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  • AliceAlain

Peru

Pengembaraan terbuka oleh AliceAlain Baca lagi
  • Pre-inca canals

    6 September, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Our guidebook introduces the site of Cumbemayo as “an astounding feat of pre-inca engineering” with “aqueducts that zigzag over 9km for a purpose that is unclear”. Its a long climb to get there (as is most of Peru) - so we very sensibly decide that joining a tour will be a good plan. This has the benefit that we have a guide and learn about the context of the site.

    According to our guide, the mountain, which is covered in striking rock formations, was considered a sacred place. There are rock carvings, caves, temples and sacrificial altar. There is also an narrow aqueduct (60cm wide) built around 3000 years ago which managed to take water over a complex route (including over the water divide between the pacific and atlantic) and then down into Cajamarca. As Cajamarca has abundant water supplies, the explanation is that the aqueduct brought sacred water down for spiritual purposes.

    The intriguing right angle bends that are carefully built into the canal are presumed to have symbolic meaning - perhaps denoting, according to our guide, the three levels of underworld, living world and heavens.
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  • Cajamarca

    5 September, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Here at 2750 m altitude, we enter the heart of Peruvian history. This is the place where Spanish conquistador Pizzaro defeated and captured the Inca emperor Atahualpa, tricked him of a huge ransom of hundreds of tons of gold and silver, and then executed him anyway. (More details can be found in e.g. wikipedia at "Cajamarca", or "ransom chamber"). Mining for gold and other heavy metals is still one of the area's main sources of revenue.

    Cajamarca (Kashamarka in quechua language), was populated for more than 2000 years before it was conquered by the Incas in 1463 and added to the Inca empire. The hold of the Incas on this region seems to have been a bit weak, something the Spaniards were well informed of.

    We spend our first afternoon visiting the ransom chamber, a remarkable Inca building, in which Atahualpa was confined and the ransom delivered. With the same ticket we visit the church of Belén (Nuestra Señora de la Piedad) and a nice museum set up inside the old Spanish hospital, with pre-Inca artefacts. We discover a great mural fresco in town relating the prehispanic history!

    We also organise an English-speaking guide for tomorrow's visit of a fabulous site in the mountains...
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  • Modern mosaics and ancient tombs

    5 September, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Out first visit of the day is to the sanctuary in Polloc, very near to where we just spent the night. The church and the courtyard around the water pool are covered with bright modern mosaics which we enjoy. We guess that people come here to take the holy waters. Its all very new and was only finished in 2012. Its smartness stands in stark contrast to the surrounding tumbledown housing. We ponder the Peruvian priorities.

    The road into Cajamarca is not too arduous - and not especially entertaining. We divert slightly to visit the Ventanillas of Otuzco. These are a set of pre-inca cliff tombs, dating from around 2000 years ago. Each niche would have contained one body in a foetal position. A few are multichambered. Unlike several other monuments we have visited, this one seems popular with Peruvians and we have company.

    It is then a few bumpy but flat km into the city of Cajamarca
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  • A moment of rest

    3 September, Peru ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Our traverse of the Marañon valley represents some 3600m of ascent. In addition, we have been cold, molten and bitten. We are utterly zonked and Alain is coughing seriously. So we settle at the Hotel Madrid, the best in Celendin, pay for two nights (110 sols/night, i.e. 27€) and conscientiously proceed to rest. Celendin is a sleepy city, so it's a perfect setting.

    We visit the market with amazing fruit, try some experimental dining out, and extract cough syrup from the pharmacy. We decide to stay a third night.

    Finally, we are on the road to Cajamarca, climbing solidly until early afternoon. On the descent, our hoped for accommodation options fail, one by one.
    It is late. We are left with a possible lead of iOverlander (an app) of a hotel/restaurant, 1km out of a little town along a tiny dirt road.

