We head out for bit to eat, bump into Nina and Christof from the Inka Trek while watching the numerous bands playing in the main square, it’s quite a sight and sound explosion!!! Sophia and I end up being the last ones out again !!!
back to topWe all find a really nice old colonial house off one of the squares (casa Del Corregidor) and pretty much spend the day there, eating snacks drinking tea and chilling in the courtyard. We do book a private two day and one night trip out to the islands off lake Titicaca which will get us back into Puno for the rest of the festival at the weekend. We end up at a Rock Bar for Drinks and endure a power cut with the rest of Puno and wait out the thunderstorm which caused it.
back to top
Our guide Marcel picked us up at 7.45am and we where greeted by three Tricycle taxis to get us all to the port at Puno, quite a made experience, particularly since our driver/rider chose to go down a one way street the wrong way and get stopped by the police !!!. We get on out 25-30 foot motor launch and take the leisurely 3 hour ride across the lake to Taquili island. The lake is very impressive, as you leave Puno. You pass through the reeds that the Uro Floating people use, and the out into the highest lake in the world. We arrive at Traquili Island and again are reminded of how high up you are as you climb the steps to get to the centre of the Island.
There is a real sense of piece on the island, the local mayor decides which restaurant you should eat at to ensure the all families receive a share of the tourist profits. The Community shop on the main square also provides a central place for the sale of the textiles that the local men and women produce. Kerry and I get our photo taken with 2 12 year old boys who are creating some amazing hats. The males of Taquili where different hats depending on their marital status. Red with White for single, Just red for married, although, some men claim that the red and white hat is their day hat !!! 
A really nice meal of Kingfish from the lake was server up in a local restaurant just outside the main square and we the headed to the other side of the island to out boat and the short ride to Amantani. We had decided to do the tour in reverse to try and keep away from the main tour trips. When we arrive on Amantani, we could hear the familiar sounds of the brass bands, as it was also festival time here on the island. Compared to Taquili Amantani seemed to be much more developed, with the men wearing trilby hats instead of the woolly ones. Once we had met the family we were staying with for the night we all headed up to the main square with our guide to join in the celebrations. It was an amazing sight, 6 bands playing all round the square at the same time and many colourfully dressed dance groups performing Shamanic to salsa style dancing all round the square.
We headed back to Lorenzo’s house for dinner and the four of us squeezed into the family mud brick built kitchen for soup, omelette and herb tea, the family were lovely and welcoming and made us all feel very much part of the family. Due to religious grounds they did not join us back at the square in the evening, but did provide warm hats and blankets. We had previous bought some pens and paper for the children which we gave to the families along with some fresh fruit and cooking bits after lunch. When we returned to the square it was clear the party had not stopped while we where away, we all ended up dancing around with the locals, and not just the young, some of the older women were also enjoying the last day of their festival. When we returned to the house later, the stars were amazing, without any pollution they were memorising, I spent a good hour and a half before bed transfixed by them... For a map of the lake click here
Woken by Lorenzo at 7.45am and after breakfast of delicious pancakes headed back to the boat and our trip onto the Floating Uro Islands. The lake was a little rougher today and but sunbathing / relaxing was again the order of the day. the 2 and 1/2 hour trip sailed by and we arrive and the mysterious floating islands. Our first stop we ate some of the core of the reeds that these people so depend upon, it works a bit like a toothbrush but was also quite tasty !! after a quick talk from our guide on the local inhabitants (1200 people) and there local crafts of embroidering fabrics, Alia presented them with the pens and pencils we had bought, the problem of how to divide two sketch books between 9 children was rectified by a raffle !!! After we had tasted the reed bread, the girls then looked through the local fabrics, while I played football with a couple of the young kids. The strange soft floating sensation was an excellent safety mat !!! After another stop on another floating island (total 45 islands) where selling became the order of the day we heading back to Puno. It felt like again we were returning to civilisation, the peaceful life on the islands certainly had appeal!! We were back by 1pm, but agreed the private tour with our own boat was well worth the $50 pp price. After a quick crash we headed out in search of the night life, following a few beers and very late pizza meal we, in the rain, ended up in Club Nokia, where local Salsa was playing loud, after a few rum and Cokes, and some dancing lessons from Franshesco headed on to the Lonely Planet recommended Dominos (yep like the Pizza) Pretty standard Club affair, wouldn’t have been out of place in London !! Not too late ended up back at the hostel by 4...
