Quillabamba
We decided to take a trip to Quillabamba, which is to the north of Peru. It was an exploratory visit, to see how difficult it was to arrive there, and if we could enter some land from one of the local communities. We had a guide who met us in Cusco. Her name is Edith, and she lives in Quillabamba. We met her before we boarded our bus at 8 in the morning. We quickly learned that she is fairly insistent on getting her way. She made us drink coca powder because we would go through a high mountain pass. We tried to explain to her that we were used to the high altitudes, but she wouldn't let it pass. So we drank the tea. We left on our bus, and passed through some goregous mountainous areas. The way we go to my field site is completely different than this direction. I loved it. I tried to take as many pics as possible from my bus window. I always try to sit in the window...fresh air can work miracles when all you can smell is urine. So I always have a great view. We had to pass through some construction and mining areas, which definitely detract from the beauty.
We arrived, and as I tried to get off of the bus, a guy stopped me. He was passing by in the aisle, and I happened to be the only gringo on the bus. So he started talking to me after grabbing my arm, and sat down in the seat next to me. He started pulling out this notebooks, and showing me the different stuff written in them. He was kinda crazy, and I just smiled at him and said that I had to leave...which I did quickly to keep him from grabbing me again. I think he had mental problems, but I wasn't interested in finding out for sure.
We stayed at a Don Carlos, which are located in many Peruvian towns. This one was alot nicer than the one in Puerto Maldonado, except that it didnt have a restaurant. The following day, we had to go and meet people to ask for more information about the roads and the communities. We met Americo who got his cousin to be our driver...for a nice payment of course. His office also gave us maps of the department of Cusco. Of course, when I tried to use them later, they wouldnt show up. But that is just Peru. We also visted the office of the Machagengas. We had to ask permission to meet the Shima president, but were told that we didn't need any papers of introduction. Well, it turns out we did, but we wrote a quick letter and the president accepted it. We had a hard time tracking down the president by radio, so we decided to leave at 3 in the morning to try to find him in the nearby town. We had to drive 6 hours or so in truck from Quillabamba. The Shima use balsa canoes to cross the river, but the river was dangerous, and you have to walk 3 more hours to the community, so we decided to take our chances at the town. We arrived, and Edith kept trying to get in contact with the president. Turns out, the president was in town, but we had to write a letter to him to get permission. Made put on the letter that I was from North America...it sounds better than the United States, I guess. We were given a guide, Raul, who macheted the trail for us. All the guys we had met kept telling us it was too hard and difficult to enter, and too thick. No one believed we hiked and used machetes all the time. So entering the land was actually very easy. We had to cross the river and drive for an hour from the town to find the land. It is actually easy to fine, because the giant gas pipeline goes right through the middle. It is now a big open area. We found a good diversity of plants, but not of orchids. I was told that there were other areas with more orchids and flowers, but I have my doubts about this. I will find out soon, because in April I am going to return with the orchid expert.
We had a nice 2 hour hike, and didn't see any animals, but found a whole colony of spiders. We returned to Quillabamba, and had a nice farewell dinner with Abel and Edith. Abel offered us beds at his house, but we were covered in dust from the road, so we declined. The next day, before we left, Edith and I tried to go to Abel's farm, but it was down the road from the office of Abel, so we just enjoyed the plant life. On the way there, in a taxi with 7 people, Edith tried to talk my ear off. So you can imagine how glad I was to return in minibus where I got to sit in the front and enjoy the view in silence (while sometimes thinking about how I would go right through the windshield if there was an accident...the hazards of cheap travel). We got on our bus in time to leave, and enjoyed some choclo (giant corn) on the way back. Overall, I thought the trip had some of the prettiest views I had seen in Peru. Note...always wash your fruit before you eat it. I paid a little for my laziness.
We arrived, and as I tried to get off of the bus, a guy stopped me. He was passing by in the aisle, and I happened to be the only gringo on the bus. So he started talking to me after grabbing my arm, and sat down in the seat next to me. He started pulling out this notebooks, and showing me the different stuff written in them. He was kinda crazy, and I just smiled at him and said that I had to leave...which I did quickly to keep him from grabbing me again. I think he had mental problems, but I wasn't interested in finding out for sure.
We stayed at a Don Carlos, which are located in many Peruvian towns. This one was alot nicer than the one in Puerto Maldonado, except that it didnt have a restaurant. The following day, we had to go and meet people to ask for more information about the roads and the communities. We met Americo who got his cousin to be our driver...for a nice payment of course. His office also gave us maps of the department of Cusco. Of course, when I tried to use them later, they wouldnt show up. But that is just Peru. We also visted the office of the Machagengas. We had to ask permission to meet the Shima president, but were told that we didn't need any papers of introduction. Well, it turns out we did, but we wrote a quick letter and the president accepted it. We had a hard time tracking down the president by radio, so we decided to leave at 3 in the morning to try to find him in the nearby town. We had to drive 6 hours or so in truck from Quillabamba. The Shima use balsa canoes to cross the river, but the river was dangerous, and you have to walk 3 more hours to the community, so we decided to take our chances at the town. We arrived, and Edith kept trying to get in contact with the president. Turns out, the president was in town, but we had to write a letter to him to get permission. Made put on the letter that I was from North America...it sounds better than the United States, I guess. We were given a guide, Raul, who macheted the trail for us. All the guys we had met kept telling us it was too hard and difficult to enter, and too thick. No one believed we hiked and used machetes all the time. So entering the land was actually very easy. We had to cross the river and drive for an hour from the town to find the land. It is actually easy to fine, because the giant gas pipeline goes right through the middle. It is now a big open area. We found a good diversity of plants, but not of orchids. I was told that there were other areas with more orchids and flowers, but I have my doubts about this. I will find out soon, because in April I am going to return with the orchid expert.
We had a nice 2 hour hike, and didn't see any animals, but found a whole colony of spiders. We returned to Quillabamba, and had a nice farewell dinner with Abel and Edith. Abel offered us beds at his house, but we were covered in dust from the road, so we declined. The next day, before we left, Edith and I tried to go to Abel's farm, but it was down the road from the office of Abel, so we just enjoyed the plant life. On the way there, in a taxi with 7 people, Edith tried to talk my ear off. So you can imagine how glad I was to return in minibus where I got to sit in the front and enjoy the view in silence (while sometimes thinking about how I would go right through the windshield if there was an accident...the hazards of cheap travel). We got on our bus in time to leave, and enjoyed some choclo (giant corn) on the way back. Overall, I thought the trip had some of the prettiest views I had seen in Peru. Note...always wash your fruit before you eat it. I paid a little for my laziness.
posted by Becca at 1:53 PM
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