    We find the place. A huge shut blue steel gate "welcomes" us. We knock, bang, yell, no answer. A neighbour confirms this is the right place, so we repeat, no answer again. Finally another neighbour calls with his mobile phone and an old man appears through the wire fence telling us to wait. Many minutes later an old smiling peruvian lady opens up with a large key. Joanna, she says, and offers her hand to shake.

    This restaurant/hotel seems almost closed down and turned into a farm now. We can plant the tent and use water and basic facilities. This is a very safe place, evidently. We sleep well and wake up at dawn with geese, chickens, a rooster, and sheep... Adios and gracias, Joanna!
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  • Out of the furnace into the …

    1 September, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    As we cross the river Marañon in the base of the gorge we trade shady green mango groves for hot dry barren countryside.
    We pause in a small amount of shade to swap the tent back over to Alice for the climb. It is very hot but we are hoping that in a couple of hours we can climb enough to be out of the worst of it.

    Sometimes things just do not go to plan.

    A short distance up the road, Alice realises she has a flat. There is no shade in sight, so we pull over in full sun beside the road. The tyre is full of thorns. We carefully mark them to try and make sure nothing is missed and then put in a fresh inner tube. Job done. Uh oh. The front wheel is now flat too. By now things are getting really hot. Our phones have turned themselves off due to the heat- even when inside a bag. The tools and wheels are so hot that they hurt to hold. And this time we need to fix the inner tube too. By the time we finish Alain is dizzy and Alice is not feeling much better. This puncture-fest has landed on the hottest day of our trip, at the hottest time of day and with no shade in sight.

    We limp up the road a couple of km and finally find some shade behind a rock to eat a late lunch. After lunch, we are in the maximal heat of the day, still very low in the gorge and both feeling rubbish. Progress is very slow. Our objective of completing half of the 2200m climb today is not going to happen. We plod on.

    400m of climb further up we pause to filter some water from a fast flowing river channel. As we set off, its yet another puncture for Alice. We pull over and realise there is a possible spot for camping. Its time to call it a day.

    Then follows a hot grumpy evening with lots of prickles and puncture fixing. After a hot night, we wake early to try to beat the heat. Ha ha. Guess what. Alain has a slow puncture to amuse us over breakfast.

    We have 1650m of climb to complete today. Its already hot despite being early. The route is east facing and in full sun. Neither of us has slept well, we both have coughs and are snuffling, and we are not on form. It is a long long slow slog up to the top. By lunchtime we have climbed the first 1000m. The road is getting more entertaining- narrow and with an exposed drop. Its a little close for comfort when the occasional lorry passes us on this otherwise very quiet road.

    Finally we crawl to the pass - more by will power than anything else. The new scenery is much less dramatic. A simple descent and we are in the town of Celendin where we can rest and recover.
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  • The Marañon valley

    31 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We get going early, to a pure blue sky, with the perspective of a long and beautiful descent of 2200m in altitude from our bivouac at 3100m. We are on the west facing side of the great valley and the temperature is pleasantly cool.

    And what views! The daylight reveals many details and colors of the vegetation and landscape, from the high grass, cactuses, yucca and blooming trees to the remote summits, or, if we dare looking, the vertiginous slopes under the road.

    As we reach an altitude of 1700m we see down at the bottom the meandres of the big river, it's greenish and opaque color. The Marañon is the most powerful tributary of the Amazon. For a long time it was considered to be its main source.

    Before we reach the bottom of the valley, we enter an area of cultures dominated by groves of orange and mango trees, which keep the road sheltered from the heat. That did not last, alas. We found ourselves bathed in sweltering heat when we arrive by midday in the arid environment surrounding the Marañon.
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  • A different scale

    30 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    It is hard to explain the moment of awe when we suddenly see the view of the river gorge we are about to descend. Almost 3 vertical km of it. Normally, crossing a pass means the scenery shifts, but rarely does it feel so unexpected, and on such an altogether different scale. We have never had such a feeling of depth before us.

    It is already 4.30pm, the sky is largely clouded but with odd rays of light of the sun. Our photos fail to fully capture its subtle yet dramatic beauty.