Late start today, we were all up by about 11, and met up with Franshesco who took us to the Inka Temple Restaurant where he worked. Lazy day, will be heading back into town later for the fireworks. Ends up being a bit of wash out, really heavy rain, we head out for meal but again hit the 10pm curfew, and Sophia manages to find a restaurant that will server us.
back to top
More festivities today, In the morning I get chatting to a local Band who are part of the celebrations, not quite sure what we were talking about, but condoms, women, beer and sex were all mentioned.... We catch up with Dave and Pierre who we met on the Inka Trek, and head down to the Stadium to see today’s festivities of dance competitions. Pierre is really suffering from a cold so only the 5 of us make it. After making our way through the crowds of dancers and band members we get some cheap tickets and have to walk all the way round the stadium to get to the entrance, I guess there are no toilets inside!!! It is quite a spectacle, watching the hundreds of dancers and bands play on the field, many different colours forming different shapes, and chants to the beats. We spot our guide from the Lake tour Marcel, who is actually performing in the finale !! this is the same group we saw on Amantani, very colourful and with great expressions. On the way back all the groups that have performed are processing back into town, we end up losing Dave as we have to cross the processions path. We end up back at the Incabar for a nice meal, this time getting served !! Another couple of drinks and dancing in the Inca Palace, and back in Hostel by 1am ish ...
Early start today, up at 4am, we all jump in taxi and head to Sillustani, where the Colla people, who became the southeaster arm of the Inka´s, have built Funeral Towers, or Chullpas. We arrive just before sunrise and are party to an unforgettable sight as the sun brings the lake, the chullpas out of the shadows. After a quick breaky (cheers Kerry) we head back to Puno, and the girls catch the 7.30am bus to Copacobana. It is really quite hard to say goodbye to Alia, Kerry and Sophia, I met them on the way but I now feel are really good friends, hope to see you soon, wish you all the best guys !!!xxx After a quick walk back to town, bump into Keith a retired Canadian, who we met the night before. After a lunch which was meant to be chicken, but was more like pork, we were trapped by the parade so ended up joining in!!! Just got a couple of hours to kill now before I have to catch a bus myself, get the essential snacks for travelling, if I can find anything open, the procession means most places are shut. Got to the Bus depot early which is a bit of pain since the bus didn’t turn up for 1 1/2 hours. Get chatting to two French girls who are heading to Arequipa, 5 hours later, arrive back in Arequipa, and have to wait another 2 hours for connecting bus to Lima, which eventually arrives and we set of for 14 hour ride back to Lima
Fairly restless night on the bus, Oremeno, sandwich dinner and breaky, and although I have both seats to myself every other corner our formula one driver makes my head crash into the window or seat rest !!! eventually arrive in Lima about 1pm back to the heat !!! Realise I left my Peru LP on the Arequipa bus !! damn!!! Oh well, chill out outside the Oremeno bus depot for a while to decide what to do for next 4 hours. Find a really friendly cab diver Carlito who helps me find a book shop to replace the lost LP, and also get the South American Handbook 2004, excellent, took 2 hours but hey !! get dropped off at the Airport with 2 hours to go before my flight to Iquitos. Drop my luggage off and chill in the very modern Cafe, could resist McD´s get stopped through x-ray left my leatherman in my handluggage, made rush back to the check in desk, where they find my main luggage for me to put in !! then back through and on the 1 hour 25 min flight to Iquitos with LAN Peru.
Good flight, a little bumpy over the mountains, and arrive in a hot a humid airport. Quick pick up of bags, makes a change, head out to Taxi and Hostel La Pascana, recommended in LP. Ricardo a tour tout was trying to selling me a tour all the way back in the taxi. Pascana is ok, cheap with 2 fans, and private cold shower, friendly staff. Head to tour agency with Ricardo after to get more details, seems really good although $50 per day is a bit steep, some excellent reviews in the book from previous travellers, will wait till tomorrow to make a decision. Head down to the waterfront, yep that’s on the Amazon, for a couple of beers before I crash. Been travelling now for 30+ hours, sit and think a little how the girls are doing, and how Jon is back home !! I am not alone for long, be-friended by Miguel shoe-shine boy and his friends and Paulo and 42 year old Peruvian who is working here in Iquitos for a few days before going on holidays next week. End up getting back to hostel at 2am !! shower and bed.
