Dry Season Ends with Fire

This year we have had a particularly sunny dry season.  I have been in Chachapoyas 13 years and don’t remember such a long spell without any rain at all.  For me this meant I with a friend could take full advantage to explore new routes in the mountains to the east of Chachapoyas, in an area known for more than 320 wet days per year (see http://jaggedhorizon.com). It was unbelievably beautiful with frosty starry nights.

Whilst out there we witnessed first hand the burning of mountains.  A local farmer had come out to check on his animals and set fire to the hills.  He does this to spark new plant growth for his cows to eat and bring the rain.  Unfortunately the burning is a haphazard affair and may burn a small patch of large bunch grasses or it may burn a whole mountain.   We observed him get out his matches and light area after area, one big fire filling the valley with smoke and entering the forest.  He said he knew it was wrong because you can be fined now, but he said that burning his patch of forest would be okay because in the next valley there are still thousands of hectares.

That night in our tent we kept watch as fire started to get closer.  We had set a point that if the fire reached it then we would move camp.   As the dew fell the fire died down.  However, we could see the red glow from other fires in the distance that raged throughout the night.

Back in Chachapoyas a permanent blue haze hung in the air and there was niggle in the back of my throat.  For the time being at least while there is still vegetation the rains will come and hence the burners will be proved right.  It may take a week of burning but eventually the rain has to fall.  But what does the future hold?

COST CUTTING ON A NORTHERN PERU TOUR

It has got to be said that a trip to Peru is becoming increasingly costly. Fuel prices, food prices and the standard of living are all going up here and abroad and a trip to Peru in general isn’t so attractive financially compared to other countries.  But there are ways to reduce the costs and this works particularly well along the Northern Peru Circuit.

Did you know that there are many nightly buses where you can recline in a large seat similar to business class from a few years ago and hence travel in comfort?  So you can get a good night sleep and travel around the country at a very reasonable price compared to the current price of airfares.

"LOST CITY" OF THE CLOUD WARRIORS

The term “lost city” conjures up romantic images of walls poking through vegetation or fallen buildings on mountain tops. Written about by the likes of Fawcett and brought to the silver screen by Spielberg – they do exist. Many may not be lost now but there are places in the world where you can wander through what was once a thriving population and yet see nobody else. The magical site of Vira Vira in the Chachapoyas area of Peru is such a site.

Flights to Chachapoyas

The airline LC Busre on the 24th May started to operate the route Chiclayo-Chachapoyas-Chiclayo. We have waited a long time for flights to return to Chachapoyas from a non-government airline and we hope that LC Busre will be here for the long term.

Why fly instead of drive?
The route from Chiclayo to Chachapoyas is roughly 460km, taking about 8-10hours and you pass through a myriad of landscapes. It is certainly worth it if you have the time. Currently due to necessary road improvements and particularly between Bagua and Pedro Ruiz there are delays due to the road works and flying for many might be the best option.

For those in a rush to get to the paradise of the Chachapoyas area, the flight leaves after the arrival of the LanPeru flight from Lima – meaning you can get from Lima to Chachapoyas any day of week in 3 hours.

For those on the budget and also not bothered about seeing the landscape on route there is the night bus service with either Movil Tours or Transervis Kuelap.

Pacasmayo: A Charming Place for those in the Know

For the traveler blasting along the Panamerican Highway between Chiclayo and Trujillo, Pacasmayo is the cement factory on route.  There is so much more to Pacasmayo than smoking chimneys and dust of the factory - the seaside town of Pacasmayo is a perfect refuge from the crazy Panamerican Highway traffic.

Pacasmayo was a very important port a century ago with a train tracks running down to the pier.  People from the northern highlands would take the train from Chilete on the Cajamarca road to Pacasmayo and then a boat to Lima.  The train tracks have been taken up long ago, but the station and the pier remain.

So why stay in Pacasmayo?  Tranquility is the immediate word that comes to mind.  Sitting on the balcony of either of the two hotels (La Estacion and Pakatnamu) on the seafront with only the sound of the waves while the sun dips, is a perfect end to a day.  Fitting Pacasmayo in to a northern Peru tour is easy and beneficial.  You arrive in Trujillo on a evening flight.  The next day you see the main attractions of Trujillo and leave the city via the way of El Brujo.  Now instead of backtracking to Trujillo, carry on to Pacasmayo. 

There are sites worth visiting in the Pacasmayo area too for the traveler with time.  For surf lovers, the waves are some of the best and longest in Peru.  Cañoncillo is a group of lakes in the desert.  For the serious archaeology lover there is the Chimu site of Pakatnamu on a bluff and the Moche pyramid of Dos Cabezas.

Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird

You need quick eyesight and to be in the right location to see this gem of a hummingbird. Timid and small compared to some of the larger hummers, it darts out from the undergrowth to its favorite flowers. The right location for it is the drainage area of the Utcubamba river in the Department of Amazonas, Peru, at an altitude between 2200m and 2900m and on the edge of the cloud forest.

Sensory Overload: Road from Leymebamba to Cajamarca

Let’s connect two areas of the Northern Peru Circuit. The route between Chachapoyas and Cajamarca is via one of the most spectacular roads in Peru. Between the two cities is the deep (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon) Marañon Canyon. It is unavoidable and unforgettable as well.

My favorite journey direction is from Leymebamba on the Chachapoyas side to Cajamarca. Why? Because this is a journey of sensory overload and by the time one gets to the rolling hills between Celendin and Encañada 30mins before Cajamarca a time of reflection is needed - aka. shut eye.

Video: Release of Juvenile Condor, Leymebamba

Here is the video of the day Condorcito was taken up the side of the River Atuen gorge to his release site.

Chachapoyas: Young Condor Crashes on Maiden Flight

A young condor crashed on its maiden flight just south of Leymebamba, near Chachapoyas in northern Peru. The condor maybe 12 months old left the high limestone cliffs where it had hatched and landed heavily in a farmers field. The farmer offered to sell it otherwise he would eat it - condor's heart pickled in local rum makes you braver. Friends from Kentipata, an exclusive place to stay surrounded by zillions of hummingbirds, rescued the condor from the death sentence.