The gorges of the Utcubamba

Descending from Cocachimba we continue wobbling research on Alice's bicycle. We find a compromise by relocating Alice's front charge to Alain's back paniers. In exchange Alice will carry the tent for the climbs and give it back to Alain for the descents.

We are now back in the gorges of the Utcumbaba river, a tributary of the powerful Marañon. The valley is nearly 2000 m deep, and the show is great at any scale! From the river itself (imagine kayaking or rafting!) to the little plots of banana tree, maize, flowers, also the wild ones and cactuses. The housing, variety of churches, catholic and many brands of evangelists, adventists, and the roadside advice panels (e.g. water is life, don't contaminate it!).

A bakery with a genuine wood oven is situated on the road, for the famished traveller and we can acquire some empenadas -- Peruvian bread is *not* made for Europeans.

As we sit on a wall near the river for our lunch, we spot an interesting animal lying on it. It is dead (road kill presumably) but intriguing. After some research, this cat-size furry racoon-looking beast is an opossum! Many species of these marsupials thrive in the Amazon and equatorial America.

We are now on a potholed and at times dirt road up towards the last village Nuevo Tingo, before Kuelap. Our host for the night, JJ, is a dynamic character, after a while talking in English we realize that he lived in Paris, had a French girl friend, and also speaks french perfectly.Read more