Good nights sleep, up at 11am and head into town to explore and find out some other tours. It’s not long before I am again surrounded by tour touts and takes me a while to get rid of them!! would be nice just to get 10 minutes on my own, will probably book the tour from last night but try and knock his price down a little. Meeting lost of locals, but it is hard to tell if they are genuine, since most just want to take your money... will be glad to get away from town for a little while. There are lots of English students in Iquitos, so makes meeting the ladies a little easier here.... to cut a long story short have an excellent night out, dancing, then a party and end up back at my hostel for breakfast !!!!
back to top
Meet up with Walter, who I met yesterday, and go on a tour of the Floating market at Belen, to the south of Iquitos. At the moment the waters are low, so you can walk round the shanty town market, but in another month the whole lot will be underwater. Everything is for sale here, Shamonic infusions for every ailment, which we try a few, quite nice really, didn’t ask what some of them contained ??? Also for sale was turtles, Tortoises, monkeys, a three toed sloth, and Anacondas, was really quite sad to see !! they wanted 100 /soles for the Sloth that’s about 16 quid !!! The locals really don’t understand the effect this has on the environment, they just see it as a way to make money !! We then take a canoe ride through the surrounding floating village. It really is a slum town, most of the people here fish and then exchange their catch with items they need at the market. It is really filthy here, the sights and smells are quite appalling.
We then head out of the market to where the Rio Nanay and Rio Amazon meet. It is an amazing site, these two vast rivers merging, again there are boat trips but it is nice to just sit having another Inca Cola, and watching life go on around !!! Back to Iquitos for lunch at El Noche before getting to the Tour office and getting ready to leave. I am joined on the tour, by a retired Italian maths teacher Luigi, who has been selling tropical fish for the last few years. He came to the Amazon 10 years ago, and wanted to see it again. Ricardo escorts us with Andreas' wife Jasmine to the boat where we meet up with Andreas who has loaded all the food on the boat already. The boat leaves at 6pm, only an hour late, which is pretty good by Peru standards, and we set off watching an amazing sunset over the Amazon.
We are heading upstream towards Nauta. It is an amazing sight, sat at the front of the boat, watching the small canoes and river taxis around us as we push up the river with the locals and their goods. We crash in the Hammocks and are awoken by Andreas around 2.30 in the morning, where we alight the ferry near a small village and carry the gear the mile or so, to the canoes that are waiting for us, we head up river still in the dark to another back and a short walk to a lake, where we all out for some more canoes. (feels a bit like a Tarzan movie call, but it works and we get a reply shortly before another canoe arrives on the bank). We have to cross a small stream between two lakes which is pretty muddy, its hard work but we manage to pole through and get to Lago Yarin which will be our home for the next 5 days, although Luigi is only staying 4 days. After a quick cuppa in the Mosquito free room (palm leave hut with netting walls and doors) crash out, being eaten alive by the millions of mosquitoes. I still cannot believe I am actually here, the sights even through the dark are amazing and the sounds just like a nature program !! We are all staying on small mattresses under mosquito nets just above the ground on Bamboo beds. Share the first night with a number of mosquitoes and a large tiger-wolf spider, I am too tired to shift him.
The Camp is situated on the shores of Lago Yarine which is just of a southern tributary to the Amazon, the river Yarapa. You are primarily in virgin rainforest, with a few sparse local villages. When we wake we are also at the ´lodge´ with 2 Canadians and a guy from Chile, who have all just spent 5 days in the jungle and are heading back this morning. As we say goodbye, Andreas leads us out into the surrounding jungle. It has been raining overnight and the ground is very wet, the smells and sight are spectacular great buttressed trees called ´Sabretooth´, and leave cutting ants that build an enormous nest where they store their cuttings, they actually use the cuttings to make compost on which they feed from the resulting mushrooms !!! After a quick lunch back at the lodge of soup and chicken with rice we take a canoe ride around the lake.
Still cannot believe I am here, the view from the boat is just like a wildlife program, with great canopy of trees meeting the waters edge, the water in the lake is a black mud, which gives excellent reflections of the surrounding vegetation but gives quite an eerie look to the water !! We spot a sloth in one of the trees, amazing just like the one I saw in Belen market, but this one is free. Andreas tells us that the trees they live on are actually narcotic, it has 3 stomachs, like a cow, and sleeps for 22 hours a day !!