    Our mission for the end of the day is 2-fold. First, descend to close to 3000m ( in keeping with the advice for altitude adjustment) and second, find a spot for the tent.

    The descent contours around the mountains and gently down, then some hairpin bends. After some time we arrive in a tiny village nestled in a col with views on both sides. In the centre is a football field, next to school. ´Can we put a tent here for the night’. ´yes, no problem’. As we rapidly pitch the tent in the falling night, the village shop arrives courtesy of a pickup truck. The wares are spread out on the ground and quite a number of villagers arrive to stock up. The atmosphere is lively. No one seems at all fussed when we join in and buy some fresh fruit and vegetables.
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  • The Calla Calla pass

    30 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    As we cycle deeper into the mountains, the scenery changes and widens; the river becomes smaller and cleaner. The settlements remain very poor, with smily but dusty children, dogs barking at cyclists. Modernity comes with corrugated steel roofs and piles of trash. We still have not seen a llama!

    Arriving at Leimebamba is a shock: a historic colonial town, with clean houses well lined up along the streets, a pristine central square (Plaza de Armas), well maintained cobbled streets. We enjoy the night spent there, purchase a few provisions, including plenty of juicy fruit, visit the museum (previous post), and by 11:00, slowly but surely, we attack the 1400m climb that will bring us out of the Utcubamba valley and into the next.

    A long climb combines management of effort (with the help of gears), food and water with the enjoyment of changing scenery, vegetation, animals, even humans and the discovery of the beautiful order of the mountains. It is also a long meditation :- me, my bike and the rhythm of the pedals, my breathing, at some point the pain, the wind, the cold; the processing of all the new things we have seen, read, heard, and, always, thoughts of home, family and friends.

    These many hours culminate with the great pleasure of the long awaited sign post! Yes, we made it. We've never been so high before!
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  • Leimebamba museum

    30 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    In 1996, six farmers discovered a new Chachapoyas burial site on a high ledge with six chullpas (figures) and 219 mummies. The mummies are now stored in a small community museum near Leimebamba.

    Most of the Chachapoyas monuments are remote, very high, and typically on an inaccessible cliff. For several, the only access is to abseil down the cliff- which begs the question of whether the Chachapoyas also knew how to abseil. Given the difficulty of access and the long distance views for normal visitors, we have not had time (or legs) to see the sarcophagi (bring binoculars) or other cliff burial sites. However the museum lies on our route.

    The mummies are quite different to the Egyptian mummies we are accustomed to. They are bundled with knees folded and arm’s crossed.

    A number of other delightful artefacts and explanations are on display.
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  • Kuélap, city of the Chachapoyas

    29 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Kuélap sits atop a 3000m mountain and is branded the Machu-Pichu of the north. It was constructed by the Chachapoyas civilization, who occupied the catchment area of the Utcubamba river, a remote and isolated portion of northern Peru. The Chachapoyas are also known as the cloud people since the mountains they lived in are shrouded in clouds in many seasons - hence also the cloud forest vegetation in the region.

    The Chachapoyas seem to like high places and this means many of their structures are hard to access. Kuélap is relatively recently discovered and still in the process of being explored and uncovered. It is a mountain top walled administrative town/ fortress/ sacred mountain with emphasis depending on what theory you read. There may have been around 3000 people living there. The most recent theories seem to favour the religious and sacred aspect, with temples, some tombs and evidence of sacrifices. The settlement dates from 500 to 1100AD and predates Machu Pichu by some 500 years.

    Arrival at Kuélap is impressive and is much eased by a smart new telecabin which avoids a long long drive. Even from the top of the lift, there is still an uphill walk to reach the entrance. The view is dominated by the high stone walls that surround the long narrow settlement. Perched high with 360 views around, it is a magnificent location.

    The 3 entrances are impressively deep long narrow and steep. One person wide and easy to defend. Inside, every building is circular, many showing a hearth, platform, and some a drainage channel or grinding stone.

