From Jatun Sacha to Sachahuares: Tena, Ecuador to Cusco, Peru

Hi everyone!  This is a wordy post, not only because I have been moving around the last week, but also because I am having difficulties getting my pictures to upload to computers.  As soon as I can manage to find a computer that reads my SD card, I will add some photos to this post.

A little background information:  Fresh from graduating with degrees in Biology and Hispanic Studies, I decided to travel to South America to meet new people, utilize and improve my Spanish speaking skills, and to see and learn about ecosystems different than those I am used to seeing in Washington and California.  I also wanted to volunteer, to use my youthful energy to help conservation and small scale agricultural projects in their quest to preserve a changing environment and minimize the expansion of harmful 'civilized' practices.  Finally, I wanted to experience the chaos, passion, and controversy that will be rampant at the World Cup in Brazil.  

Before planning my journey from Ecuador to Brazil, I sent out requests to farms in Peru and Argentina that accept volunteers to provide farm labor in exchange for room and board.  In Ecuador, my mission was to help with a conservation project in the Amazon, and though I had to pay a fee to participate, I know that my labor and financial contribution went towards conserving and maintaining an important area of rainforest.  After leaving Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon last week, I set out with Cusco as my next volunteer destination.  It is a long way from Tena, Ecuador to Cusco, Peru, and I began by returning to Cuenca to enjoy the hospitality of friends before relying on hotels and hostels for lodging.  I stayed two nights, mostly relaxing and roaming around the city one last time.

From Cuenca, I took a morning bus south to Loja, where I only stayed a couple hours to do some errands before jumping on another bus that took me further south to Vilcabamba.  I stayed at the biological reserve RumiWilco (www.rumiwilco.com) , a hillside conservation site/ecolodge with a nice network of trails complete with interpretive information throughout.  I learned that for all the beauty of the patchwork agriculture I had seen on the hillsides thus far, there is a severe threat to the biodiversity of Loja province, and Ecuador in general.  For example, only 8-10% of Loja province still harbors native ecosystem, with development and civilization threatening to erase more biodiversity by the day.  The ecolodge concept has been around for awhile, but proves to be a useful tool for combining conservation, education, and tourism income.

View of Vilcabamba from the trails of RumiWilco.

I stayed two nights in Vilcabamba, and woke up before the sun on Wednesday 3/26 to begin a day and a half of travel that would take me across the border and into Chachapoyas, Peru.  Thankfully, Jen Ryman was waiting at the bus stop in Vilcabamba, and we remained travel buddies throughout the border crossing and three nights in 'Chachas'.

First, we had a 6hr bus ride from Vilcabamba to Zumba, Ecuador, during which we saw evidence of the recent rains manifested in landslides along the dirt and gravel path to Peru.  The way to Zumba was clear, but  we did stop along the way to let the bus staff fix an axle issue after hitting a big rock, and we definitely felt our stomachs drop looking over the edge of the road a few times along the way.

Steep roads and beautiful views highlighted the border crossing into Peru.

Once in Zumba, the next step was to take a large, open sided truck (ranchera) the next three hours to the small border town of La Balsa.  We met two Germans in the bus station, Adrian and Fine, who had tried to make the ranchera trip in the morning, but the way was blocked by landslides and washouts.  There was a point where the ranchera company told us that we could get through, but the taxi truck drivers said we couldn't, so we should spend a bit more and cross with them.  We decided to go with the ranchera, and if we came to an impass we might walk across and find a taxi on the other side.

Me sitting in the open-sided ranchera that brought us to the border!

Success!

The problem area was still a work in progress when we arrived, but the backhoe soon had the area flattened and ready for passage, and we continued towards the border.  There was one point where our ranchera went over some uneven ground and looked in danger of tipping over, but all was well in the end.  Everyone else on the ranchera had departed by the time we reached La Balsa, and four foreigners could be seen wandering across the river into Peru, starry-eyed and wondering where to change currency.

Entry to Peru was smooth, we all got our tourist visa stamped by the police who hung out in their building in tanktops and flip flops - little international exchange at this border crossing must warrant lax uniform requirements.

The journey from the Peruvian border to Chachapoyas stretched into the next day.  We took a half-hour moto-taxi ride (Peru's version of half motorcycle/half rickshaw) to the next town, then crammed 7 people and luggage into a car for a one hour trip to San Ignacio, then filled a shared taxi-van (colectivo) to go 3 more hours from San Ignacio to Jaen, where we crashed in a hotel for the night.  The first day's journey lasted from 6am to about 9pm.  The next day we grabbed a colectivo for a 1hr trip to Bagua Grande, and then a 3hr car ride to Chachapoyas.  We booked a hostel, dropped our bags, and began a plan of action for sites in the area.

The 3rd tallest waterfall in the world!

There are lots of tourist agencies to take people around Chachas, with plenty of archaeological and natural sites to explore.  We opted for a guided trip to Kuelap, the second largest archaeologial site in Peru after MP, and an off the beaten path hike to the third tallest waterfall in the world the day after.  The fortress of Kuelap is a pre-Incan structure, mostly consisting of houses with a couple towers and a temple.  The site took over 300 years to complete - what social and political stability to maintain a project for so long!  Our journey to the waterfall was a memorable one, with a refreshing walk through the high forest culminating in breathtaking views of a cascade too large to capture by photo.  As we returned to Chachapoyas, the sun broke through the clouds with rays like spotlights highlighting the secluded communities scattered through the hills.


My original plan from Chachapoyas was to take the less traveled path on the east side of the Andes to arrive in Cusco, but with landslides likely and busses less reliable, I decided to take the express bus route through Lima.  After 21hrs I arrived in the capital Monday morning, and booked a hostel in the touristy part of town.  Hostel Pariwana is great for meeting people, feeling comfortable, and checking out the city, and I had two wonderful nights there.  On top of that, I met up with a friend of a friend who lives in Lima, and she showed me great places to eat, and some of the beautiful places of the city.

My journey continues with a 21hr bus ride to Cusco.  Once there I will book my trek to Machu Picchu for later this month, and quickly set out again for Sachahuares - the farm where I will spend the next two weeks using the skills I learned from my two Bachelor's degrees.  I am happy, confident, and ready to be back in the woods.  Until next time!