It eats now on the Australian Eucalyptus tree that was introduced recently and now has taken over much of the jungle. The sloth is similar to the Koala bear, permanently doped up !!! Massive Mahogany trees, and figs with 1000´s of roots, massive palms, it is all just an overload on the senses. We head back to camp for dinner and then head out for a night trek!!! Although slightly wary of the dark, I found the experience strangely calming, despite being eaten alive by the constant swarm of mosquitoes. We saw small scorpions, Tarantulas, snakes, more ants, this time big black bullet ants about 2 inches long. They are also called 6 hour ants since the sting hurts for 6 hours, more about that later. Back to camp and again share my mossy net with the tiger wolf spider, although I had lost him in the morning ???
back to top
Restless night, what was a blessing from a long travel yesterday has in fact returned to the very uncomfortable bamboo bed that it in fact is, It wasn’t helped by the foray to the toilet in the middle of the night !! I ask you how do you stop the mosquitoes biting when you are trying to go !!!! It again rains heavily in the night. Up for early breakfast around 6am of Mango and Pancakes and then off in the Canoe, we are going to search for Piranha today, so armed with fishing spears and fishing rods off we go. We backtrack our original path and get back on the Yarapa river, then cross another divide to the Moria lake. These divides have to be crossed during the low water, and the locals constantly use these to get to different fishing patches and areas of the forest. It is hard work though to move the 20ft wooden canoe over the roll logs we have to keep moving, but worth it when we get to the lake. Again this is a black mud lake unlike the Yarapa, which like the Amazon is a brown mud colour. This is almost jet black and very eerie !!! probably since we know there are piranha in here. There are giant water lilies around us, some of which are in flower. The flower builds up and then opens for 24 hours as a new leaf emerges.
After spotting some eagles and Screaming Trumpeting birds we get out the rods and with our small fish bait start trying for piranha, I catch the first fish a small fresh water sardine, that feeds on the fruit, still quite vicious teeth though, and then Andreas lands a massive red bellied piranha at least 15cm long with massive razor sharp teeth !!! we stay there for a little while catching some more small piranha and many catfish with big barbs. Head off for some bird watching and then lunch, we create a camp file and cook up some spaghetti with tomato sauce, then Eduardo and Andreas convert the fire to a barbeque and we grill some of the fish from the morning. Piranha is really quite nice a big white flesh meat, quite tasty !! Also have cooked Plantanos. These are the most common banana here, they cannot be eaten raw, but are fried, boiled and here grilled. Quite a dry less sweet flavour but nice enough. After lunch we head off again in search of piranha. We find a secluded backwater from the lake and in a small patch within the weeds set out lines again !!! Within seconds the water is moving all around the lines, and the bait is being eaten by thousands of piranha. We are all pulling in small piranha easily just managing to strike on the line as the fish takes a bite !! even out of the water they are vicious creatures, who have a reflex action to bit, as one starts to eat my shoes !! Quick finger check and cast again. With the small canoe rocking from side to side with all the excitement on the boat, it was easy to forget for a little while what was actually in the water below you !! wonder what would happen if you fell in !!! more on that later !!! It was Andreas who landed the first big one, a true meat eating red bellied piranha, again about 15cm long.
I then catch a monster and it takes a good 5 minutes to land him, he is a good 20cm long with a red belly, but a slightly purple sheen, as opposed to the golden sheen on the meat eating piranha, it is in fact a fruit eating piranha, and although it has the same jaws, the teeth are more like molars to crush the fruit, rather than the single sharp row on the meat eaters. Still can give a nasty bite though. I tell you though it certainly looks the same !!! Many more fish later we start on the journey home, just as it is getting dark and mosquito time approaches. You do get them in the day but as dusk approached and all through the night is when they are out in numbers. Again we have to carry the canoe overland, but we take a different route back to avoid the second crossing. On the way back we are checking the fishing nets that are left out, and Andreas spots something big in one. We eventually land a massive giant Fruit piranha at least 1/2 metre long with teeth that would take a leg off, it is both impressive and very scary at the same time. We put it in the bag behind my seat, and for the most of the journey I get hit by the back of this thing struggling to get free!! Just before we get back to the lodge I suddenly feel very ill and within seconds am leaning over the ends of the boat saying goodbye to the contents of my stomach. Spend a very restless night, being ill and fighting the mosquitoes near the toilet.