    The Incas arrived around 1470 and appear to have continued to use Kuélap as a sacred place, adding some rectangular buildings. The site was abandoned after the Spanish conquest of 1570.
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  • The gorges of the Utcubamba

    28 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    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.
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  • Gocta waterfalls

    26 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    The 771m Gocta falls were only “discovered” in 2005. They are in 2 parts, the top fall of 231m and the bottom one 540m. The waterfall is now well and truly on the tourist trail.

    We pedal up the hairpin bends to the village of Cocachimba where the trail to the lower falls begins. Its a 6km walk each way and rather more up and down that we had anticipated. Its worth the effort - over 500m of falling water is really very impressive. The landing water creates beautiful changing patterns on the black rocks below.

    Along the footpath we see many birds we don’t recognize. There are vultures and a large flock of noisy wheeling parakeets. Also beautifully coloured butterflies and delicate damselflies. I didn’t see the mosquitos, but some of them found me tasty. The cloud forest is lush with ferns and flowers.

    Cocachimba is a quiet tiny village with a great view of the mountains and waterfall. As Alice is struggling with a cold and chest infection we decide to spend a quiet day here.
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  • The second pass

    24 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The downshifting of large trucks is a powerful alarm clock. We are awake early, having survived several episodes of heavy rain; well done tent!
    The task of the day is to get over another 2350m pass in the cloud forest, to reach the Utcubamba valley.

    Alice's bike, Constance, wobbles alarmingly in the descents and we try to exorcise the shimmy out of it. Putting the weight here, there, everywhere; exchanging rider, etc. does not fully solve it.

    We bravely keep going through gorgeous areas of forest and views, only interrupted by spells of heavy rain. At the top of the pass, in Pomacochas, we stop for a welcome and warming tea and soup.

    Finally, our goal is in sight, an open landscape, and high mountains surrounding the transit town of Pedro Ruiz. While Alain stops to enjoy the view, a big pig takes a taste of his front wheel.

    We spend a quiet day recovering in Pedro Ruiz. Next morning we start the more touristic road that will eventually take us to the pre-Inca site of Kualep.
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  • The first pass

    22 Ogos, Peru ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Tarapoto is low and steamy. The plan is to take a taxi up the long busy valley to where the mountains start. Despite assurances from the hotel, the lift with bikes (still boxed) is a challenge. A van is arranged but when it turns up it is a taxi and too small. A bigger one is ordered and we just just squeeze in,
    Then it is 4 bumpy and alarming hours on the road. Much slowed by motorbikes, tuk tuks and monster lorries. The road signs (no overtaking, 35km/h) are uniformly ignored. The only thing that makes a difference are the ferocious bumps in urban areas- for which everyone slows to almost zero.

    Once out of the taxi, we rebuild our bikes ready for tomorrow.

    The ride to the pass is heavily forested and 1800m of climb. We really need to make it to the top as there is almost nowhere we would willingly put a tent. And so we push on, hurrying a little as we need to find somewhere before 6pm as darkness falls early here. Luckily just over the pass we find a tiny village with space for a tent. We ask the locals and get the thumbs up. Pitching the tent near the new school and the half built soon to be toilet block (water and sanitation are clearly a big current project in this part of Peru). We are the subject of gentle interest and are very kindly given garden lettuce, carrots and 2 eggs.
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  • Tarapoto

    21–23 Ogo, Peru ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    What will be waiting for us in Peru? As we mark our first real footprint, it becomes clear that nothing is as expected. Our first stage is the tiny airport of Tarapoto, a good 20 meters walk between the landing spot, luggage delivery, and the taxi, which turns out to include a tuk-tuk for the bikes! This tricycle is the main means of transportation in this town of ~200k. Situated in the foothills of the Andes, Tarapoto is the gateway to the Amazonas.

    Beyond a few chores and errands, we take time to enjoy some fine Amazonian cuisine, including big chunks of Paiche, a gigantic river fish. To round this off we endure/adore a tuk-tuk ride to a great waterfall in the jungle.
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