Spend most of the day ill, Andreas makes me an infusion with tree bark which settles me a little, but cannot keep any food or water down. Luigi heads out in the afternoon with Andreas in the canoe to spot dolphins, been raining again overnight so the river can now be reached without having to cross land, and the once black water of the lake is now the same brown colour as the Yarapa river. Manage to drink some grapefruit and lemon drink that Andreas makes later. At least it takes my mind off the mosquitoes for a while !!
back to top
Up again in the night, Luigi last day today. He takes it easy in the morning as I head out for canoe trip again just around the lake, many squirrels today, same size as in England, but red with massive bushy red tails at least twice the size of the body. Saw some small Squirrel monkeys and some bigger monkeys. Still feel a little ill, but determined not to miss another day, the though of piranha just turns my stomach. Say goodbye to Luigi at lunchtime as he heads back to a boat for Iquitos, and I just chill in one of the hammocks watching the forest and listening to the sounds of the birds and the monkeys. This is a simple life here growing, gathering or catching your food, to either eat or trade with others. The family that we are staying with are excellent and despite my difficulties in Spanish have an excellent fun time with them. While Andreas is taking Lugar back to the boat, I end up having a swim with the girls at the lake. I have been assured that the piranha in the lake will not bite you unless you are bleeding !!! ok here goes, only going to get one chance to do this hey, saves being eaten by the mosquitoes that are eating you when you are out of the water. In I go into the light muddy brown water of the lake knowing we caught piranha only 10m away !! nothing... ok this is cool, then I feel something on my back !! then again !!! feels like fish biting, but no sharp teeth, still the girls are swimming they cannot help laughing at how white I am, I joke that it’s the excellent soap that I am using, which goes down well in my spanglish!! still feels weird these fish nibbling you !! I find out later these are the fresh water sardines, like those I caught earlier!! When Andreas returns head out again in the canoe at night, to brave the mosquitoes and look for snakes. We find many boas ranging from 1/2 to 1 meter in length, not quite Anaconda size !! probably just as well !!! Also see many frogs, which we spot from the red reflection of their eyes in the touch light, cat eyed frogs and bull frogs. Again another restless night, but this is my last night here now, getting used to the mosquitoes, just letting them get on with it!! On way back in the canoe, felt something on my neck brushed it off, still something there !! scratch a little more, then I get sharp pain, then another then another !!! eventually pull off a bullet ant, which has bitten me a number of times across my neck, B&")#% thing !!! It really hurts like hell, and believe me it does last for at least 6 hours...
Last day here, Imodium still working well !!!, up at 6am quick wash and out on the canoe for our last day of adventure. We head over the now water passes to the Yarapa (where is splits into yarapini) river to spot the pink water dolphins. I cannot quite believe them, but sure enough after an hour waiting we are rewarded with two juveniles playing up and down the river, they are amazing to see if only briefly every minute or so as they come up to breath out of the muddy water. I hope the photos come out. On the way back we spot many eagles and stop off to grab some bananas and sweet peppers. On our way back overland, we are stopped by the drugs police with Machine guns !! all quite friendly, they are checking for boats that are shipping cocaine from the nearby Columbian border, although there are cocaine plantations also in the jungle of Peru. After quick lunch of rice and sweet peppers that we picked earlier we start on the journey to Nauta, and my journey out of the Amazon. We have to leave the girls at the lodge so say farewell and we head in the canoe back to the village we passed on our first night to meet the river taxi to Nauta. Say goodbye to Carmina and Benjamine at the village, despite no use of her legs, Carmina has been looking after us all with the washing at the lodge, always cheerful and laughing away.
Our 2 1/2 ride on the Amazon to Nauta is by river taxi, a long thin boat with a larger motor on long shaft to the propeller, we are accompanied by 40 loads of bananas, chickens and a pig, Andreas then finds us a 10 /s room for the night for me to wait for the 3am ferry heading to Yurimaguas. After saying farewell to Andreas and thanking him for the excellent adventure I head back into town to watch the end of a local football match, Nauta is a tiny town, and the hostel is right near the port. On arrival we are give a coconut ice which is excellent, I then ask for a mirror, since there is not one in the room, and I haven’t seen what I look like for 6 days !! bit of a shock, no will wait a little longer till I start the beard (Jon !!). It is very friendly though and I end up playing the last 10 minutes of the game with them, although my skills quickly promote me to goalie !! Quick shop round the market to get supplies for the boat ride then the first (cold) shower in five days and a shave. Restless night waiting for the ferry.
Arrive at port, well where the river meets the town, for 3.15, ferry arrives 6.30 and we get under way at 7.00am. Once on board find a space to put my bags down and then look for hammock space, I just bought a hammock from Andreas the day before, since I didn’t have one for 20/s Lady kindly makes some room for me where I am so put up the hammock there. Turns out to be a good spot away from the noise and heat of the engine and toilets, and quite breezy near the front of the ship. Find out from the guy next to me it is 2 1/2 days to Yurimaguas not the 2 days I thought it was, oh well, noting to do now but chill and enjoy the ride !! Understandably feel like an outsider at first but soon get chatting to the locals in my pigeon Spanish and soon slow down to the pace of life on board ship. It is like a floating community all ages, sizes walks of life, only one other gringo with a beard to be proud of, turns out Carmichael is from Argentina, and only been in the jungle for 10 days not the months that his beard portrays !!! People are just getting on with what they want, there is no moaning or bickering, many families are on board many with small children, one with a baby only 10 days old! some are well behaved others are little rotters, but no one minds you just get on with whatever to fill the time. During the day it is really hot, with no where to hide from the heat, every 1/2 hour or so you stop at the river side and pick up or drop off people and cargo. Sellers with fruit and cooked fish / bread board the boat, do a quick round to try and sell and get off 100 yards down the river. The small boat bar is open most of the day selling crisps, beer and bottled water, there is also 3 basic meals served daily at the galley at the back of the ship included in my 40/s price ticket. I still have a pretty dodgy stomach so end up giving my food to the girls next to me. I get quite sunburnt on the first day and am a source of amusement being bright red on the second day. There are shower on board, but it is simply river water pumped up, not sure how clean you are getting ?? It is really quite comfortable at night, and being on the river we are no so plagued by the mosquitoes. It was one think I notices at the Lodge, while you are on land you are eaten alive, while in the canoe you seem to avoid the mosquitoes. We are now on the Maranon river heading upstream towards Yurimaguas. The water looks like ice at night as though we are skating up the river, the views although not changing are memorizing all the same !!! It is slow time on board, the crash and shouts of kids soon dulls into background noise as you watch the endless jungle scroll by. Every time the engine pitch changes people get up to see what is happening eager for anything to break the boredom!!! Each village you pass on the banks (or Communidad) has a sign proudly stating when the communidad was set up. dates range from 1930´s to 1985. Every dock to a village is greeted by many happy smiling faces of the kids, all you need to stop the ferry is a t-shirt waving at the river bank. We arrive at Yurimaguas at midday on the 18th, I say goodbye to some good friends on the boat and head toward Hostel El Naranjo recommended by Charles next to me on the boat, also in LP. Not many people about, and Hostel is still undergoing refurbishment, 30/s per night, after negotiation, but TV and more importantly hot water !!! I get my clothes, which is pretty much all but I am wearing into the hostel laundry and then head out into town. Being siesta time most things are shut so end up on the main square Plaza de Armas eating an ice cream. Meet up with Rob a guy who got on the boat at Lagunas from Barnet who I met on the boat for dinner, he has arrange to meet the tour tout who send him on the trip, we end up down by the docks again chatting to two Swedish girls about our experiences, then back to town for some drinks. End up on the roof of Rob’s hostel singing and playing guitar keeping up the dogs and the neighbours !!! Oh well !!
back to topPlanned to head to Tarapoto today but they have not finished my laundry so end up exploring the market in the morning, and suffering a very slow internet connection in the afternoon, do find a very friendly place to eat at lunch, no real sign about 3 block from the main square. End up chilling to Hollywood films in Spanish on the TV and enjoying another hot shower !!!
back to topGet my laundry back around 10 having already been out for breakfast, found some nice pancakes. On leaving the guy on the desk says he can get me on a car / pickup to Tarapoto for 15 - 20 sols, take him up on it and within 10 minutes and picked up by a pickup, by Carlos Sainz, which I found out later was no mistake. We then proceed on the scariest 3 1/2 hours of my life as we plough head long through the wettest, bumpiest, most dangerous road I have ever been driven down. Perched on the back of the pickup with a scooter, 4 younger kids and a pig we fly past anything else on the road, sometimes sideways !!! we eventually get to Tarapoto and the rain subsides a little. I find lodgings at El Mirador which despite being 30/s per night, is very friendly and has excellent views over the town. we are now heading back into the Sierra out of the jungle, but Tarapoto is the last stop in the jungle I head into town and bump into Rob again at the internet cafe !! we head out for dinner of chicken and chips, together with a couple of beers comes to 18/s less than 3 quid back home!!!! Back to hostel and watch Lethal Weapon 4 in English with Spanish Subs, hopefully all adding to my Spanish intake!!
back to topUp at 8 to enjoy excellent breakfast on the Balcony overlooking town, then into town to get my photos developed and update the website, just wandered round town for most of the afternoon meeting the locals. Meet Rob and Henry, a local, later and head out on a Motor Tri-cycle to Morales, another district in Tarapoto, for a really nice cheap meal, 1 1/2 sol. After the meal, Henry takes us on a mad chase looking for Amigas, we all end up at Jenny’s house in the outskirts off town. Rob is heading off into the Jungle again tomorrow so we end up at a bar in town till 3 !!!
back to topUp again to enjoy breakfast, then head out on off town back to Morales to investigate the busses to Chachapoyas, Cial has one at 5pm for 20/s which will be cool, head back to check on my photos, still not done !!! End up reading in the Square till its time to leave, Ronald at the photo place has only managed to get one of the films on CD, so will have to sort the other one out later. I get down to the Cial bus station at about 4.30 plenty of time since it doesn’t leave till 5.30. I am next to Jose a hydro engineer from Tarapoto, also heading to Chachapoyas. Ok journey, arrive in Pedro Ruiz at around midnight, and Jose and I start looking for a hotel for the night, Since the collectivos to Chachapoyus will not be running to the morning, I manage to spot a car, which takes us both the 1 1/2 ride for 10/s each. End up on the main square in Chachapoyas at 2am, a couple of expensive hostels later, we end up in the Hostel Tambo for 20/s.
back to topReally tired, up at 3pm to explore the town and also get the Puno photos up online. Booked a 4 day trek around the local ruins and Kuelap, includes a day of horse riding !!! will update on my return....
back to top
First Day of the trek, left the Hostel Revash on the Plaza Armas just after 8, with Greg, Jim and Cecile, three Swiss travellers who are staying in Revash, its a long rough road, but we eventually bump and slide our way down the road to our first stop Waughi, we leave the taxi and head off walking around the mountains, it is extremely hot, but the views are amazing, we eventually arrive and see a number of round circular burial houses made seemingly in the side of a cliff, we cross the river and explorer these pre-Inca burial `Chullpas´, some held 18+ mummies that are now stored at Leymebamba Museum which we will visit on the last day. We then head a little up the gorge to view a waterfall then head back up the 2 hour trail to the taxi and off again down the bumpy road, to the second site at Karajia, where we only have a 20 minute walk from the car, to some sarcophaguses, almost human shaped the mummies were again placed in the foetal position but stored individually in a sarcophaguses. After 2 more hours being shaken in the taxi we are dropped off at the end of the road, literally, and we walk for about 30 minutes to the communal farm houses which will be our home for the night in the Valle Belen. The view is amazing of this winding river through a flat flood plain, bright green and very fertile, caught between the darker wooded mountains. The nearby village, has one family staying each week on the farm to ensure that the livestock in the valley are ok. We enjoy popcorn and herb tea before dinner and then chicken and noodles before sleeping in the main room on blankets and mattresses.
We are up with the birds and after a quick breakfast of fried Plantinos, bread and hot coffee, we set off up the valley with our packs and 2 donkeys carrying the gear, to Piraquilla a recently discovered new set of ruins, that are still covered in jungle. The going is really hard with very wet muddy sections followed by rocky slipper sections, we all fall over at some point, and at parts the trail is a series of water filled troughs with muddy peaks to step over ever foot or sow, this is obviously where the donkeys and horses keep stepping and causing these deep puddles !! It is quite made to see the ruins at Piraquilla, and you can imagine how Machu Picchu looked to the first discoverers!! There are many round buildings covered by the jungle, some quite massive, we trek for about and hour, going across the main path in and out of the jungle, discovering more and more of the site. We continue on the path to Gran Vilaya and stay at a family house in the valley. While the family are freshly preparing the chicken we bought on the way through the village, we prepare some fresh coffee. I help grind up the dried friend to extract the coffee beans. they are then roasted and ground to make the first fresh coffee I have had in South America and it is excellent. From the balcony you can see this years crop growing below in the valley. After an excellent chicken meal we play some cards and crash out in our own room with beds !!
Again up with the birds, to some real ground coffee !! (Excellent!!) we set are greeted by four horses/mules outside the house. This will be our transport on the trail for the day !! Some of the horses are not much bigger than us and after loading the saddlebags with our food etc on each horse and us, they are each carrying quite a load. It is an amazing experience, and one I feel quite at home at. The start of the trail out of the village is quite gentle and the two boys that are accompanying us keep the horses in line with smacks with branches, which the horses soon respond too, usually by galloping away, with you on board !! As we continue the path gets much steeper and slippery, and the horses are definitely struggling!! it is an amazing feeling being on the back of a horse as it rears up on its hind legs and jumps onto the next slippery rock, a height you would not be able to jump yourself !!! I feel right at home and am really enjoying the experience.
The other three at some point or another end up walking towards the end, whereas I am getting quicker on my horse and really enjoying the steep up and down sections, despite being thrown a couple of times !!!
We finally get to the end of the trail, and as the boys prepare to return back to the farm with the horse we get back in the taxi and decide to go to Kuelap tonight instead of tomorrow. Kuelap is a massive Pre-Inca settlement which is described as Machu Picchu of the north, it contains over 400 building and being on the top of the mountain offered excellent views of the surrounding area. It really is amazing. While there we stumble upon, some current archaeological digging, where they are excavating two people from the ground !! amazing! We head back to the taxi and then on to our first hot water and showers of the trek at a little village just past Tingo. After a beef and rice meal at a local restaurant we crash out all a little sore from the days horse riding!!
Since we saw Kuelap yesterday we get a reasonable start at 8 today and head off by tax after breakfast of more fried Plantanos to Leymebamba Museum which contains as well as artefacts and models of the surrounding pre-Inca civilisations, 200+ mummies that have been taken for examination and conservation from the tombs we have been seeing over the last few days. after an excellent 1 1/2 we get back in the taxi for the bone crunching 4 hour ride back to Chachapoyas. On the way back the steering on the taxi broke and we nearly crash right off the road. After stopping a few cars and lorries, we found the correct spanner to fix the bolt on the steering wheel column and we able to continue on our way, all of us in the car just a little more wary now !! Back in Chachapoyus by about 2pm we check into the Revash Hostel, after a quick shower I head out into town and find that Robin is also in town, I drop him a line and head back to the hostel for a quick nap. At 7 Robin wakes me and we head out to a bar across the square, where Robin, with guitar, is entertaining about 20 assorted locals. It is a really nice atmosphere, with some really friendly cool people. After a few songs from Robin and William, exchanging western and Peruvian tastes, Walter, Robin and I head out to a pizza bar and after a few Pisco Sours, end up at the local night club, where we bump into many of the crowds from the singing earlier. It is a great night, despite the fight, and at 3 we eventually leave. Robin and I head up the steps on the side of town and from the hillside watch the town and people in the square. Eventually get back to the hostel at around 4am where I have to wake Greg, who I am sharing a room with to save on costs.
Feeling a little worse for the night before today !!! :-( Up for breakfast at Mass Burger for another slice of excellent apple pie, and the obligatory Inca Cola !! Get my washing and bits sorted and meet up with Robin William and Walter at 1 where after a few drinks in a local bar, we say by to William and meet up with Edgar, we head then in a taxi out of town to get a cheaper meal. The next village we are in the back garden of some house, listening to the usual 80´s music, and drinking fermented sugar cain (guarapo) and dried curried beef and chips, which tastes a bit like shredded duck, was all really nice. After the meal we head back into town and I finish packing and leave my room, ready for my bus in about 1 hour. meet up with the other for one last drink, they then help me too the bus station with my bags, and I leave, on time, on Movil Tours 8pm bus to Chiclayo. (35/s) Journey should take around 10 hours. About 2 hours into the journey, the free seat next to me is taken up by a woman and her child and her luggage, despite, my spanglish protests she insists on having the bag next to her, i.e. on my lap!! I then spend the next 6 hours tying to sleep with this woman keep moving her bag on me !! Oh well.
Next monthback to top |